Singing Beyond Borders: How Bianca Calisi’s Passion Led Her from Michigan to the World Stage
Bianca’s journey shows how one role sparked a dream that led her from her hometown to New York and now to Japan with Disney.By Florencia Arozarena
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“I love performing in front of people. It’s a mask, almost, and I get to be someone I'm not,” Calisi said about why she wanted to be an actor.
When Bianca Calisi, a musical singer and actress, landed the role of Johanna in the musical “Sweeney Todd” at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she was shocked to receive the news. She was 18 at that time and had never taken on a role with such depth before.
But it was during rehearsals for “Green Finch and Linnet Bird,” Johanna’s introduction song, that Bianca’s entire approach to performing was shaped.
“You are the bird. You are the bird that its stuck in the cage. You are trapped. When he said that to me, everything clicked, and when we opened, I got her, and I felt her in me.” Calisi said, remembering how working as Johanna changed the course of her career.
That lesson stuck with her.
“I love stepping into someone else’s shoes,” Calisi said.
Her dedication to understanding her roles soon paid off. In a standout performance as Rizzo in “Grease” at the Riverbank Theater in Michigan, Calisi received an acknowledgment from the Broadway World.
“Bianca Calisi is fiercely charismatic with tremendous vocal chops. Calisi is dynamic in both her "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" and "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" solos.” Representatives from Broadway World said.
For Calisi, acting is about more than performance; it’s about connecting deeply with the character.
“It's really important to have empathy and compassion for the characters, whether they're a good character or a bad character. Every character has a backstory, so understanding that you have a better understanding of them is and that's what's going to make you stand out from someone else.” Calisi said.
She was in her freshman year, studying to be an opera singer. After her role as Johanna, she was nominated and awarded for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a College production. That’s when she realized that she didn’t want to study opera anymore —she wanted to study musical theater.
Calisi took a year’s gap from 2017 to 2018, during which she auditioned for more musical theater programs. She was accepted to Marymount Manhattan College in New York and moved to the city.
Born and raised in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and growing up with an extremely supportive family with Italian and Hispanic roots, Calisi always felt a passion from a very young age. She decided to pursue the arts professionally after her role as Mary Poppins at the age of 17 at her high school in Michigan.
“After that role, I finally realized, oh, I have what it takes to do this,” Calisi said.
Bianca Calisi as Mary Poppins at her high school in Michigan.
Calisi moved to the city in 2019, where part of her family was waiting for her to support her.
“New York always was the answer for me, I had a phenomenal experience being here for school,” Calisi said.
She finally graduated in 2022. She got her first role after college, after five years without performing due to the pandemic, as Joanne in “Rent” at Black Rock Theatre in Connecticut.
“Joanne was so much fun, and that show is so full of heart and human emotion. I’m so happy I got to add that to my resume,” Calisi said.
Calisi’s performance in “Rent” left a lasting impression on those closest to her. Victoria Hersant, a long-time friend, recalls how seeing Calisi in the role of Joanne filled her with pride.
“Landing the role of Joanne in Rent was such an honor for her, and I knew that she was nervous about taking care of her. When the time came for me to see her performance, she stood proud and sang like I had never heard from her before. There was a newfound confidence from Bianca,” Hersant said.
Being in a big city like New York, trying to achieve the dreams that most Americans want is not easy. When Calisi is not performing, she stays motivated by doing rehearsal studios’ warm-ups, listening to a new show, and continuing to work on her craft.
“Doing things that make me happy in moments where we have lulls in the industry keep me alert and ready for what’s to come,” Calisi said about how she stays positive when she is not performing.
She works as a server at Hawksmoor, a fine-dining British steakhouse in the city, where she spends her time when she is not acting. Dealing with customers can be challenging, and that’s when Calisi tries to empathize with the person as she does with her characters.
“I bring my actor side to work. I do put on a show for people, and it’s fun but when I connect with people, then that’s my authentic personality. We are connecting as human beings, and that’s fulfilling.” Calisi said.
In January, she had the opportunity to move to Florida for two months when she got the role of Lorraine in “Jersey Boys” at Suncoast Broadway. She wants to be on Broadway and stay in New York eventually, but she enjoys traveling to commit to her roles.
“I love that I'm able to travel and go to different places and see different parts of America or the world. It’s a nice change of pace for me.” Calisi said.
Bianca Calisi in Jersey Boys at the Suncoast Broadway Theatre
Calisi is now preparing to go to Japan for four months with Disney on a Classic Tour of Japan. She will share the stage with eight other performers, singing classic Disney songs from different movies with an orchestra.
As Calisi prepares for this new adventure, knowing that Japan also could be a culture shock for her, she carries more than just preparing her voice. She brings with her lessons from her early years, her Michigan pride, and her advice to herself on how to bring characters alive.
“At the end of the day, I try and bring in a little bit of me in this character too. I want to bring a little bit of Bianca into each character I have. That looks like it is bringing a little humanity to each character,” Calisi said.
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