Julie Benko, with Her Band “Euphonic Gumbo,” Returns to Birdland Jazz Club on Monday, February 6

Direct from Broadway’s revival of Funny Girl, Julie Benko, with her band “Euphonic Gumbo” returns to Birdland Jazz Club on Monday, February 6 at 7:00 PM. Benko will march her band out to celebrate Mardi Gras with six instrumentalists, including her jazz-pianist spouse Jason Yeager, in addition to Michael O’Brien on bass, Jay Sawyer on drums, Andy Warren on trumpet, Evan Christopher on clarinet and Ron Wilkins on trombone.

Performing in the classic New Orleans jazz style, Benko is set to let the good times roll with a potpourri of tunes inspired by her love of the Crescent City. Songs include selections from Hand in Hand, Benko and Yeager’s recent album from Club44 Records (“Louisiana Fairy Tale,” “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?”), Benko’s debut album (“Love for Sale,” her original song “Tomorrow Is a Day for You”) and other classics (“Basin St. Blues,” “When the Saints Go Marching In”).

Benko currently performs every Thursday as the alternate for Fanny Brice in Funny Girl has appeared on and off-Broadway and across the country, including Broadway turns in Fiddler on the Roof and Les Misérables. She is a recipient of the Wilde Award for “Best Leading Actress in a Musical” for her performance as Girl in Once. She also received a BroadwayWorld Award nomination for “Best Leading Actress in a Musical” for her portrayal of Luisa in The Fantasticks, as well as Theatre Bay Area Awards and SF Critics Circle Awards “Best Featured Actress in a Musical” nominations for her turn as Bella in Rags. She lent her voice to the 85^th Academy Awards and the 70^th Tony Awards ceremonies, performed as a soloist with numerous symphonies, and earned the Gold Medal and the Johnny Mercer Award in the national American Traditions Vocal Competition. Her writing projects include the full-length play The District (a 2022 semifinalist at the Eugene O’Neill National Theater Conference) and the short film The Newlywed’s Guide to Physical Intimacy, which has garnered awards at film festivals across the nation.