Review: JULIE BENKO: BROADWAY GOES TO THE MOVIES at Birdland Jazz Club

Looking every bit the star in a classy black dress adorned with sparkling red roses and spaghetti straps, Julie Benko took the stage at the equally elegant Birdland Jazz Club and launched her cabaret, Broadway Goes to the Movies, with “The Trolley Song” from Meet Me in St. Louis. Songs from great movie musicals were what first drew her to music, and this particular number held special significance: she had played the lead in her high school production. It was an auspicious beginning to an evening that celebrated familiar songs while revealing just how fresh they can sound in the hands of consummate performers.

Although the song list featured many beloved standards, the arrangements were tailored to the intimacy and improvisational spirit of a jazz club. Benko was accompanied by three superb musicians: Ben Sutton on violin, Michael O’Brien on string bass, and Jason Yeager on piano. Yeager also happens to be her husband and the “baby daddy” of their two-year-old—a detail that would become especially touching as the evening unfolded.

Part of cabaret’s appeal is the pleasure of encountering songs you might not expect, alongside those you know by heart. From State Fair, Benko delivered Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “It Might as Well Be Spring,” with Sutton’s violin answering her vocal phrases before she brought the number to a close with a beautifully sustained note. Next came Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile,” composed for his 1936 film Modern Times. By then, we were all smiling—not because our hearts were breaking, as the song suggests, but because Benko’s voice, so pure and clear, seemed to glide effortlessly through the melody with the grace and ease of a Fred Astaire dance.

From Sleepless in Seattle, she offered “A Wink and a Smile,” written by Harry Connick Jr., whom she credited with helping introduce jazz songs to a new generation through popular films. But one of the evening’s funniest moments came with “Wonderful, Wonderful Day” from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, a childhood favorite that her mother, seated in the audience, confirmed she had loved. The problem? As Benko wryly acknowledged, the film’s story “hasn’t aged well.”

Her comic retelling made the plot sound even more outrageous than one might remember: seven lonely brothers venture into a small Oregon town and kidnap seven women. On their way back into the woods, they trigger an avalanche that cuts the town off from their path. Months later, when the snow melts and the townspeople arrive to rescue them, the women decide they would rather stay put. One has to wonder how this story ever got greenlit. Yes, the brothers were all trained ballet dancers—but still! Sutton’s violin solo, evoking the rustic wilderness of the Oregon backwoods, was a highlight in its own right.

Benko’s comedic gifts were on full display again with “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She delivered vocal impressions of the three women who made the number famous—Marilyn Monroe, Carol Channing, and Ethel Merman—eliciting extended, enthusiastic applause at the end. It was a delicious demonstration of her versatility, comic timing, and ability to inhabit a song without losing her own distinctive personality.

A particularly gracious moment came when Benko dedicated Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s “Moon River” to two audience members celebrating a 75th birthday. Yeager cleverly wove “Happy Birthday” into his piano solo, adding another thoughtful touch to an evening filled with such class acts.

Then came Richard Rodgers’s delicate “The Sweetest Sounds” from No Strings, a song Benko said she knew personally through Brandy’s version of Cinderella. The room grew so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The audience was utterly mesmerized by her interpretation, as well as by an extraordinary string bass solo. In keeping with the jazz-club setting, Benko went on to deliver an extended vocal scat solo, demonstrating that her artistry extends well beyond the Broadway lyrical voice.

Before singing “You’ll Be in My Heart,” Phil Collins’s song from Disney’s Tarzan, she offered a warning: “Not recommended for pregnant mothers.” The first time she heard the song while driving, she explained, she was so moved that she nearly caused an accident. As she sang, “You’ll be in my heart, no matter what they say, you’ll be in my heart, always,” it was easy to understand why.

The next pairing—“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz and “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie—brought audience members to their feet. Both songs sounded remarkably fresh and original in their jazz arrangements, reminding us that even the most familiar melodies can reveal new colors. Yeager, meanwhile, earned his own extended moment in the spotlight with an exceptional piano solo worthy of Carnegie Hall.

Benko closed the scheduled portion of the evening with “The Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book, but the audience was not about to let her go so easily. For the encore, she began with an original introduction so inventive that guessing the song seemed impossible. Then, almost magically, it became “People” from Funny Girl. I hope this arrangement finds its way onto a recording; it was that distinctive and very special. 
When Benko reached the lyric “with one very special person,” she turned toward Yeager with a look of unmistakable endearment. Earlier, she had shared how the two met in a Starbucks, striking up a conversation as strangers. Her takeaway for the audience? “Talk to strangers.” Yes, indeed. May we all be so lucky.

Throughout the evening, Sutton, O’Brien, and Yeager were given ample room to shine, their solos adding texture, surprise, and personality to the arrangements. But what distinguished Benko’s performance most was the care she brought to every song. She never simply delivered a familiar melody with the usual ending. She lingered over a phrase, held a note until it seemed to suspend time, or took an unexpected musical turn that made us listen anew. Whether mining a song for comedy, finding the ache beneath its sweetness, or letting a melody soar, she remained fully connected to the music and to the audience.

That is the magic of great cabaret: the intimacy of a performer sharing not just songs, but the memories, humor, and feelings that make them personal. In Broadway Goes to the Movies, Julie Benko transformed a treasure trove of cinematic favorites into something distinctly her own—playful, musically adventurous, and often deeply moving. We left with familiar tunes in our ears, smiles on our faces, (my cabaret companion with tears in her eyes), and a little more love in our hearts. What a gem of an evening.

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Learn more about Julie Benko, her tour dates and where to follow her online at www.juliebenko.com

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