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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 almost 200 times and received numerous accolades for her interpretation, including Theatre World's Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theatre. She 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," recognized as one of Variety's 10 Broadway Stars to Watch in the 2023-2024 season, and profiled in numerous national media outlets such as the New York Times and Time. This fall, she is originating her first role on Broadway, playing Ruth in the long-gestating Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman musical "Harmony."
Julie is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, from which she holds an MFA in Acting (NYU Graduate Acting Class of 2021) and a BFA in Drama.
In 2020, Julie wrote, directed, and starred in her first short film, "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.
In December, she will release her debut holiday EP "Christmas With You" on Club44 Records. Her recent album Hand in Hand," a duo effort with her pianist-composer spouse Jason Yeager, won the BroadwayWorld Cabaret Award for Best Commercial Album and received a MAC Award nomination for Best Major Album. You can hear it wherever music is streaming, along with her debut jazz album "Introducing Julie Benko."
She has played leading roles in many off-Broadway and regional productions and enjoys a vibrant concert career, having headlined sold-out shows at Birdland, 54 Below, and many other prestigious venues around the country. She has also performed as a guest soloist with numerous symphonies. She won first prize and the Johnny Mercer Award in the national American Traditions Vocal Competition and holds a BFA in Drama and an MFA in Acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
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.
