# Shoshana Bean

Shoshana E. Bean (born September 1, 1977) is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She has appeared in numerous musicals, performing in major Off-Broadway and Broadway theatres, including in the original production of Hairspray.
In 2017, she won the IRNE Award for Best Actress as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. In the 2020s, Bean received two nominations at the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performances in Mr. Saturday Night (2022) and in Hell's Kitchen (2024), alongside two nominations the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for the musicals' cast recording, winning it with the latter.
Bean has released three albums and has appeared on many theater cast recordings. She won a AIM Independent Music Award for Best R&B Song with her single "Superhero".

## Early life and education

Shoshana Bean was born in Olympia, Washington to Jeff Bean and Felice Moskowitz, a dance teacher. She is Jewish; her father an Ashkenazi Jew and her mother a Sephardic Jew, whose family was from Greece. When she was 9 years old, her parents divorced and she moved to the Portland, Oregon area.
In 1995, Bean graduated from Beaverton High School. In 1999, Bean received a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).

## Career
### Theater

Shortly after moving to New York City in 2000, Bean was cast in the 2000 Off-Broadway revival of Godspell at the York Theatre at Saint Peter's Church in Midtown Manhattan. In 2001, Bean performed in the national tour of Leader of the Pack. In 2002, Bean made her Broadway debut as an original cast member in the role of Shelley, Denizen of Baltimore, which she originated, in the Tony Award-winning production of Hairspray. She was also an understudy for the roles of Tracy Turnblad, Velma Von Tussle, and Prudy Pingleton.
In 2004, Bean joined the Broadway production of the musical Wicked as a replacement standby for Elphaba Thropp, who was played by Idina Menzel. On January 8, 2005, a day before Menzel's scheduled end of her run as Elphaba, Menzel fell through a trap door and cracked a lower rib. Bean went on to perform that show. On January 11, 2005, Bean took over as Elphaba full-time, where she performed opposite Jennifer Laura Thompson and then Megan Hilty as Glinda Upland, until her last show on January 8, 2006. On January 10, she was replaced by Eden Espinosa as Elphaba.
In 2006, Bean reprised the role of Elphaba in the first national tour of Wicked. Her limited engagement ended on December 31. In 2009, Bean joined the new production of Peepshow in Las Vegas in the role of Peep Diva alongside Holly Madison. She replaced Spice Girls singer Mel B. In 2011, Bean wrote and starred in the musical Dear John Mayer, with music and lyrics by Bean and book by fellow CCM graduate Eydie Faye.
In 2015, Bean portrayed the role of CeeCee Bloom in the musical adaptation of the book and movie Beaches at the Drury Lane Theater in Chicago. In June of 2016, Bean played Fanny Brice in North Shore Music Theatre's production of Funny Girl. In 2018, Bean performed in the New York City Center Encores! Off-Center production of Songs for a New World. On March 18, 2019, Bean returned to Broadway in the role of Jenna Hunterson in the production of Waitress for a limited engagement through May 2019. On May 13, 2019, it was announced that Bean's run was extended through July 21, 2019.
Starting in March 2022, she returned to Broadway in Mr. Saturday Night at the Nederlander Theatre starring Billy Crystal. For her performance, she received nominations for the Distinguished Performer Award at the Drama League Awards, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical at the 71st Outer Critics Circle Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 75th Tony Awards. At the 65th Annual Grammy Awards Bean was nominated for Best Musical Theater Album as a cast singer.
Between October 2023 to January 2024 Bean starred as Jersey in Alicia Keys' Off-Broadway jukebox musical Hell's Kitchen at The Public Theater. She was confirmed for the Broadway production at the Shubert Theatre, which opened on April 20, 2024. For her performance on and Off-Broadway, she received nominations from the Tony Awards (with her second nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 77th Tony Awards), Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards, and Lucille Lortel Awards.

