Laura Benanti and Mom Linda Share Heartfelt Concerts in NYC

If Laura Benanti had received the Nintendo she yearned for as a child, the Tony Award winner’s life might have taken a very different path. Instead, Laura’s mom, Linda Benanti, decided to give her a piano.

“(Laura) had started writing beautiful poetry,” Linda said, “and we suggested, ‘Why don’t you write some songs?’ And she did, and they were beautiful.”

With nearly a dozen Broadway credits and numerous solo shows, television roles, and film appearances, Laura has now turned back to songwriting. This month, she’ll perform two new songs with her mother during a New York appearance.

“Laura and Linda Benanti: Mothers Know Best” will show at 54 Below in Manhattan on July 21, 23, and 24.

One of the songs Laura wrote for the show is a duet. “The song that I wrote for me and my mom feels like a culmination of the person I have always been, who I maybe lost for a while,” Laura said. “To get back into writing, and writing a song particularly for my mom that says things that are very meaningful to me, I’m really looking forward to performing it.”

The inspiration for the song struck one day while she was walking around her house. “I voice memo’d my mom as I was writing it,” Laura said, “to see if it resonated with her as well, which is what I used to do as a young person. She became a part of that writing experience for me, a sounding board and a support system.”

Linda agreed, “It’s absolutely the same,” she said. “It’s definitely full circle. And I’m so happy that Laura’s now writing again.”

A palpable look of pride, love, gratitude, and awe filled the room during their interview as they chatted about the upcoming show. It was also filled with playful ribbing. “It’s really special to sing with your mom,” Laura said. “There’s an extra special level of bonding that happens when you’re making music together.”

Laura’s love and talent for music flourished with her mother as her voice teacher. Along her journey, she won a Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award for her performance at Kinnelon High School, made her Broadway debut in 1998, and won a 2008 Tony Award for her role in “Gypsy.” She most recently appeared on Broadway as Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady.”

Linda has also been a force in the music and theater world. She appeared on the national tour of “The Odyssey” with Yul Brynner and performed off-Broadway and regionally in shows like “The Fantasticks,” “Camelot,” and “The Music Man.” Linda eventually retired from acting to open a vocal studio in Kinnelon, where she taught everyone from young students to Broadway professionals.

“(Teaching is) so gratifying, especially when that middle school person walked in, and you could see that they love the arts but haven’t found their place,” Linda said. “I know what music did for me in junior high and high school. I found my people, my path, my joy, my passion. I didn’t care about how much talent they had but about the dedication. Then, you could see them reach their potential. That’s why I’ve been able to do it for so long.”

Laura’s older daughter played a role in reigniting Linda’s passion for the stage. “After Ella was born, I had this tremendous sense of the sacrifice that (my mom) had made for us,” Laura said. “I asked her to please come sing with me, to do a show with me. We did that first show, and it was as though she had never left. It was really incredible.”

Linda needed some convincing, pushed by both Laura and her husband. “Literally, she had to drag me into it because it had been so long,” Linda said. “I’m so grateful that she did that, so grateful.”

“It’s the least she can do,” Laura said. “My mom supported me, loved me, and was my voice teacher. All of those things enabled me to have the career and the life that I have.”

“Laura and Linda Benanti: Mothers Know Best” will run at 54 Below, 254 W. 54th St., Manhattan, on July 21, 23, and 24. Tickets range from $29 to $161, with a $25 food and beverage minimum.

Source: Asbury Park Press