Music Review: Benko's Broadway Bang Began It All & Now She's Singing START WITH A BANG

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, welcome back to Bobby's CD sandbox where we offer our broken-down breakdowns of new music releases. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This week's album entry in the BobbyFiles is actually another quick look at a quick single, this one from the pens of songwriters Daniel Mertzlufft and Kate Leonard, and the power of Broadway's STAR understudy, Julie Benko. Starting a year-long series where these composers will release a new song each month, their START WITH A BANG kicks off this race with... well ... an explosion... Oh, OK! With a BANG! Joining Mertzlufft & Leonard on their year-long song cycle is their most frequent orchestrator, Macy Schmidt, founder of The Broadway Sinfonietta, an all-female-identifying and majority BIPOC orchestra collective. For this first number of 2023, Schmidt's arrangements and her players provide excellent backing for Benko. JB's performance starts out with an old Broadway songbird feeling, in her best lyrical voice. The song itself feels and sounds like an opening number from a show from back-in-the-day about making it big on stage in NYC - a very BROADWAY BABY message in its own uncomplicated way, and an appropriate tune for this singer who found herself thrust into a very big spotlight just a few months ago. As the number progresses, though, Benko begins using her whole voice from soft to loud to shouts and powerful BANGS on the word BANG (it's in the title, you see, my loves). One of the great things about JB's vocals, no matter the fortissimo, where they are so powerful, they are always under her control. Like any great thoroughbred thundering down the track toward the finish line... power under control. This is an essential element in selling this particular song.

M&L's lyrics have a nice, simple, poetic scheme that keeps it all tight and triumphant. The words and music are call-outs to the songs of yesteryear, where those grey skies gonna go, and where they rhyme Bang with Panang (Good one!) and Cork with Stork ... all that kinda stuff. The story is that simple one of a young girl coming to Broadway to be a star in a very off-the-bus NYC Park&Bark belter way. There are no other words for it, other than to say this is an old-fashioned song. The world (read: show biz) has to change and this is the performer to do it. She's going to start with a bang - just as Julie did with Funny Girl (though it was hardly this Broadway vet's "start" - that was in 2008 with the Les Mis tour). Benko sells this number as if her life depended on it and it must also be given one of Little Bobby's (((((((AUDITION CALLOUTS)))))) as this one should become a staple in everyone's belter book. Oh, and not to worry tenors, M&L offer a tenor voice arrangement in sheet music on their webbysite.

In all, dear Bobby readers, START WITH A BANG is the kind of tune that gets ya right in the old Broadway breadbasket. Benko sells it, and those listening should buy what she's selling. If you're a fan of, say, ANNIE or I HAD A BALL or GYPSY, anywhere that the songs needed a voice as big as the theatre to put them over, this one is for you, and Bobby happily gives START WITH A BANG

4 ½ Out Of 5 Rainbows - Put this one in your Spotifies: HERE

OR

Give This One A Listen On Amazon: HERE

Join EVERYONE in Following Julie Benko On The TikyToks: HERE (@jujujuliebee)

OR

Grab Her By Her LinkTree: HERE

AND

You Can See And Hear Everything About Mertzlufft & Leonard (and their year-long song-a-month challenge) On Their Webbysite: HERE

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