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Julie Benko, ‘Funny Girl’ standby star, to join Broadway cast of Barry Manilow’s ‘Harmony’
(New York Jewish Week) – Broadway actress Julie Benko won’t be out of a job when “Funny Girl,” in which she plays the Jewish performer Fanny Brice, closes in September.
Instead, Benko, 34, will join the cast of Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman’s forthcoming Broadway musical “Harmony,” which is set to begin previews Oct. 18 and open Nov. 13 at the Ethel Barrymore Theater, Playbill is reporting.
The new role, like the one in “Funny Girl,” has Benko playing a Jewish woman in a musical about performers from a century ago. “Harmony” follows the true story of the Comedian Harmonists, a popular singing group in 1920s Germany consisting of both Jews and non-Jews. The group was banned from performing in 1934, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported at the time, for including two “non-Aryan” singers.
Benko, who is Jewish and got her start on stage at her local Jewish community center, is playing Ruth Stern, the Jewish wife of a non-Jewish member of the Comedian Harmonists.
“It is rare to be offered the chance to be part of a Broadway show that resonates so deeply on both personal and political levels,” Benko said in a statement.
“Harmony,” which features music from Jewish legend Manilow and lyrics from Sussman, premiered in 1997 and was most recently staged by the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene during a four-week run at the Museum of Jewish Heritage last year.
“We wrote the show we wanted to write, and we hoped that people would like it and that we would find a home for it. It was just a matter of getting it to New York,” Manilow told the New York Jewish Week ahead of the opening of “Harmony” at the Folksbiene.
The Folksbiene production went on to win “Best New Musical” at the 2022 Off Broadway Alliance Awards.
Since April 2022, Benko has appeared on Broadway as the standby for the Fanny Brice character in “Funny Girl,” a role originated by Barbra Streisand. Her first big step into the role was last June, when then-lead Beanie Feldstein contracted COVID-19 and missed several shows. Benko ultimately filled for Feldstein 26 times, then performed the role full-time last August after Feldstein left the show early and before “Glee” star Lea Michele took the helm in September.
Benko quickly became a fan favorite; according to the New York Times, “she has established herself in theater-loving circles as a performer worth seeing.” In an email to the Times, Michele called Benko “a savior” to the show, and since September Benko has performed the role every Thursday night.
Prior to her role in “Funny Girl,” Benko was a swing for the roles of Hodel and Chava in the 2015 Broadway revival of “Fiddler on the Roof.” As it happens, “Fiddler” was also the show that launched her career; at age 14, she appeared as Hodel in a production mounted by the JCC in Fairfield, Connecticut, where she grew up.
“I’ve covered eight roles in ‘Fiddler,’ and I feel like Fanny is more than all that put together,” Benko told the New York Times. “Plus Tevye maybe.”
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The post Julie Benko, ‘Funny Girl’ standby star, to join Broadway cast of Barry Manilow’s ‘Harmony’ appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Turkey Sends Drilling Ship to Somalia in Major Push for Energy Independence
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a ceremony for the handover of new vehicles to the gendarmerie and police forces in Istanbul, Turkey, Nov. 28, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Murad Sezer
i24 News – Turkey has dispatched a drilling vessel to Somalia to begin offshore oil exploration, marking what officials describe as a historic step in Ankara’s drive to strengthen energy security and reduce reliance on imports.
Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar announced that the drilling ship Çagri Bey is set to sail from the port of Taşucu in southern Turkey, heading toward Somali territorial waters.
The vessel will pass through the Strait of Gibraltar and around the coast of southern Africa before reaching its destination, with drilling operations expected to begin in April or May.
Bayraktar described the mission as a “historic” milestone, saying it reflects Turkey’s long-term strategy to enhance national energy security and move closer to self-sufficiency.
The operation will be protected by the Turkish Naval Forces, which will deploy several naval units to secure both the vessel’s route and the drilling area in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. The security arrangements fall under existing cooperation agreements between Ankara and Somalia.
