On this edition of Snapshots, if there is a band, I can tell you listening, growing up, and love to hear, no matter if they were playing in the supermarket, my car, or just randomly on TV, The Carpenters are the band. I would stop, listen to, and appreciate, especially the talents of Richard and Karen Carpenter. Well DMV, Broadway at the National announced recently that The Carpenters Songbook, A Live Celebration.
Their tour will make a stop at the National Theater on Saturday, October 17th, for one show only. This heartfelt new concert experience celebrates the timeless, yes, timeless music of Richard and Karen Carpenter, bringing their unforgettable songs, remarkable story, and enduring legacy back to the stage with a full-eyed band, stunning vocals, and captivating storytelling.
We have one of those stars with us here with me to talk about this wonderful production is the acclaimed vocalist, actress, classically trained dancer who performed with the San Francisco Ballet, and she has some ties here to the DMV, which we’ll talk during our interview.
Let’s give a SNAPSHOTS welcome to Christina Braa.
Christina, welcome to SNAPSHOTS.
Hello, thank you.
It’s well, so great to hear and talk to you about this wonderful show that’s coming up, especially since you are playing the role of the great Karen Carpenter, which anyone from the 1970s on know the voice, know the talent, know their songs. What inspired you to become part of The Carpenters Songbook, A Live Celebration, which we are about to see?
Well, I have always loved to sing. My experience has been in dance, theater, film, but my deepest love has always been singing. And when I saw this opportunity, I’ve done a lot of musical theater, but this in particular spoke to me as a different sort of experience than anything I’ve done in terms of the style of the show, the style of music, and just that I would be on stage Singing and Karen’s voice is just phenomenal, and it’s definitely a lot of pressure to live up to. But I was so excited about the opportunity, and when I auditioned for it, I could think of nothing else. I wanted to be a part of it so badly, and when I got the part, I was thrilled.
Well, I am so glad to hear it, and you’re right. Karen Carpenter is one of those artists. You must give it justice. You must do it well, and she is one of the most recognizable voices in music history. When you get up on that stage, what is the biggest challenge and honor of bringing her music, her presence to life on stage?
I mean, other than it being such a recognizable voice that people know and love. That’s a lot of pressure to live up to and to honor. But her voice is so technical, her voice is exceptionally low. She has this distinct contralto range. Yes, and I’ve spent the better part of my career developing my higher range and focusing on that kind of musical theater mix belt and really like power vocals, and so this type of singing is invites you to step back and focus on the clarity, the breath control, and this clear tone and this warm style of singing that’s very, very close to the mic, very soft and intimate and. Yeah, it’s an it’s a challenge. I have had to learn how to warm up my voice in a completely unique way, right? And access a quite different part of my range. It has been a challenge, but I also love the challenge, and I love seeing the style.
I agree with you 100% Especially, we are both taught in the theater that you must project your voice. You have to be loud for the audience in the back to hear. But in this case, you must be subtle, quiet, intimate. So, there’s that unique difference of what we hear from Tina Turner and Mariah Carey, compared to an exceptionally soft, gentle voice like Joan Baez.
Yes, exactly. It’s quite different, but beautiful.
Indeed, it is. And now, as I mentioned earlier in our introduction, you had some ties in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. As I read, you spent your summer, your sophomore year in high school while studying for the Kirov Academy of Ballet. I want you to tell us what some of the things that you did during the ballet, and what are some of your fondest memories of being in Washington D.C. all these years ago?
Well, so long ago, it was a boarding school, so I didn’t get to spend as much time at that point outside in the area. But I do remember going on excursions with my classmates to the like the monuments and all the national the museums, and I have very fond memories of those being kind of like this escape from school from the boarding school, and we also would go to I don’t remember the name. I think it was in Maryland.
Yes, it was. We would take the metro there. Silver Square. I remember there was an ice-skating rink during Christmas, and it was so much fun. And then when I went on tour with Peter Pan, that was my first like major musical theater production.
We went to D.C. and performed in the same theatre that I’ll be performing in for this, and I just loved it. It was one of my favorite stops on tour. We were there for two weeks.
Wow!
Yes, it was just a beautiful place, and I love the energy there.
That’s amazing. So, this is a full circle moment for you that you started, you started in the DC theater, naturally, and now you’re performing back at that same theater. That’s amazing.
Yes, it’s exciting.
