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Listen: Julie Benko Releases 'The Man With the Bag' From Upcoming Christmas EP
The album is set to be released on Friday, December 1.
By: Stephi Wild Nov. 10, 2023
"The Man with the Bag" the new single from Julie Benko, is available today! The song is from her forthcoming debut holiday EP, Christmas With You, set to be released on Friday, December 1.
After skyrocketing to fame as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway last season, Julie has returned to the New York stage in Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman’s highly anticipated musical Harmony, which opens on Monday, November 13.
Julie’s jazzy version of “The Man with the Bag” is arranged by Jason Yeager. The EP Christmas with You is produced by Julie Benko and Jason Yeager, with arrangements by Jason Yeager.
Listen to the song below:
Julie comments, “Christmas is the one time of year where even people who don’t think they like ‘jazz’ love jazz. We are tricking people into liking jazz! My husband and collaborator Jason Yeager created this arrangement for our holiday concert last year at 54 Below and we built on it for this recording, adding the modulation and all the horn parts. I have always loved Kay Starr’s classic recording, as well as Jane Monheit’s version. It’s a holiday song that doesn’t feel completely overplayed, overcovered, and overdone. The Kay Starr version is iconic, of course, but it leaves room for other artists to put their own stamp on the song.”
“Ronald Wilkins, our trombone player, played trombone in the pit of Funny Girl,” she continues. “I met him at our sitzprobe and immediately heard him talking about jazz since he also plays in the Count Basie orchestra. Whenever I entered from the pit for act two and he wasn’t subbing out, we would bump elbows on my way past. I am so proud that now he’s in my band!”
This season, Benko joins the ranks of many great Jewish vocalists before her, releasing Christmas with You. The EP also features the classic Yiddish folk song “Tumbalalaika” for Chanukah; a new take on the beloved seasonal classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and the EP’s debut single and title track, “(I Never Had a) Christmas with You,” an original retro-soul tune penned by Benko, which is also a joyous duet with Grammy Award-nominated singer Mykal Kilgore.
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, 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 over 180 times and received numerous accolades for her interpretation, including Theatre World’s Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theatre. She was also called the 2022 “Breakout Star for Theater” in The New York Times, named among “10 Broadway Stars to Watch for 2023” by Variety, honored as one of “40 Under 40” for Crain’s New York Business, hailed by CBS Mornings as “Broadway’s breakout star,” 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.
Her recent album Hand in Hand (Club44 Records), 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.” Her debut jazz album is 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 venues around the country. 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 (yes, both) from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. As a writer, Julie has worked across mediums. In 2020, she wrote, directed, and starred in her first short, The Newlywed’s Guide to Physical Intimacy, which has won praise in numerous international festivals. Her first full-length play, The District, was named a semifinalist at the 2022 Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. JulieBenko.com. Instagram/TikTok @JujujulieBee
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