Q+A with the voice behind the Flying Squirrels

This piece is a part of our Q+A series. Know someone we should interview? Nominate them here.

Profile: If you’ve made it to a Richmond Flying Squirrels game this season, you may have noticed a new voice calling out plays or announcing your favorite player.

That voice is Bianca Bryan, who has used her vocal talents for everything from Richmond sports to VA news to local theater. She works with local PBS station VPM, Virginia Repertory Theatre, and does several other voice acting projects + helps people create demos on her website.

We asked Bianca 8 questions about joining the crew of 6 total female announcers in all of Minor or Major League baseball, and how someone who grew up around the world made a home in Richmond.

How did you and your family find your way to Richmond?

I grew up in South Africa, Argentina, El Salvador, Chile. And then, I was in and out of Northern Virginia. And so that's kind of how Richmond got on our radar ― because my sister came and moved here first.

I was in college in New York I would come down and visit Richmond. And then all of a sudden, I have two kids and I'm like, where do I want to raise my family? And then I worked for Virginia Repertory Theater. And so it was kind of like, alright, we're gonna give Richmond a try.

So now that you have a season under your belt, what’s your most exciting game or play you’ve announced?

I mean there's been really some exciting plays, apparently double plays don't happen very often in minor league baseball? It's so exciting because all the reads that I have to do with the game are just like a nine page script. And then I have like these reads that are situational. And so it's like if there's a stolen base, if they strike out, which is the one I use the most often, and then the double play one. It’s like, I don’t get to read it very often.

Trace, her son who is a fixture at home games: For home runs, they pick a section or row, and those people sitting there get a free drink. I haven’t won any of those though.

Bianca and her family | Photo provided

What would you recommend to someone visiting or thinking of moving to Richmond?

I mean definitely see the Squirrels play. You need to go to a Squirrels game at some point because it's just a part of Richmond, right?

On the other hand, one other thing that I would talk about is the theater. The theater community here is phenomenal, and there are so many New Yorkers that actually, like, have been hired from like the theaters here in Richmond, and then they realize like, oh, this is an amazing place to live.

While we wait for next year’s season, we have 5 more questions about Bianca’s favorite parts of Richmond, and why it’s such a great place to be creative + to raise her kids.

5 MORE QUESTIONS FOR BIANCA

#MUSTDO

Today

Seasonal Garden Walk: September | Tues., Sept. 14 | 10 a.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | $17, members free | Pro Tip: register for this specialized walk in advance. 🌿

Wednesday

Vagrants & Empty with Dead Friends | Wed., Sept. 15 | 8 p.m. | The Camel, 1621 W. Broad St. | $12 | This Floridian band’s genre is known as post-hardcore rock.
LEGO Challenge | Wed., Sept. 15 | 4 p.m. | Ginter Park Library Meeting Room, 1200 Westbrook Ave. | Free | Kids ages 4+ can build creative inventions to be displayed at the library.

Thursday

GWAR | Thurs., Sept. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | The National | $25+ | Shock-metal standbys from Richmond since 1984.
Food Truck Rodeo | Thurs., Sept. 16 | City Stadium, 3201 Maplewood Ave. | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Enjoy bites and drinks from Cocina Calle, 1115 Mobile Kitchen, El Guapo, Noah’s Rockin’ Buns + more. Ⓟ

Friday

Stop Light Observations with The Mammoths | Fri., Sept. 17 | 9:30 p.m. | The Camel, | $13+ | Transformational rock out of Charleston, SC.
Fall Plantfest | Fri., Sept. 17 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | Free | Browse the leafy offerings at day 1 of Central Virginia’s most-anticipated 2-day plant sale. 🌿

Saturday

Special Adult Recess | Sat., Sept. 18 | 5:30-8 p.m. | Kanawha Plaza | Free | Music, food and games from 17th St. Market + Stonewall Sports.
Gellman Room Concert: Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia | Sat., Sept. 18 | 2 p.m. | Main Library, 101 E. Franklin St. | Free | Enjoy a free concert at the library.

