shoshana bean riffs
shoshana bean riffs
#0shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 5:19pmSo you know how shoshana bean when she started as elphaba sang defying gravity with alot of vibrato and then toward the end of her run she started adding new riffs in. Well my quetion is at what point did she change her style of the song was it befor or after jlt left the show? thanks
WiiCKED x3
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/18/06
#1re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 6:14pm
It was in the middle going twords the end.
I think, that's what it kinda seemed like. I like the riffs.
Parks
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/5/04
#2re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 6:17pmBetter. Grammar. Please.
#3re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 6:21pm
It was at the beginning of the end of her run... Personally, Stephanie J Block is better - not to say Sho isn't good 
'Course Idina is the best.
#5re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 8:08pmI personally enjoyed her mix with vibratto from earlier in her run more than her riffs and belty end of run. It was just more pleasant to listen to earlier. It still had riffs and it still had a strong belt. It was the best of both worlds. She's my favorite defying gravity.
Derek2
Chorus Member Joined: 4/25/06
#6re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 8:10pmI think it was mid-way through her run. Towards the end is when she made her songs one giant riff lol. Which I actually enjoyed. I love all the Elphabas and what they do with the part. :)
www.ScottNevins.com
Stand-by Joined: 8/12/03
#7re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 8:15pm
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"The Early Revue with Scott Nevins " with special guest stars Shoshana Bean (Wicked/Hairspray), Lindsey Alley (New Mickey Mouse Club / Look Ma...No Ears), Natalie Joy Johnson (Bare), Natalie Douglas (theatrainplays/Six-time MAC Award Winner), Kate Pazakis (The Sexless Years), Wendy Ho (The Gosepel According to HO) and from XL Star! Suzanne Fiore, Ritter Hanz and Alysha Umphress. With Musical Director Jonah Speidel at the Baby Grand.
Thursday June 22, 8:00pm $20 plus min.
The Metropolitan Room - 34 West 22nd st (b/w 6th & Bway)
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www.ScottNevins.com
Parks
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/5/04
#8re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 9:08pm
I was having a conversation with somebody a few nights ago about her riffs, actually. It seemed she was no longer ACTING through Defying Gravity, but just riffing. She was having way too much fun up in the air, it seemed, to be a pissed off witch.
That's just my opinion though. Is it true that one night in November she was told by the conductor to scale it down a bit because he was having a hard time keeping up with her?
BroomstickBoy
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/21/04
#9re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 9:40pmI wouldn't be surprised. Isn't she the reason Defying Gravity now sounds like an overdrive pop song? I heard one of her performances and the percussion was way too fast and she did nothing but riff. Too many notes and not enough performance. I love her, I do, just not with that score.
#10re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 9:42pm
Agreed. Shoshana tends to let the music run away with her sometimes.
Ever heard her recording of "Bless the Lord" on the 2000 Godspell recording? She rocks, but it's a little excessive.
SuttonFan
Stand-by Joined: 5/31/06
#11re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 10:17pmI agree that the riffs didn't really seem in character for an angry witch. Even discounting that fact, I just didn't really like Sho's take on the role. Then again, I did like her better than the understudy I unfortunately had to watch in March -- Saycon Sengbloh.
WORDS TO LIVE BY:
As we stumble along on life's funny journey. As we stumble along into the blue. We look here and we look there, seeking answers anywhere. Never sure of where to turn or what to do.
Still we bumble our way through life's crazy labyrinth. Barely knowing left from right nor right from wrong. And the best that we can do is hope a blue bird, will sing his song as we stumble along.
PJ
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#12re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 10:21pmWhen she was standby for Menzel, she would riff-up the score. Then, before she took over, she was told to tone it down to very little, if any, riffing. I saw her as Elphaba many times, and one performance she would sing the score as is, and the next she would riff the hell out of each song. Personally, I always enjoyed the riffing. But apparently, Stephen Oremus strongly disliked the way she performed the score with riffing and would complain.
