Shoshana Bean

A versatile stage actor, singer, songwriter, and recording artist, Shoshana Bean can be heard on numerous cast recordings, as well as through solo titles that have reached Billboard’s jazz and blues charts and covered other forms ranging from traditional pop to retro-soul. Originally from the Pacific Northwest — she was born in Olympia, Washington and raised in Portland — Bean established herself in New York City shortly after she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Off-Broadway work quickly led to roles in a touring production of Leader of the Pack and in the original Tony Award-winning production of Hairspray. In 2004, she succeeded Idina Menzel as Elphaba in Wicked. As she remained prominent on-stage, she began a solo recording career toward the end of the decade with Superhero (2008). Although intermittent singles followed shortly thereafter, she didn’t fully concentrate on music again until she recorded O'Farrell Street (2013). An EP titled Shadows to Light (2014) became her first Billboard-charting release when it registered on the publication’s blues chart. Another handful of singles followed prior to Spectrum (2018), which topped the Billboard jazz chart. By then, she had also started a close association with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox and had earned accolades for her still-thriving stage career. ~ Andy Kellman