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theater reviews
FUNNY GIRL
"Revelatory... The perfect Fannie Brice for our time."
-The New York Sun
"Julie Benko is the bright-eyed, dulcet-voiced soprano who went from standby to star."
-The New York Times
"Julie Benko just may be the greatest star of them all."
-Today.com
"Broadway's breakout star."
-CBS Mornings
"Ms. Benko is rendering a star-making performance... For what it’s worth, I hereby offer my imaginary Tony nomination of Julie Benko as Best (Standby) Actress in a Musical"
-Theater Pizzazz
"She was, in a word, luminescent... Julie’s clear voice soars whether she is drawing on her jazz background for “Cornet Man” or belting “Don’t Rain on My Parade” (the song that brought down the house at my performance). Hers is a gentler Fanny than we may have seen before, and her interpretation of this iconic character is completely fresh."
-FF2 Media
harmony
"Benko, who recently rose to Broadway royalty... makes full use of one of the musical highlights of the show."
-Deadline
"Benko dives uncommonly deep... powering this section of the narrative and pulling every conceivable emotion out of the show’s signature Manilow power ballad."
-Chicago Tribune/NY Daily News
"Ruth is the most interesting character in the show—you wish the narrative followed her... Side point: after this, can someone just give Benko her own show to helm? It’s overdue."
-The Daily Beast
"Ruth... always grabs the spotlight because she’s played by the enormously empathetic Julie Benko.”
-The Wrap
"Julie Benko will break your heart in a role that will be impossible to forget."
-Radar Online
"Julie Benko as Ruth... is a firecracker.
-New York Theatre Guide
Jane eyre
"She is absolutely sublime."
-BroadwayWorld
"Benko’s Jane is the perfect combination of soft-but-strong, and she shares a steamy, smoldering chemistry with Bogart’s surly Rochester... They bring a riveting intensity to the production."
-Triangle Arts Review
ONCE
"Julie Benko is a powerhouse as Girl. A fine singer and pianist, she combines dramatic nuance with a knack for comedy... In Benko's hands, [she] should come with a warning label: Do Not Underestimate."
-Seven Days Vermont
"It was Julie Benko’s Girl that proved the center of Friday’s performance. Her simple directness, with emotions simmering underneath, made her irresistible and riveting."
-Rutland Herald
"Honest, awkward, sweet, surprising, funny, genuine, evolving... an astounding achievement. [Her] acting cannot be separated from [her] melodious voice or from her inspired keyboard skills.... They are spectacular.
-Revue WM
"Benko is a delight as Girl, with plenty of sass to control the conversation and yet the tenderness to win devotion.
-Encore Michigan
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