�abrielle Mariella can deliver ashowtune as well asthe best of them . But she knows that building acareer in the ultra-competitive field of musical theater takes more than skills and agood presentation . So Mariella , like countless aspiring performers before her , has come up with creative ways to get her talents noticed . Besides actively auditioning for roles , she networks relentlessly and has produced videos for friends who perform . But it ’ sher series of TikTok videos doing impressions of legendary Broadway singers that has brought her own vocal proficiency tothe widest audience . Each atour-de-farce , the videos show Mariella , 2� , singing hits like Taylor Swift ’ s “ Anti-Hero ” and Funn� �ir� ’ s “ �on ’ t Rain on My Parade ” in the styles of Lea Michele , Idina Menzel , �ristin Chenowith , Patti Lupone and others , including herself �all in the same song .
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Her experiences have shown her that imitation really can be the sincerest form of �attery , she says .“ The ones who haven ’ t had as many impressions done of them tell me �I feel so seen ,’” she says . Even Broadway mega-stars reach out . “ Betty Buckley �M ’ dmeasking if I ’ ddoanimpression of her ,” she says . She did , and , as Buckley , zestfully hits the high notes .
Mariella hopes , ofcourse , toone day bealegendary , impression-worthy Broadway singer herself . It ’ sagoal she ’ s been working towards since age 10 , when her parents drove into the city from Wayne to see aBroadway revival of the musical ��nd �treet . The uni�ue experience of live performance , she says ,“ is something that can ’ t be recreated . If you filmed it , you couldn ’ t really capture that feeling .”
She recalls amoment during ��nd �treet when an actor sang the title song center stage in the spotlight , and she felt goosebumps .“ Ihad never sung before , and didn ’ t know if Icould ,” she says .
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When she tried vocalizing the songs from the show ’ ssoundtrack , she got her answer .
AHELLUVATOWN
Mariella , who grew up in the Packanack Lake neighborhood and attended Immaculate Heart of Mary and �ePaul Catholic High School , was soon taking advantage of theatrical opportunities in the region . She performed inIHM talent shows and trained at�ateway tothe Arts ( now in �enville ). At theater camp during the summer , she performed in full-length versions of �rea�e and �ippin�at12 , she played Reno Sweeney , the role inhabited by Patti Lupone , in �n�t�ing �oe� . At first , she thought she wouldn ’ t want to attend acollege that was close to home .“ But then Ithought , senior trips are often to New York because it ’ s great , so why not look at it� ” she says . “ And Ifell in love with NYU .” Mariella enrolled in NYU ’ sTisch School of the Arts to study drama in The New Studio
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THIS PAGE� COURTESY OF KAYLEEN BERTRAND� OPPOSITE PAGE� COURTESY OF EMILY LAMBERT |