A "first listen" recording has been released of Julie Benko singing "I'll Be Here," a song from the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald biomusical, The Fitzgeralds of St. Paul. Playbill reported that the production, which features a book, music, and lyrics by Christie Baugher, "centers on the marriage of the Great Gatsby author and his wife, Zelda, as they struggle with addiction, mental illness, and jealousy. The musical is a two-actor chamber work."
"I'm so excited to share Julie Benko's gorgeous rendition of 'I'll Be Here' with the world," said Baugher. "This song--one of the very first I wrote for The Fitzgeralds of St. Paul--is both the opening and closing number and is such a perfect introduction to the sonic and emotional world of the show. My hope is that audiences lose themselves in the lush, delicate contours of memory as Zelda does in the show, and that the brilliant 12-piece orchestrations and Julie's beautiful and heartbreaking performance transport listeners to a place that leaves them wanting more."
Playbill added that Brainstorm Live Entertainment will hold an industry presentation of the work in spring 2026, with hopes to give the show an Off-Broadway premiere in the fall. It had a preview production at Buffalo, N.Y.'s Irish Classical Theatre Company last year. Danny Mefford (Fun Home) directed and choreographed, and will continue with the project.