Julie Benko Returns to the Venetian Room in April

Julie Benko will return to the Venetian Room in her new hit cabaret show, Standby, Me, an evening of spectacular vocals, theatrical lore, and inspiration for all the greatest stars-to-be. Joined by acclaimed pianist/composer (and husband) Jason Yeager, Bay Area Cabaret presents this one-night only engagement Sunday, April 14 at 5 p.m. at the world-famous Venetian Room, Fairmont San Francisco, 950 Mason Street atop Nob Hill.

Fresh from her leading role as Ruth in the Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman powerful Broadway musical Harmony, Julie Benko will take to the Venetian Room stage and reflect on her fast-moving career, singing the praises of the oft-unsung hero of Broadway: the understudy. When Benko first took the stage in 2022 as the standby as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, she could not have anticipated that she would take her bow as Broadway’s newest breakout star. Benko shares her thoughts on the journey leading to her meteoric rise, sharing songs and behind-the-scenes stories of her days understudying and covering 23 different roles in Les Misérables, Fiddler on the Roof, Spring Awakening, Funny Girl and more. Musical highlights from Standby, Me include such Broadway classics as “People” and “Matchmaker” to jazz standards “Twisted” and contemporary favorites, “What’s Gonna Happen,” and "I Dreamed A Dream.”

Actor, singer, and writer, Julie Benko is 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. Benko was also named the 2022 Breakout Star for Theater in the New York Times, 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.

Benko  has released three studio albums: Christmas With You and Hand in Hand on Club44 Records, and Introducing Julie Benko. All were collaborations with pianist-composer Jason Yeager. She has headlined sold-out shows at Birdland, 54 Below, the Venetian Room at the Fairmont Hotel, and many other prestigious venues around the country. She has also performed as a guest soloist with numerous symphony orchestras. Benko, a Connecticut native, won first prize and the Johnny Mercer Award in the national American Traditions Vocal Competition. She holds a BFA in Drama and MFA in Acting, both from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

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As a writer, Julie has worked across multiple 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.

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Benko can often be found making music with Jason Yeager, picking up languages on DuoLingo, including Yiddish, learning to play clarinet or snuggling with her rescue cat, Thelonious Monk (aka Monkey). Incredibly, Julie Benko has never even had one audition for any version of “Law and Order.”

Currently, Benko and Yeager’s schedule includes upcoming performances of Standby, Me at LA’s Catalina Jazz Club and a much-anticipated debut at New York’s iconic Café Carlyle, May 2-4.

Tickets for Julie Benko and Jason Yeager in Standby, Me at the Venetian Room are now on sale, $75 pp and $30 for individuals age 30 and under; available online at www.bayareacabaret.org. Standby, Me is Bay Area Cabaret’s 2023-24 season finale.

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