BWW Q&A: Julie Benko on STANDBY, ME: AN EVENING WITH JULIE BENKO at Curtain Call Inc.

Julie Benko is an actor, singer, and writer based in New York City. She recently marched her band out on Broadway as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, skyrocketing to fame and joining the annals of theatrical lore for her sensational understudy-to-star trajectory in the show. Between her tenure as the standby, alternate, and full-time Fanny, she played the role over 180 times (1 in every 3 performances!) and received numerous accolades for her interpretation, including Theatre World's Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theatre.

She was named the 2022 Breakout Star for Theater by the New York Times, included in Variety's 10 Broadway Stars to Watch in 2023, 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. In the fall of 2023, she originated her first role on Broadway, playing Ruth in the long-gestating Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman musical Harmony.

She has played leading roles in off-Broadway and regional productions across the nation, including the title role in Jane Eyre (streaming details to be announced soon!), Girl in Once, and many more. She will make her film debut in the upcoming full-length feature "Caravan." Check out her full theatrical résumé here.

Julie has released three studio albums: Christmas With You and Hand in Hand (both on Club44 Records) and Introducing Julie Benko. All were collaborations with her pianist-composer spouse Jason Yeager. She has headlined sold-out shows at such storied New York City clubs as the Café Carlyle, Birdland, and 54 Below, as well as San Francisco's famed Venetian Room at the Fairmont Hotel, Los Angeles' Catalina Club, and many other prestigious venues around the country.

She has performed as a guest soloist at Carnegie Hall and with numerous symphonies across America. She won the Gold Medal and the Johnny Mercer Award in the national American Traditions Vocal Competition, and holds a BFA in Drama and an MFA in Acting (yes, both!) from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

As a writer, Julie has worked across mediums. In 2020, she wrote, directed, and starred in her first short, "The Newlywed's Guide to Physical Intimacy," a heartwarming comedy which follows a Hasidic Jewish couple on their wedding night. The film has since won praise in numerous international festivals. Her first full-length play, "The District," set in New Orleans' legal red light district prior to World War I, was named a semifinalist at the 2022 Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference.

She can often be found making music with Jason, picking up languages on DuoLingo (she's on a streak of over 1,300 days!), or snuggling with her rescue cat, Thelonious Monk (aka Monkey). Incredibly, Julie has never even had one audition for any version of Law and Order. Is she even a NY actor?

What inspired you to create Standby, Me?

"Standby, Me" is the story of my life as an understudy, starting as a swing in the first national tour of Spring Awakening and culminating with my time as Fanny in Funny Girl. So many people had questions for me about what holding that type of job is like: What's the difference between a swing/alternate/standby/understudy? How do you learn all your roles and rehearse? How do you manage your nerves and other feelings? Did anything really crazy ever happen onstage? So, I put it all into one show! It gives an honest peek of what life is like behind the curtain. Show business can seem glamorous, but it takes a lifetime of hard work and grit to make a career. This cabaret celebrates that work and (hopefully) inspires others to keep following their passions, whatever they may be.

Why do you enjoy collaborating with your husband, Jason Yeager?

Rehearsals don't feel like work with Jason. He's always cracking jokes -- then they make it into the show. He's written himself a whole character and has become integral to the act. He's not just an accompanist and arranger, he's my scene partner. And there's something very comforting about performing together-- if I get nervous, I just look over at him, and I relax. I'm with family.

What is your favorite song to perform in the show?

Very little can top my solo as Whore #3 from my days in Les Miz, but if anything can, it may be how we perform "People" from Funny Girl. I also love doing "What's Gonna Happen" from Tootsie, because it really gives the audience a view into how actors deal with the constant rejection we face. (Usually not well!)

Why should Stamford area audiences attend Curtain Call’s fundraiser on May 31st?