Sunday

UnlockingRVA’s Brunch on the Plaza | Sun., Sept. 19 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Kanawha Plaza, E. Canal St. | $10+ | Brunch with a view + a performance by Mighty Joshua. ☀️

Monday

1774: The Long Year of Revolution | Mon., Sept. 20 | 5:30 p.m. | Virtual, RSVP | Free | Professor Mary Beth Norton outlines the 16 months leading to the first battles of the Revolutionary War in this VCU Department of History program. 🇺🇸

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

PLAN OUT YOUR SEPTEMBER HERE

NEWS NOTES

Weather

93º | Partly cloudy | 10% chance of rain

Civic

Richmond City Health District + Bike Walk RVA are looking for volunteers to help track how many people bike or walk in certain neighborhoods, which is known as a bike-ped count. This data will help the city determine the impact of protected bike infrastructure, and where to invest for it in the future. 🚲

Announced

Food Network host Alton Brown is coming to the Carpenter Theatre for a live culinary variety show called Beyond the Eats. You can grab tickets to the October show starting Thurs., Sept. 17. Prices start at $43. 🎫
Comedian Wayne Colley, known by his stage name Kountry Wayne, will perform at the Altria Theater Tues., Nov. 6. He’s recently been named in Top 10 Comedians to Watch by Variety Magazine. Tickets are now available at the box office or over the phone. (NBC12)

Development

Richmond City Council voted to approve the restoration and removal of an East End public housing community. This decision means builders can start constructing over 700 apartments + other housing. About half of the current Creighton Court Community units are not in use, but those still living there will be moved to another public housing community while the project is underway. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
The former Toys ‘R’ Us building on Quioccasin Rd. in Henrico is being renovated + expanded to house the pharmaceutical research firm PPD. This comes after the old toy store was bought in 2012, and an Ashley Furniture store plan fell through in 2014. The current building is expected to be used as lab space. (Richmond BizSense)

State

The Richmond Human Right Commission will host 2 virtual forums to answer questions about the Marcus Alert System being implemented this December. This alert will help first responders provide better service to those experiencing mental health crises. The online forums will be held Wed., Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. + Sat., Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. (NBC12)

Sports

VCU Men’s Basketball released its conference schedule this weekend, which includes 13 games set to air on national television. The Rams’ first in-conference home game will be Thurs., Dec. 30 versus the George Mason Patriots. The regular season starts Tues., Nov. 9.

Edu

The Richmond Public Schools Lit Limo is returning for the 2021-2022 school year. The limo hands out free books + learning activities to kids and will visit many neighborhoods, libraries and farmers markets throughout the fall. Check out our conversation about the impact of the Lit Limo here. 📕

Arts

The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra is looking for new young musicians. The orchestra is actively recruiting oboe, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone + percussion students. Rehearsals are Tuesdays from 4:45-7 p.m. and the orchestra performs 3 major concerts a year. 🎺

Finance

Score an easy $200 bonus after spending just $500 in the first 3 months with this no annual fee cashback card. (That's like getting 40% cashback on your first $500 spent.) After that, keep racking up rewards with unlimited 1.5% cashback on every purchase. Ⓟ

📸 @fountainbookstore

Fountain Bookstore is known for its mountains of novels, full of sci-fi and romance. But did you know you can pick up cookbooks too?

The culinary expert + host of Netflix’s Queer Eye, Antoni Porowski, will be by the E. Cary St. bookstore tonight to promote his latest work, “Let's Do Dinner.” If you buy a ticket, you can get a signed copy. By the way, that chicken looks great. 👀

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THE WRAP

Answered: Yesterday, we asked readers what form of transportation infrastructure they’d most like to see improved + supported in Richmond. Looks like our readership is big into biking — 46% voted for bicycles and pedestrians. 28% want to see more trains, 14% buses and other public transit, and 12% said cars. 🚲

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