Shoshana — Page 3

seriously!!! thank you!!


shes so cool. are you kidding me compared with other actors? shes SO talented. people are just jealous really they are. sally's jealous cause aaron isnt as big a star and the others well i dont know their deal but like they dont know what there talkign about. dont worry guys. shosh has her loyal fans and thats all that matters

I have to agree with Hatboy. Shoshana has been very gracious when I met her, and seemed to really appreciate her fans. Considering her dressing room was covered in pics fans drew for her and letters they sent in, I don't think she disregards them in any way. I have seen her send personal thanks yous to people for their support, and I watched her be overtaken with emotion when I asked her if she was ready to leave Wicked. She seemed genuinely sad to leave it behind.

I am a fan, obviously, but I can even understand people who don't like the way she sings musicals. She did play the part of Elphaba in a pop-like way. I personally loved her riffs. But I can't see how a person can say "she sucks". You may not like her style, but the woman can SING.

...And that sounds ungrateful because it's a lot of people's biggest dream to perform on Broadway. Take Idina Menzel, for example. She's recording a CD and she filmed a couple of movies, but just because she's trying all these different media, she still makes a point to say that she loves the theatre and would love to return. Even if not immediately.

Saying I'd only want to return if I can be Fanny Brice is a little diva of her. The way I look at it, her comment makes no sense otherwise. It's not like the roles on television and film are more fulfilling than the ones she might come across in theatre. Why not just go where the water is warm rather than saying "I won't go back unless I can play this role." For all we know, she might HAVE to come back because who knows if she'll be able to bring in a paycheck any other way..

i have so much respect for this girl.
the things shes done for her fans that some people would never do in a million years is so unreal. i really dont understand how anyone can't like her... maybe its just me?

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MissElphie, no one is saying Bean doesn't appreciate her fans, nor are people claiming she isn't a talented singer. You say you don't know how anyone can not like the way she performs in musicals, and I'll tell you why I don't.

Shoshana is obviously a really incredible singer, and when she just sings full out and keeps her acting restrained, she tends to be wonderful. But my problem is that for her, I feel like playing Elphaba is more about what new riffs she can incorporate into Stephen Schwartz's score than bringing to the stage this multi-faceted, complex role.

I am not generally a person whose againt riffing. I think vocal modulations like that can add great character and excitement to a song, but at a reasonable amount. Bean tends to riff things to the point where they make the song completely uncomprehendable, and it's distracting.

When she goes up in the air and starts riffing like crazy during "Defying Gravity," it takes away from the moment. No longer are most people in awe that Elphaba is flying in the air and defying Oz right in front of them, but they're more wowed by the incredible things Shoshana is doing, not Elphaba. It pulls you away from the story. It's not honest. It's not truthful.

Vocal issues aside, I have alot of problems with Shoshana's acting choices too. For me, her Elphaba in Act 1 is way too confident and brazen and loud. I think it works best when the character grows into those traits over the course of the story. It provides more of a transformational arc, and deepens the impact of the under-written storyline. While the way Bean chose to play the character works (I guess it is more similar to the character as written in the novel,) I feel the portrayal is an ultimately unsuccessful one.

I for one am glad to see Shoshana exploring avenues outside of theater, because someone like her who is so much more talented as a vocalist than anything else is much more well suited to that area of the entertainment industry. I hope she finds the success she's looking for, wherever it may be.

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Updated On: 1/5/07 at 11:51 PM