Laura and Linda Benanti
Mothers Know Best
54 Below, NYC, July 19, 2025
Review and photo by Alix Cohen
Laura Benanti has starred in 11 Broadway productions and has been nominated for five Tony Awards; she won in 2008 for best featured actress in a musical as Louise in Gypsy. She has two daughters. Her mother, Linda Benanti, has toured and has performed off-Broadway and regionally in more than a dozen shows. She raised two daughters, and 36 years after retiring, she now joined Laura on stage.
“Please welcome Linda Benanti and the woman who should have listened to her more as a child,” the voiceover introduction declared. A duet of “Que Será Será” (Jay Livingston/Ray Evans) was peppered with worries: “How much is too much screen time? Am I a bad person if I drive an SUV? I’m tired. Is anybody not tired?”
Laura was droll, and her timing was worthy of stand-up. Apparently she mined her humorous perceptions for an actual comedy show, Laura Benanti, Nobody Cares; I’m sorry I missed it. Tonight’s program included a few of her own songs and focused on the generational experience of mothers and daughters.
Linda began with stories about unexpectedly housing her daughters and their families, one of them during the Pandemic (with an incontinent rescue dog), and the other who was between homes, both of them with babies. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Her comments were wry. Maury Yeston’s “New Words” recalled her time with her grandchildren and it was full of heart.
In “Mama’s a Liar” (Laura Benanti/Todd Almond), Laura featured her own children’s witty comments. “Motherhood cracked me open in a way I could never imagine.” The root of the song was something about which few have songwriters have written: who tells little children the often frightening truth about tomorrow? Her vocal was a robust rockabilly backed by Cat Popper(bass), Ann Klein (guitar), and Joe Choroszewski (drums). “It’s all lies,” she confessed, “except that I’m always gonna love you.” Later, the clever duet on “Recovering Ingenue” (Benanti/Almond) used both her and her mother as examples of a common “syndrome.” It mocked, but did so without regrets.
Laura’s “Send in the Clowns” (Stephen Sondheim) was offered as Melania Trump, a character she frequently plays on the late-night Stephen Colbert Show. Her eyes became slits, she sucked in her cheeks, and an accent emerged. “Makink my entrance again,” she sang. The lyrics had been somewhat adjusted; it was funny.
Linda dedicated “Just in Time” (Jule Styne/Betty Comden & Adolph Green) to her husband of 42 years. It began slowly and cottony and then segued into a traditional, easy swing. A powerful “The Man That Got Away” (Harold Arlen/
Ira Gershwin) seemed unrelated to the show’s theme. It was shoehorned in to offer an unnecessary spotlight, but her skill was evident, and Billy Stritch’s arrangements enhanced it.
“My Fair Lady in 15 Minutes” was just that. Laura took over for Lauren Ambrose in the Lincoln Center production. (Score by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner.) Eliza was her “dream role.” Selected songs from that score were bridged by a narrative that might have landed better with more of her obvious wit. She was animated and infectiously enjoyed herself. But from song to song, her performance showed no distinction between emotional intentions. This was the main issue with these two talented women. Both delivered material at a loud, muscular level no matter what the lyrics expressed. They ended the show with “I’m Gonna Miss This” (Benanti/Ann Klein), which was lighter and on target. It stated that all today’s challenges of motherhood will be missed when the kids grow up. Mother and daughter agreed on that.
