Julie Benko
A Star Is Born
Laurie Beechman Theatre, NYC, June 2, 2025
Reviewed by Jacqueline Parker
She showed everyone how a star is born when she stepped into the role that made Barbra Streisand a household name more than a half-century ago. That would be Julie Benko, who took on the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and hasn’t stopped wowing audiences ever since. She entered from the back of the Beechman and greeted friends as she slowly walked through the audience, looking every inch a star in a black off-the-shoulder dress with a side slit and thin high heels that earned the name “stiletto.” Hers is a clear, honest voice whose sweetness reigns even when she sings a torch song.
In this show, she talked—and sang—about the birth of another star: her six-month-old daughter Lulu. “Life changed since last year—here’s my journey” could have been the title of this show. She gave us some humorous highlights of her pregnancy and her life post-delivery that began with “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” (Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II). She left no doubt of just how crazy she was for the man to her right, her husband Jason Yaeger with whom she exchanged loving glances throughout the evening. She clearly has taken this role of mother as seriously as she did her Broadway turn. Lucky Lulu! With her own mother in the audience front and center, Benko spoke of her own birth, which her mom affirmed was easy-peasy compared to Benko’s delivery of Lulu.
It’s not a surprise, then, that Benko’s first song on stage was “Lulu’s Back in Town” (Harry Warren/Al Dubin). Yeager, in addition to being Benko’s husband, was her accompanist on piano and an award-winning jazzman in his own right. To reinforce his third role as father, he was permitted two dad jokes, which elicited polite laughter. Benko’s show was sprinkled with just enough jazzy interpretation to give each song a bit of a lift while keeping it recognizable.
She sang a captivating rendition of “A Sleepin’ Bee” (Harold Arlen/Truman Capote) from House of Flowers that linked to the show’s theme by saying it was a prayer for a sleeping “Ba-Bee!” She was assisted in this by Michael O’Brien, who helped create the buzz of a bee with his bass. This husband-and-wife duo matched each other in Sondheim’s “Children Will Listen.” Yaeger’s piano artistry framed Benko’s gorgeous rendition in gold, making it one of the highlights of the evening. Even the lighting seemed to be in total sync with what was happening on stage, thanks in part to the new lights that were a part of the room’s recent renovation. Club co-owner Michael D’Angora was at the controls. The inclusion of a violin in the evening added the delicate touch so appropriate for this event, made more sensual by Gabriel Terracciano. Benko spoke about having carried her potential grandchildren, a concept I had never heard previously. This thought just underscored the emphasis on motherhood that informed the evening, as did the presence of Benko’s Broadway mother, Tovah Feldshuh. (Feldshuh played Rosie Brice opposite Benko in Funny Girl.)
Admittedly, listening to new mothers expound on their offspring can be tedious, but this show was a delight. I only wish Benko had brought pictures, or better yet, LULU! Well, maybe next time.
