Joie Bianco
Joie Bianco
Metropolitan Room, NYC, March 11, 2017
Reviewed by Rob Lester for Cabaret Scenes
Josephine Bianco
She grabbed attention and fans in tough singing competitions: Metropolitan Room’s MetroStar (semi-finalist; youngest, age 14; voted “Audience Favorite”) and kids/teens MetroMinor contest (winner); named “Most Promising” in Michael Feinstein’s national teen program (invited back this July). Then, golden-voiced Joie (Josephine) Bianco gracefully guested in concerts, including NYC’s annual Cabaret Convention where journalistic people praised her “People” (from Funny Girl). It closed her debut full-length cabaret show, marking her March “Sweet 16” birthday, which had the sweet smell of success. Her own distinctively “Joie” joie de vivre came through. The special guests at this “birthday party” gifted her with songs. Her melisma-filled duet with Beau Howard, “Beauty and the Beast,” charmed. She and serene, sublime Minda Larsen (her vocal coach and, not incidentally, the vocalist who ultimately beat her in 2015 to be crowned MetroStar!) movingly sang Wicked’s number about how friendship changes us “For Good.”
Increasingly at ease on stage, swinging now, employing strong audience eye contact (studying with masterful Marilyn Maye shows!), Bianco is more and more the pro. Additional patter would add her thoughts and experiences to the audience connection. Unspoiled, naturally ingratiating, with refreshingly unfussy manner, she’s a singer with big-voice moments absent of shrillness, intonation solid.
On the To-Do List, going forward: Digging deeper to fully act some lyrics more convincingly; considering what to do/how to look during instrumental breaks; moving around the (albeit limited) stage space. I have no doubt she’ll continuing growing by leaps and bounds. She already sails through the likes of a swell “Thou Swell,” fingers snapping to Jeff Cubeta’s snazzy piano, and shows pensive, sensitive sides with “Skylark.” She needs some lesser-known songs and maybe a comical one to round out her Super-Standard-heavy set. Joie Bianco is already a smash. And not just because she’s only 16.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews, Regional
