Photos: FUNNY GIRL Star Julie Benko Marches Her Mardi Gras Band Out At Birdland!

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On Monday, February 6, Broadway's Funny Girl Julie Benko marched her band out at Birdland in celebration of Mardi Gras!

Joined by six instrumentalists (including her jazz-pianist spouse Jason Yeager) performing in the classic New Orleans jazz style, Julie let the good times roll with a delightful potpourri of tunes inspired by her love of the Crescent City. The entire company opened the show with a parade through the sold-out house, handing out beads and causing some serious show biz havoc.

Julie Benko currently performs every Thursday as the alternate for Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway. Other Broadway/National Touring credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Les Miserables, and Spring Awakening. A recipient of the Wilde Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Girl in Once, Benko also won the Gold Medal and Johnny Mercer Award at the American Traditions Vocal Competition in 2017. Her albums Hand in Hand (Club44 Records) and Introducing Julie Benko were released to widespread acclaim.

Pianist/composer Jason Yeager has performed across five continents at such noteworthy venues as Carnegie Hall, the Blue Note, Panama Jazz Festival, Qintai Concert Hall, and more. A 2nd place winner at the Ravenscroft Jazz Piano Competition and two-time finalist at the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition, Yeager has released seven albums as a bandleader, including his latest,Unstuck in Time: The Kurt Vonnegut Suite (Sunnyside Records). Yeager's septet, featuring special guests Miguel Zenón and Julie Benko, will celebrate the release of this work at Birdland on March 27, 2023. His celebrated duo album with Julie Benko, Hand in Hand (Club44 Records), has been called "an impressive outing" (Broadway World) and "exquisite" (Times Square Chronicles). A committed educator, Yeager is Assistant Professor of Piano at Berklee College of Music.

Photo Credit: Kevin Alvey