JULIE BENKO; Stand By Me

Saturday, May 31 – Norwalk Concert Hall
Concert: 7:30 pm
Pre-show cocktail hour and concert: 6:30

CT NATIVE AND CURTAIN CALL ALUM COMES HOME FOR THIS FABULOUS NIGHT OF FUN & FUNDRAISING
When Julie Benko first took the stage as the standby for Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, she could not have anticipated that she would take her bow as Broadway’s newest breakout star. Joined by her husband Jason Yeager on piano, Julie reflects on the journey leading to her meteoric rise, sharing songs and behind-the-scenes stories of her days understudying in Les Misérables, Fiddler on the Roof, Spring Awakening, and more. From Broadway classics (“People,” “Matchmaker”) to jazz standards (“Twisted”) to contemporary favorites (“What’s Gonna Happen,” “I Dreamed A Dream,”) Standby, Me offers an evening of spectacular vocals, theatrical lore, and inspiration for all the greatest stars-to-be.

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.”