The move aligns with a broader vision promoted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, aimed at reducing Turkey’s dependence on foreign energy supplies, boosting domestic production, and shielding the economy from external pressures.
Bayraktar said Turkey is also working to double its natural gas output in the Black Sea this year, while continuing offshore exploration along its northern coastline. In parallel, Ankara is preparing to bring its first nuclear reactor online at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, which is expected to begin generating electricity soon and eventually supply about 10% of the country’s energy needs.
The current drilling effort is based on survey data collected last year and forms part of Ankara’s wider plan to expand its energy exploration activities both regionally and internationally.
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Syria Expected to Form a New Government, Appoint a PM with US Support
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a Ministerial formation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic, in Damascus, Syria, March 29, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
i24 News – Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to launch in the coming weeks a workshop to form a new, inclusive Syrian government with expanded powers, a Syrian source close to President al-Sharaa tells i24NEWS. This government will include figures from across the spectrum of Syrian society in a bid to address the concerns of minority groups. Those chosen will be individuals who enjoy both local and international legitimacy.
i24NEWS has learned that a prominent candidate considered for the post of prime minister is veteran Syrian politician Fahad al-Masri, chairman of the Syrian Liberal Party. A US official says that the Trump administration “appreciates al-Masri’s support for Washington’s positions regarding Syria and the region, and that Syria would be well-served with him in an influential role.”
The Syrian source tells me that the new Syrian government will adopt “a phased plan to merge several ministries to achieve greater integration and efficiency.”
According to the US official, the workshop to form a new government is among several ideas that have been floated and discussed in order to reach a more permanent, non-transitional government.
The official said that US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack’s decision to drop support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is partly because he believes Syria’s Kurds must be part of the government in Damascus in order to grant it greater legitimacy.
“Making known that the SDF’s mandate has expired from Washington’s point of view is an avenue to encouraging the Kurds to integrate and speed up the process of forming that broad, inclusive government,” the US official said.
i24NEWS reached out to Fahad al-Masri to ask about his readiness to assume the role of prime minister in the upcoming Syrian government. Al-Masri declined to confirm or deny his nomination but stressed that “the priority must remain the stability and unity of Syria rather than individual roles.”
Al-Masri expressed his deep appreciation for President Trump and the US administration’s stance on Syria, describing it as “principled and strategically significant.” Al-Masri underscored his confidence in President al-Sharaa’s leadership during this pivotal period, affirming that the success of the transitional phase is vital for national interest and regional stability.
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‘Ball Is In America’s Court’: Iran Signals Willingness to Compromise on Nuclear Deal
Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi speaks to the media outside Security Council chambers at the U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., June 24, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
i24 News – Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi has suggested that Tehran is ready to make concessions in nuclear negotiations with the United States, provided Washington is willing to engage on sanctions.
Speaking to the BBC from Tehran, he said: “The ball is in America’s court to prove they want to make a deal. If they are sincere, I am sure we will be on the way to an agreement.”
Takht-Ravanchi’s comments come amid ongoing debate over which side is responsible for delays in the talks. Iranian officials have emphasized that progress depends on US flexibility, while American representatives have accused Tehran of slowing the process.
The next round of negotiations is scheduled for Tuesday in Geneva, with Iran represented by Foreign Minister Araghchi and the US delegation led by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Sources indicate that while a final agreement is not yet in sight, modest progress has been made since the first round of talks.
Takht-Ravanchi pointed to Iran’s offer to dilute its 60 percent-enriched uranium as evidence of willingness to compromise. “We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program if they are ready to talk about sanctions,” he said, without clarifying whether Tehran expects partial or full sanctions relief.
He also made clear that “the issue of zero enrichment is not an issue anymore and, as far as Iran is concerned, it is not on the table,” contradicting recent US statements emphasizing a desire for no enrichment.
Iranian officials maintain that the nuclear question remains the primary focus. Other topics, such as ballistic missiles or regional proxies, will only be addressed after an agreement on the nuclear framework is reached.