### Singer

On December 2, 2008, Bean released her debut solo album, Superhero, on her own label Shotime Records. The record has been described as pop rock. In February 2013, Bean's second album, O'Farrell Street, was released. It was produced by Tim K (Madonna, Celine Dion, Brandy), and incorporates 1960s-era soul. The record reached No. 3 on the iTunes R&B charts.
In December 2014, Bean released an EP album of blues called Shadows to Light. The record was produced by Bean and Jake Schaefer. It reached No. 1 on the iTunes Blues charts. She performed her single "Runaway Train" on The Queen Latifah Show. Beginning in 2015, Bean has performed with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ), performing Justin Bieber's "Sorry" and Backstreet Boys' “I Want It That Way,” among others. In the spring of 2016, she joined the PMJ European Tour.
In February 2018, Bean's third album, Spectrum, was released. The songs are in the genre of rhythm and blues. The record release was accompanied by a tour, which included concerts at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, which featured an 18-piece orchestra, as well as a string of other dates including in London at Cadogan Hall, Las Vegas and Dallas. Bean has said that inspirations for the record were the music of Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, and Frank Sinatra. In August and September 2019, Bean performed selected songs at a series of residency concerts at Feinstein's/54 Below.
Bean's music has been featured on MTV's The Hills, Mercy, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Bad Girls Club and Showtime's The Big C, and she arranged the vocals for Jennifer Lopez's performance of her 2014 song "I Luh Ya Papi" on American Idol. Bean has appeared on film soundtracks to Hairspray, Enchanted, the Wayans Brothers' Dance Flick, and the 2016 animated musical Sing. Bean has performed around the world in cabarets and concerts. She has sung with artists such as BeBe Winans, Brian McKnight, Ariana Grande, David Foster, Jason Robert Brown and Michael Jackson, among others.

## Theatre credits

| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Dates | Notes |
| 2000 | Godspell | Ensemble | York Theatre at Saint Peter's Church, New York | N/A | |
| 2001 | Leader of the Pack | Performer | N/A | Mar 13, 2001 - Jun 03, 2001 | National Tour |
| 2002 | Hairspray | Shelly/ Denizen of Baltimore/ Tracy Turnblad (Understudy)/ Velma Von Tussle (Understudy)/ Gym Teacher (Understudy - Replacement)/ Prudy Pingleton (Understudy - Replacement)/ Matron (Understudy - Replacement) | Neil Simon Theatre, New York | Opened Aug 15th, 2002 | |
| 2004 | Wicked | Elphaba Thropp (Standby) Elphaba (Replacement) | Gershwin Theatre, New York | Sept 7, 2004 - Jan 8, 2006 | |
| 2006 | Wicked | Elphaba (Replacement) | US National Tour | Sep 6, 2006 - Dec 31, 2006 | "Emerald City" National Tour |
| 2009 | Peepshow | Peep Diva | Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Paradise, Nevada | N/A | |
| 2011 | Dear John Mayer | N/A | Open Fist Theatre, Hollywood, California | N/A | also Music and Lyric credits |
| 2015 | Beaches | CeeCee Bloom | Drury Lane Theater, Chicago | Jun 24, 2015 - Aug 16 2015 | |
| 2017 | Funny Girl | Fanny Brice | North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly, Massachusetts | N/A | |
| 2018 | Songs for a New World | Woman #2 | New York City Center Encores! Off-Center, New York | Jun 27, 2018 - Jun 30 2018 | |
| 2019 | Waitress | Jenna Hunterson | Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York | Mar 18, 2019 - Jul 21, 2019 | |
| 2022 | Mr. Saturday Night | Susan Young | Nederlander Theatre, New York | Mar 29, 2022 - Sep 4, 2022 | Nomination: Tony Award, Drama League Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award |
| 2023 | Hell's Kitchen | Jersey | The Public Theater, New York | Nov 9, 2023 - Jan 14, 2024 | |
| 2024 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | Producer | James Earl Jones Theatre, New York | Jan 24, 2024 | One night only |
| 2024 | Hell's Kitchen | Jersey | Shubert Theatre, New York | April 20 - December 1, 2024 | Nomination: Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award, and Drama League Award. |

### Benefits

| Year | Title | Venue | Dates | Notes |
| 2000 | First You Dream: A Tribute to Courage | New Amsterdam Theatre, New York | June 12, 2000 | Benefit for Actors' Fund of America and the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation in honor of Christopher Reeve and Bran Pace |
| 2001 | Dreamgirls 20th Anniversary Benefit Concert | Ford Center for the Performing Arts | Sep 24, 2001 | Benefit for Actors' Fund of America |
| 2004 | Hair | New Amsterdam Theatre, New York | Sep 20, 2004 | Benefit for the Actors' Fund of America |
| 2008 | The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken | Gershwin Theatre, New York | Oct 27, 2008 | Benefit for New York Restoration Project |

## Discography
### LPs

* 2008: Superhero (Shotime Records)
* 2013: O' Farrell Street (Shotime Records)
* 2018: Spectrum (Shotime Records)

### EPs

* 2014: Shadows to Light - EP (Shotime Records)
* 2020: Selah - EP
* 2022: She Is Risen: Jesus Christ Superstar All-Female Cast - EP

### Singles

* 2011: "A Little Hope" (Billy-Boo)
* 2012: "O Holy Night" (Shotime Records)
* 2012: "Runnin' Out Of Days" (Shotime Records)
* 2013: "Skywriter" (Shotime Records)
* 2014: "Runaway Train" (Shotime Records)
* 2015: "Jealous" (Shotime Records) – cover of the Labrinth song
* 2015: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Shotime Records)
* 2017: "One Way to Go" (Shotime Records) – written by Bean and Britten Newbill.

