Description
Birdland is happy to announce the return of Julie Benko – direct from Broadway’s Funny Girl and Harmony– with her band “Euphonic Gumbo” on Monday, February 10 at 7pm!
Julie Benko marches her band out at Birdland once again for her annual Mardi Gras celebration! Let the good times roll with Broadway's greatest star and her seven-piece ensemble Euphonic Gumbo for an evening of classic New Orleans-style jazz, featuring tap dancer extraordinaire (and Funny Girl castmate) John Manzari as a special guest. Songs include selections from her recent Club44 Records release Hand in Hand (“Louisiana Fairy Tale,” “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?”), her debut album Introducing Julie Benko (“Love for Sale”), and other classics (“Basin St. Blues,” "Iko, Iko," "St. James Infirmary"), with fresh arrangements by her jazz-pianist spouse Jason Yeager. Grab your beads and join the parade – nobody's gonna rain on this one!
Julie Benko joined the annals of theatrical lore for her sensational understudy-to-star trajectory as Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl. Between her tenure as the standby, alternate, and full-time Fanny, she played the role over 180 times and received numerous accolades for her interpretation, including Theatre World’s Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theatre. She was also named the 2022 “Breakout Star for Theater” by The New York Times and one of “10 Broadway Stars to Watch for 2023” by Variety, honored as one of “40 Under 40” for Crain’s New York Business, hailed by CBS Mornings as “Broadway’s breakout star,” and profiled in numerous national media outlets such as The New York Times and Time. Following Funny Girl, she returned to Broadway to originate the role of Ruth in Barry Manilow’s long-gestating musical Harmony. Benko has released 3 studio albums, including Hand in Hand (Club44 Records), a duo effort with her pianist-composer spouse Jason Yeager that won the BroadwayWorld Cabaret Award for “Best Commercial Album” and received a MAC Award nomination for “Best Major Album," as well as Christmas With You (Club44 Records) and Introducing Julie Benko. She has played leading roles in many Off-Broadway and regional productions, will make her silver screen debut in the upcoming film "Caravan," and enjoys a vibrant concert career, having headlined sold-out solo shows at venues around the country and performing as a guest artist with numerous symphonies. Visit her website, www.JulieBenko.com, or follow her on TikTok or Instagram @Jujujuliebee to discover more!