DeVito attended Willow Crest Grade School in Mokena, Illinois and Lincoln-Way High School in New Lenox, Illinois. She appeared in school plays and was the runner-up for Homecoming Queen. She attended Loyola University Chicago and majored in theater. During her freshman year, she joined the Chicago cast of Godspell. In 1971–72, Karla studied with Jo Forsberg at Second City Company in Chicago and was part of the Second City Children's Theatre group, with Bill Murray. In 1973, she was in the cast of the popular play Hair.
Career
DeVito started her career in 1972, joining the national company of Godspell. A few years later, she became the lead singer of the band Orchestra Luna, and through that joined the cast of Jim Steinman's show Neverland, which had a run as a workshop production at the Kennedy Center in 1977. Two months later, DeVito went on tour with Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman with their album Bat Out of Hell. She is seen singing with Meat Loaf in the video clip of "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" and "Bat Out of Hell", synced to the original vocal by Ellen Foley. After completing this tour, she returned to theatre in an off-broadway version of Cole Porter's Jubilee and LaMama's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. and then moved on to playing the lead role in The Pirates of Penzance on Broadway where she met future husband, Robby Benson. She performed on Jim Steinman's only solo album, Bad for Good, on the track "Dance in My Pants" and its subsequent music video. In 1981, DeVito released her debut solo album, Is This a Cool World or What? and the track Bloody Bess was intended to be a rock musical about a female pirate in the 17th Century. DeVito also contributed background vocals for such groups as Blue Öyster Cult and the Sorrows. As a solo performer, she opened shows for Hall & Oates and Rick Springfield in the 1980s. DeVito's second album, Wake 'Em Up in Tokyo was released by A&M in 1986. Her song, "We Are Not Alone", was featured in the motion picture The Breakfast Club. "Nobody Makes Me Crazy Like You Do", was recorded by Diana Ross on her album Swept Away. In 1989, DeVito performed in South Carolina and returned in 1990 as part of "An Evening of Andrew Lloyd Webber". In 1990, DeVito co-starred in the film Modern Love and sang on two of the songs for the soundtrack. In 2002, Karla sang the part of Elizabeth for the CD recording of Graham Russell's rock opera The Heart of the Rose which had a limited release on CD. In 2016, she contributed vocals to Meat Loaf's Braver Than We Are.
Personal life
DeVito married actor, director, singer, and teacher Robby Benson on July 11, 1982. The couple have two children, a daughter, Lyric and son Zephyr.