### Soundtracks and cast recordings

* 2001: Godspell – Off-Broadway Revival Cast Recording (Varese Sarabande)
* 2002: Hairspray – Original Broadway Cast Recording (Sony Classical)
* 2007: Hairspray – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (New Line Records)
* 2008: Enchanted – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Walt Disney Records)
* 2015: Are You Joking?, "Ain't Life Funny" – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Barb & Associates Records)
* 2018: Songs for a New World - 2018 New York City Center Encores! Off-Center Cast Recording (Ghostlight Records)
* 2022: Mr. Saturday Night - Original Broadway Cast Recording (Craft Recordings)
* 2024: Hell's Kitchen - Original Broadway Cast Recording

### Selected other recordings

* 2003: "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" on Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure
* 2005: "I Believe in Love" from Hair for Actor's Fund Benefit Recording
* 2007: "Home" on Dreaming Wide Awake: The Music of Scott Alan
* 2008: "House of Love" on 37 Notebooks by Jeremy Schonfeld
* 2008: "Could" on Matt Cusson by Matt Cusson
* 2009: "Tiny Urban Zoo" on School House Rock:Earth
* 2011: "Sing Me a Happy Song" on My Lifelong Love by Georgia Stitt
* 2012: "Stand Up (The Anthem to Benefit St. Jude)"
* 2013: "Monster" on Alphabet Radio by The Edge Effect
* 2014: "I'm in Pain" on Anything Worth Holding On To by Scott Alan
* 2015: "I Want It That Way" on Selfies on Kodachrome by Postmodern Jukebox
* 2015: "Poison" on Emoji Antique by Postmodern Jukebox
* 2016: "Sorry" on PMJ and Chill by Postmodern Jukebox
* 2016: "Stone Cold" on Swing the Vote by Postmodern Jukebox
* 2017: "I Did Something Bad" by Taylor Swift with Cynthia Erivo
* 2017: "Goodbye to You" on Only Human by Matt Cusson
* 2017: "Flying Monkey Lament" on Straight Outta Oz by Todrick Hall
* 2017: "Who Would Imagine a King" on Christmas Sessions EP by Matt Bloyd
* 2017: "Baby It's Cold Outside" on Warm Up EP by VoicePlay
* 2018: "This is Me" from The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
* 2018: "Crashed N' Burned" on Paint Me Back by Patric Scott
* 2021: "Kailangan Ko'y Ikaw" on Giliw: A Troy Laureta OPM Collective Vol. 2 by Troy Laureta

## Filmography

* 2009: The Battery's Down (TV Series) as Dr. Mary Jane Essajay in 1 episode: "I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here"
* 2009: The Girls Next Door (TV Series) as Peep Diva in 1 episode: "Look Before You Peep"
* 2009: Schoolhouse Rock! (TV Series short) vocals in 1 episode: "A Tiny Urban Zoo"
* 2017: Bloodline (TV Series) as Shayna in 1 episode: "Part 30"
* 2020: Bill & Ted Face the Music as First Noble
* 2024: The Boys as Queen Maeve (voice)

## Awards and honors

| Year | Award | Work | Category | Result |
| 2010 | AIM Independent Music Awards | "Superhero" | Best R&B Song | Won |
| 2015 | Jeff Award | Beaches | Best Lead Actress in a Musical | Nominated |
| 2017 | IRNE Award | Funny Girl | Best Actress | Won |
| 2022 | Tony Award | Mr. Saturday Night | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Nominated |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Mr. Saturday Night | Distinguished Performer Award | Nominated |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Mr. Saturday Night | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Nominated |
| 2023 | Grammy Awards | Mr. Saturday Night | Best Musical Theater Album | Nominated |
| 2024 | Lucille Lortel Awards | Hell's Kitchen | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical | Nominated |
| 2024 | Drama League Awards | Hell's Kitchen | Distinguished Performance | Nominated |
| 2024 | Drama Desk Award | Hell's Kitchen | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Awards | Hell's Kitchen | Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Nominated |
| 2024 | Broadway.com Audience Awards | Hell's Kitchen | Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical | Nominated |
| 2024 | Broadway.com Audience Awards | Hell's Kitchen | Favorite Diva Performance | Nominated |
| 2025 | Grammy Awards | Hell's Kitchen | Best Musical Theater Album | Won |