Broadway's Shoshana Bean Enjoys Indie R&B Career
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Shoshana Bean flew high as the replacement for Idina Menzel as Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West in Broadway's "Wicked."
Now, the young Broadway star is looking to make her mark on pop and R&B music. After more than two years of writing and recording her own material, Bean recently released her debut solo album, entitled "Superhero."
After six years in theater, the change in discipline was a bit unnerving for Bean.
“To finally step out and having nothing but time, which was frightening, but necessary, it kind of is like, you sink or swim,” she says. “Thankfully, I had enough inspiration enough to say that I just sort of kept moving forward.”
In its first week of release in December of 2008, "Superhero" peaked at number 5 on the iTunes R&B charts, the only independent album in the top 100. The label itself, “Shotime,” is Bean's invention.
“I never had to be a business woman. I've always been a creative, and I'll handle the performance aspect and the aesthetic aspect,” says Bean. “But the business aspect, I've always relied on other people and that was the biggest challenge about all this. I was happy to do it and willing, but 80 percent of the challenge has been to think about your own project and your own label. It’s not like your passion or life's work, you have to put that aside and think like a businesswoman.”
Bean has been performing at venues around the country and her music has appeared on MTV's "The Hills" along with promos for NBC's "Chuck," "Heroes" and “My Own Worst Enemy."
In the future, the budding pop star would like be featured on the radio and tour with some of her musical idols.
“To reach a whole new group of people who aren't aware of my stuff,” says Bean. “Also, I find that the more I perform live, the more I find out about my music. You'd think I'd know this stuff inside and out after two years of recording it, but every time I do it, I find something new and a new way to deliver it and a new thing about it. Touring it and doing it night after night is a way to continue to do that.”