I saw Shoshana Bean plenty of times as Elphaba, and I always had mixed feelings about her acting - some shows, I'd think she nailed it whereas others seemed like she was putting on a concert versus playing a role. (For whatever it's worth, NY critics felt similarly when they wrote about her. I can't remember which paper wrote it, it may have been the Times, but there was a published criticism that Shoshana couldn't act her way out of a paper bag. That seemed unnecessarily harsh.) I thought she really came into her own, acting-wise, on tour and those are where she gave her best performances. (I still think that.) Yet going back and listening to recordings like this, I don't think I fully appreciated her power as a vocalist. You never worried that the score was too much for her - you always knew you were going to get a little something extra. (Some Wickedverse folk criticized her for too many runs and vocal variations, but let's be honest, compared to plenty of her successors, Shoshana was tame). What a remarkably talented woman she was, and a more-than-worthy successor to Idina Menzel. (Also, at this point she might have been considered too old for it, but Shoshana Bean would have set the theatre on fire in the "Funny Girl" revival. I saw her at North Shore Music Theatre some years ago and she was everything you could want in a Fanny Brice.)
![Sean Rii, Karyon, Sharzkii - Taungule [My Love] (Official Music Video)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eJoMuypbSzQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Shoshana’s voice in this part of her run was the ultimate snack.
I love how back then they hold that last note for so long.
This is my favorite era of Sho. Just… **chefs kiss**
Oh wow, I don’t think I’ve heard this one before. Thank you 😊
Same, thank you
Shoshona was AMAZING as Elphaba
this was only days before Megan replaced Jennifer thanks for sharing
“Get ur hands off of me” “I’m the one you want, she has nothing to do with it”
Actually the second time I've heard Shoshana mess up those lines! Kind of interesting :)
lol
The beginning of a beautiful relationship!
I saw Shoshana Bean plenty of times as Elphaba, and I always had mixed feelings about her acting - some shows, I'd think she nailed it whereas others seemed like she was putting on a concert versus playing a role. (For whatever it's worth, NY critics felt similarly when they wrote about her. I can't remember which paper wrote it, it may have been the Times, but there was a published criticism that Shoshana couldn't act her way out of a paper bag. That seemed unnecessarily harsh.) I thought she really came into her own, acting-wise, on tour and those are where she gave her best performances. (I still think that.)
Yet going back and listening to recordings like this, I don't think I fully appreciated her power as a vocalist. You never worried that the score was too much for her - you always knew you were going to get a little something extra. (Some Wickedverse folk criticized her for too many runs and vocal variations, but let's be honest, compared to plenty of her successors, Shoshana was tame).
What a remarkably talented woman she was, and a more-than-worthy successor to Idina Menzel.
(Also, at this point she might have been considered too old for it, but Shoshana Bean would have set the theatre on fire in the "Funny Girl" revival. I saw her at North Shore Music Theatre some years ago and she was everything you could want in a Fanny Brice.)
You saw Shoshana as Fanny Brice?? EPIC
6:18