#1
Posted: 10/20/04 at 10:47am
So! Shoshana Bean made her debut in Wicked last night. Can we first say, how crazy is it that six months ago she was understudying for Tracy Turnblad, and now for Elphaba. The characters are so different in every possible way, yet she pulled off both beautifully. I'll definitely go into detail, but the overall feeling is that..there is always room for improvement, but for her very first night as Elphaba she was stunningly kick-ass.
It was a full cast minus Joey McIntyre, as Kristoffer Cusick (sp?) was on. I had only ever seen Norbert, and I really wasn't upset about missing our resident NKOTB. JLT doesn't get entrance applause, which surprised me, but apparently those of us in the center were Sho's cheering squad, because she got lots of love when she first walked in, suitcase in hand. So let's get to the songs:
The Wizard & I: Solid, an excellent start. She threw her little ShoBeanisms into some of the phrases which totally made the song hers without straying too far. I was hoping for her to hit some crazy high notes like I had heard Eden do, but I'm sure as she gets more comfortable she'll play more.
What Is This Feeling: I don't know what was up, we all know Shoshana has a very strong voice, but it was hard to hear her on some parts. The music was too loud and her mic was too low. Still fun.
Popular: I just have to mention this, as it was my first time seeing JLT. She is really wonderful, I enjoyed her much more than Kristin. Yet it's surprising how much she sounds like her sometimes. She's added a lot of her own stuff though that is very fun.
I'm Not That Girl: Ok, here's the Shoshana we all know and love. She's got those low notes, and she knows how to emote a song like nobody else. Without the possible nerves (?) we had on Wizard & I, she started just glowing here. Don't get me wrong, Wizard & I was very, very good. But I expect Sho to blow me away on every single note, which she totally started doing on this song.
Defying Gravity: The biggie! Her acting on this specific song/scene was stronger or as good as Idina. During Madame Morrible's wicked witch speech, Shoshana went to a place it looked like she's never been. Her entire body was overcome with emotion and she was just 1000% ON. "I'm not, it's the Wizard who should be afraid: OF ME." Ook literally, it gave me chills last night, and again just now again thinking about it, LOL. What else can I say about the song itself? It looked like the 500th time she had done it, not the first. Not to say it wasn't fresh, but she just was right on, each step of the way.
As Long As You're Mine: Ok, this is probably my favorite song in the show. However, whatever they did to it for Joey Mac..(apparently they lowered it for him, I've heard?)...totally ruined the song. It wasn't a case of just lowering it a bit; it's like all the harmonies are different, the melody seemed different, just not good at all. It was performed well (mostly), but being a fan of the original version, I was not pleased.
No Good Deed: Who was it that said this would be Shoshana's song of the night? Well you were right. Simply THE BEST I have ever heard this sung, and I've heard all three ladies. When she rose out of the stage wailing, "Fiyerooooooooooooooooo!", it was by far my favorite moment of the night, because you knew she was going to take this song and sing it like it was meant to be sung. The passion, the heaving, the emotion, the desperation...it all came through, and those extended notes were goosebump-inducing.
For Good: JLT & Sho blended very nicely, not much to say on this one except that it was done exactly how it should be. Shoshana was stronger on this than I've seen Idina do it.
The verdict: If you can get a ticket this week for Wicked, you are in for a performance you will not soon forget. If Shoshana were to take over for Idina (which it has been said she most likely will not), then Wicked would be lucky to have her! Any questions?
Thanks!
It was a full cast minus Joey McIntyre, as Kristoffer Cusick (sp?) was on. I had only ever seen Norbert, and I really wasn't upset about missing our resident NKOTB. JLT doesn't get entrance applause, which surprised me, but apparently those of us in the center were Sho's cheering squad, because she got lots of love when she first walked in, suitcase in hand. So let's get to the songs:
The Wizard & I: Solid, an excellent start. She threw her little ShoBeanisms into some of the phrases which totally made the song hers without straying too far. I was hoping for her to hit some crazy high notes like I had heard Eden do, but I'm sure as she gets more comfortable she'll play more.
What Is This Feeling: I don't know what was up, we all know Shoshana has a very strong voice, but it was hard to hear her on some parts. The music was too loud and her mic was too low. Still fun.
Popular: I just have to mention this, as it was my first time seeing JLT. She is really wonderful, I enjoyed her much more than Kristin. Yet it's surprising how much she sounds like her sometimes. She's added a lot of her own stuff though that is very fun.
I'm Not That Girl: Ok, here's the Shoshana we all know and love. She's got those low notes, and she knows how to emote a song like nobody else. Without the possible nerves (?) we had on Wizard & I, she started just glowing here. Don't get me wrong, Wizard & I was very, very good. But I expect Sho to blow me away on every single note, which she totally started doing on this song.
Defying Gravity: The biggie! Her acting on this specific song/scene was stronger or as good as Idina. During Madame Morrible's wicked witch speech, Shoshana went to a place it looked like she's never been. Her entire body was overcome with emotion and she was just 1000% ON. "I'm not, it's the Wizard who should be afraid: OF ME." Ook literally, it gave me chills last night, and again just now again thinking about it, LOL. What else can I say about the song itself? It looked like the 500th time she had done it, not the first. Not to say it wasn't fresh, but she just was right on, each step of the way.
As Long As You're Mine: Ok, this is probably my favorite song in the show. However, whatever they did to it for Joey Mac..(apparently they lowered it for him, I've heard?)...totally ruined the song. It wasn't a case of just lowering it a bit; it's like all the harmonies are different, the melody seemed different, just not good at all. It was performed well (mostly), but being a fan of the original version, I was not pleased.
No Good Deed: Who was it that said this would be Shoshana's song of the night? Well you were right. Simply THE BEST I have ever heard this sung, and I've heard all three ladies. When she rose out of the stage wailing, "Fiyerooooooooooooooooo!", it was by far my favorite moment of the night, because you knew she was going to take this song and sing it like it was meant to be sung. The passion, the heaving, the emotion, the desperation...it all came through, and those extended notes were goosebump-inducing.
For Good: JLT & Sho blended very nicely, not much to say on this one except that it was done exactly how it should be. Shoshana was stronger on this than I've seen Idina do it.
The verdict: If you can get a ticket this week for Wicked, you are in for a performance you will not soon forget. If Shoshana were to take over for Idina (which it has been said she most likely will not), then Wicked would be lucky to have her! Any questions?
Thanks!