And you have had such an incredibly talented career in the arts, dancing, singing, performing, film, and theatre. When was your first exposure to the arts, and how did it change your perspective that this is the career I want to do perform?
That is a great question. It’s hard to say when exactly I first fell in love with the performing arts, but I do remember going to the San Francisco Ballet, going to see these shows because my parents are artists, and they really brought me up to appreciate the arts and to encourage me to delve into it, but I do remember going to the San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker and wanting to wear the I wanted to wear pointe shoes really badly. That’s why I first started doing ballet. Yes, I just thought the ballerinas were so elegant and pretty, and yes, I ended up getting into dance because of that.
But I always enjoyed watching movies and listening to music. And I remember my sister used to get annoyed with me because I was always singing around the house and pretending to be a pop star. And then you know my parents noticed my interest in it, and you know started getting me into ballet lessons. I did some summer camps where it was like a musical theater summer camp, and from then I just kept going.
Yes, and here we are talking about your wonderful career, acting, singing, dancing, and I have to talk about acting because I have never known, never known in my entire career as a journalist that I would see ballet dancer and a horror actress in the same sentence. I never thought I would see that to this day. I want you, especially since we got a lot of our people who love horror films. So, tell us about your time as a horror actress.
I have to say, it was not something that I thought I would be doing. I just, for some reason, when I was getting more into film and television, for some reason, I just kept booking jobs that were horror film related and like this kind of sci-fi thriller type of storyline. I’ve always loved Spooky Season. I’ve always loved Halloween. But yes, I don’t know why. Whatever it is about me that that attracts that to me, I just ended up booking a lot of jobs like that, and they are a lot of fun. I have to say, I especially did this series that was based off an H.P. Lovecraft story, and we did a lot of practical effects, and it was just so much fun. It was so much fun being on set and getting to work with that type of makeup. I never knew that that was going to be the career path, but here I am.
The best part is reading your resume. You are well-rounded. You accept the challenges. You just don’t go for just the ordinary. You’ve gone beyond your reach, and I’m incredibly happy. I’m very thrilled about what you have done so far.
Thank you. Thank you.
You’re welcome. Now we have all grown up with Karen Carpenter over the years, is there a particular song that means the most to you? The one you’re looking forward to performing each night. I know I got my favorites, which I’ll tell you after you tell me yours.
Well, there are definitely a few favorites. It’s hard to choose because the music is so beautiful, but Goodbye to Love is one that I’m really excited to sing. I love the lyrics and I love the guitar solo. I also love I Need to be in Love, which I know was Karen’s favorite, and make believe it’s your first time. They make me emotional. I must separate myself when I’m seeing them because otherwise it will bring me to tears.
I can understand that. Among my favorites, Close to You, We’ve Only Just Begun, which is written by co-written by Paul Williams, who I’ve interviewed many years ago. When I told him it’s one of my favorite songs, he lit up. I also love Only Yesterday, and the one that really was close to me because it was released as a single when I was born was Touch Me When You’re Dancing. One of her last remaining hits with the Carpenters. It always brings tears to my eyes to know that this is one of her final songs in her career.
Oh my God! Yes, those are all great choices, and I agree.
Indeed, it’s been fifty plus years since we’ve been exposed to The Carpenters, and they are still prevalent to this day. In your humble opinion, why do you think or feel that their music continues to resonate with audiences across generations? We have kids younger than both of us, who like The Carpenters nowadays.
I think it’s because their music is so simple and sincere, and I think that’s timeless. I think the lyrics of their songs appeal to people as universal kind of experiences and truths that people just resonate with those lyrics, and I also think that the fact that they did didn’t change their style. Yes, with the passing trends of the time, and that’s to me very, very sincere, very authentic.
What are you looking forward to with this wonderful tour?
I am really excited about the travel. I love touring, and this is going to be a different kind of tour for me. It’s going to be a lot of one nighters on a sleeper bus, so that’s going to be fun. And I’m also just really excited to be singing on stage for that long, and just this music is gorgeous, and yes, it’s the singing that I’m excited for.
See Christina become the amazing Karen Carpenter in The Carpenters Songbook, A Live Celebration at the National Theatre – this Saturday, October 17, 2026. Tickets are available through the box office. To see if this show is playing in a city near you, go to www.carpenterssongbooklive.com or the Instagram page @carpenterssongbooklive If you want to check out more information about tour stops and tickets
To follow Christina’s journey – head over to her Instagram @xtina_braa
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