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Shoshana Bean
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Best known for her roles in the Broadway smash hits Wicked and Hairspray and a stellar performance alongside Brian McKnight on the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, Shoshana Bean recently released her debut solo album Superhero on her own label, Shotime Records. In its first week of sales, Superhero reached #5 on the iTunes R&B charts, making it the only independent album in the top 100.
Raised in Portland, Oregon and a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, Shoshana first appeared on the New York City theater scene in the Off-Broadway revival of Godspell. Soon after, she made her Broadway debut in the original cast of the Tony Award-winning production of Hairspray and went on to be the first replacement for the famed green-skinned witch Elphaba in the Broadway sensation Wicked. Following her year-long Broadway run, she was invited to reprise her performance throughout North America in the Wicked national tour. She appeared at the Kennedy Center in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber and as the Narrator in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.
Most recently Shoshana headlined in the Las Vegas burlesque revue Peepshow, conceived and directed by Jerry Mitchell. She made her Los Angeles concert debut at the Ford Amphitheater in June 2008, and in November made her New York City concert debut to a sold out crowd at Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center. For this accomplishment she was presented with a Woman of Valor award by Hadassah, a Jewish Women's organization. In addition to theatrical and concert appearances accross the country, she has performed on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Martha Stewart, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, MTV's Made, and Soul Train Christmas Starfest, to name a few.
Shoshana has been a back-up singer for an endless list of superstars including Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, Destiny's Child, N'Sync, Ray Charles, Britney Spears and Michael Jackson at KTU's Miracle on 34th street and Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, both at Madison Square Garden. She gained national attention when she teamed up with Grammy Award nominee Brian McKnight to honor Aretha Franklin on the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. The duo performed Franklin's classic "Ain't No Way" on the nationally broadcast show, prompting a live audience to erupt into a standing ovation before the song was over.
Her work as a singer/songwriter has been featured on MTV's The Hills and Mercy. Her debut single "Superhero"was used to promote NBC's Monday night line-up (Chuck, Heroes) and was recently nominated for an Independent Music Award.
She can be heard on several recordings and cast albums including Godspell (2000 Revival cast), the original cast recording of Hairspray, and the Actors Fund recordings of Hair ("I Believe in Love") and Dreamgirls. She has also lent her voice to the motion picture soundtracks of Hairspray, Disney's Enchanted, and the Wayans brothers comedy Dance Flick.
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