Parks
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/5/04
#13re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/18/06 at 10:47pm
While I despised Saycon in the role, atleast she SANG the part correctly and didn't let the music take over the part.
Shoshana singing Bless The Lord in Godspell 2000 was fine, I thought. Godspell is a "rock" show and you can do ANYTHING you want with it. I mean anything. I personally love that version--probably my favorite.
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mrkringas
Broadway Star Joined: 9/28/05
#15re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/19/06 at 2:17pm
She can riff those kinda songs any time she likes in my opinion!
Just save them for certain moments and make a choice to ensure they serve a purpose. Riff a whole song=bad but make one riff at certain moment=can work very well!
Like the end of No Good Deed. She used to go up from the B a third? and then riff on the way back down. It worked when she did it for that song. Ditto for the last series of notes in Defying Gravity.
MarkCohen
Broadway Star Joined: 12/19/04
#16re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/19/06 at 2:34pm
I could care less about her riffs, as long as she nails that F. Her F is the best I have ever heard.
Edit: Her riff on "kiss my goodbye" is particularly awesome.
Updated On: 6/19/06 at 02:34 PM
#17re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/19/06 at 2:37pmShe's amazing. If you haven't heard her rendition of 'Aint No Way', you're truly missing out.
eatlasagna
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/6/04
#18re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/19/06 at 3:06pmyou know... through the magic of the internet... i have heard almost all the Elphabas sing Defying Gravity... and Shoshana's is the only Elphaba that i like her "ahhh" whatever at the end of that song... most Elphabas make it sound really... lame... to be quite honest...
#19re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 6/19/06 at 4:32pm
"you know... through the magic of the internet... i have heard almost all the Elphabas sing Defying Gravity... and Shoshana's is the only Elphaba that i like her "ahhh" whatever at the end of that song... most Elphabas make it sound really... lame... to be quite honest..."
You have a point
#20re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 7/2/06 at 4:39pm
I felt she was at her best when she was Menzel's standby. She had alot less riffing (just enough to make the score exciting but not enough to dilute it) and took advantage of her fantastic vibrato mix. She was more restrained, and even her acting was leagues better then. This is all particularly evident in her performance on January 9th 2005 on what was to be Idina's last day. It showcases just how perfect she COULD have been in the role. As another poster said, it was the best of both worlds.
When she took over, she felt she had more artistic license with the role since she was now the principle actress (rightfully so.) Unfortunately, however, it became less about the performance and more about a showcase for new riffs and singing inflections. The acting went out the window, and I always felt from then on that she was providing a phoned in performance with stellar vocals, which, to me, isn't good enough.
As PJ said, Stephen Oremus was notoriously not a fan of her riffing. It got to the point where they would tell Shoshana before hand when he would be in attendance at a performance so she could tone things wayyyy down.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
deck925
Featured Actor Joined: 5/21/05
#21re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 7/2/06 at 4:52pmThe reason she probably sang the score that way as a stand-by was probably because she was told to, Eden said in one of her answers to the questions on broadway.com that she was told to keep it as close to how Idina sang it as possible.
#22re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 7/2/06 at 6:35pm
I thought Eden said that she tried to keep it as close as possible to Idina's style because it kept the same rhythm and energy that everyone was used to.
As for riffs... I really don't enjoy them. Especially in large quantities, regardless of the singer. Especially with a score like Wicked's....
#23re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 7/2/06 at 6:43pmIMO, at the price of a well sung song by Shoshana, you lost the story.
To Kill A Mockingbird
ThankstoPhantom
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/05
#24re: shoshana bean riffs
Posted: 7/2/06 at 7:14pm
I saw her last year on July 9. Stephen Oremus was conducting the prchestra that day. She had the perfect mix of vibrato and riffing. it sounded incredible and I thought that her performance was better than Idina's the prvious year.
But towards the end of her run she got way out of hand. Every song's note was a riff! It was more about showcase than aqcting at the end. I don't understand why because she was incredible the first half of her run (and I saw her in the middle)...soon after I saw her she started going down hill, IMO.
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