Shoshana E. Bean (born September 1, 1977) is an American actress, singer and songwriter. Performing in major Off-Broadway and Broadway productions, she has received a Tony Award and a Grammy Award.
Rising in fame for her debut on Broadway original cast of Hairspray (2002) and as Elphaba in Wicked (2004-2006), in 2017, she won the IRNE Award for Best Actress as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. In the 2020s, Bean received three nominations at the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performances in Mr. Saturday Night (2022), in Hell's Kitchen (2024), and won the award for her performance as Lucy Emerson in The Lost Boys (2026). She also received two nominations for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for the musicals' cast recordings, winning for Hell's Kitchen.
Bean has released three albums and has appeared on many theater cast recordings. She won a AIM Independent Music Award for Best R&B Song with her single "Superhero".
Early life and education Shoshana Bean was born in Olympia, Washington to Jeff Bean and Felice Moskowitz, a dance teacher. She is Jewish; her father is an Ashkenazi Jew and her mother is a Sephardic Jew, whose family was from Greece. When she was 9 years old, her parents divorced and she moved to the Portland, Oregon area.
In 1995, Bean graduated from Beaverton High School. In 1999, Bean received a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
Career Theater Shortly after moving to New York City in 2000, Bean was cast in the 2000 Off-Broadway revival of Godspell at the York Theatre at Saint Peter's Church in Midtown Manhattan. In 2001, Bean performed in the national tour of Leader of the Pack. In 2002, Bean made her Broadway debut as an original cast member in the role of Shelley, Denizen of Baltimore, which she originated, in the Tony Award-winning production of Hairspray. She was also an understudy for the roles of Tracy Turnblad, Velma Von Tussle, and Prudy Pingleton.
In 2004, Bean joined the Broadway production of the musical Wicked as a replacement standby for Elphaba, who was played by Idina Menzel. On January 8, 2005, a day before Menzel's scheduled end of her run as Elphaba, Menzel fell through a trap door and cracked a lower rib. Bean went on to perform that show. On January 11, 2005, Bean took over as Elphaba full-time, where she performed opposite Jennifer Laura Thompson and then Megan Hilty as Glinda, until her last show on January 8, 2006. On January 10, she was replaced by Eden Espinosa as Elphaba.
In 2006, Bean reprised the role of Elphaba in the first national tour of Wicked. Her limited engagement ended on December 31. In 2009, Bean joined the new production of Peepshow in Las Vegas in the role of Peep Diva alongside Holly Madison. She replaced Spice Girls singer Mel B. In 2011, Bean wrote and starred in the musical Dear John Mayer, with music and lyrics by Bean and book by fellow CCM graduate Eydie Faye.
In 2015, Bean portrayed the role of CeeCee Bloom in the musical adaptation of the book and movie Beaches at the Drury Lane Theater in Chicago. In June 2016, Bean played Fanny Brice in North Shore Music Theatre's production of Funny Girl. In 2018, Bean performed in the New York City Center Encores! Off-Center production of Songs for a New World. On March 18, 2019, Bean returned to Broadway in the role of Jenna Hunterson in the production of Waitress for a limited engagement through May 2019. On May 13, 2019, it was announced that Bean's run was extended through July 21, 2019.
Starting in March 2022, she returned to Broadway in Mr. Saturday Night at the Nederlander Theatre starring Billy Crystal. For her performance, she received nominations for the Distinguished Performer Award at the Drama League Awards, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical at the 71st Outer Critics Circle Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 75th Tony Awards. At the 65th Annual Grammy Awards Bean was nominated for Best Musical Theater Album as a cast singer.
Between October 2023 to January 2024 Bean starred as Jersey in Alicia Keys' Off-Broadway jukebox musical Hell's Kitchen at The Public Theater. She was confirmed for the Broadway production at the Shubert Theatre, which opened on April 20, 2024. For her performance on and Off-Broadway, she received nominations from the Tony Awards (with her second nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 77th Tony Awards), Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards, and Lucille Lortel Awards.
In December 2025, it was announced that Bean would star as Lucy Emerson in a musical adaptation of The Lost Boys, replacing Caissie Levy after she left the production due to her commitment to the Broadway revival of Ragtime and wanting to spend more time with her family. Major, Michael Caissie Levy Departs THE LOST BOYS Musical Broadway Premiere Broadway World, November 6, 2025 The show would begin previews in March 2026 at the Palace Theatre, with opening night on April 26. Bean received another nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance, for which she garnered her first win.
Singer On December 2, 2008, Bean released her debut solo album, Superhero, on her own label Shotime Records. The record has been described as pop rock. In February 2013, Bean's second album, O'Farrell Street, was released. It was produced by Tim K (Madonna, Celine Dion, Brandy), and incorporates 1960s-era soul. The record reached No. 3 on the iTunes R&B charts.
In December 2014, Bean released an EP album of blues called Shadows to Light. The record was produced by Bean and Jake Schaefer. It reached No. 1 on the iTunes Blues charts. She performed her single "Runaway Train" on The Queen Latifah Show. Beginning in 2015, Bean has performed with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ), performing Justin Bieber's "Sorry" and Backstreet Boys' “I Want It That Way,” among others. In the spring of 2016, she joined the PMJ European Tour.
In February 2018, Bean's third album, Spectrum, was released. The songs are in the genre of rhythm and blues. The record release was accompanied by a tour, which included concerts at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, which featured an 18-piece orchestra, as well as a string of other dates including in London at Cadogan Hall, Las Vegas and Dallas. Bean has said that inspirations for the record were the music of Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, and Frank Sinatra. In August and September 2019, Bean performed selected songs at a series of residency concerts at Feinstein's/54 Below.
Bean's music has been featured on MTV's The Hills, Mercy, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Bad Girls Club and Showtime's The Big C, and she arranged the vocals for Jennifer Lopez's performance of her 2014 song "I Luh Ya Papi" on American Idol. Bean has appeared on film soundtracks to Hairspray, Enchanted, the Wayans Brothers' Dance Flick, and the 2016 animated musical Sing. Bean has performed around the world in cabarets and concerts. She has sung with artists such as BeBe Winans, Brian McKnight, Ariana Grande, David Foster, Jason Robert Brown and Michael Jackson, among others.
Theater credits +YearProductionRoleVenueDatesNotes2000Godspell EnsembleYork Theatre at Saint Peter's Church, New YorkN/A2001Leader of the PackPerformerU.S. National TourMar 13, 2001 - Jun 03, 2001 2002Hairspray Shelly/Denizen of Baltimore/Tracy Turnblad (understudy)/Velma Von Tussle (understudy)/Gym Teacher (understudy - replacement)/Prudy Pingleton (understudy - replacement)/Matron (understudy - replacement)Neil Simon Theatre, New YorkJul 18, 2002 - Apr 18, 20042004 Wicked Elphaba (standby - replacement) Gershwin Theatre, New YorkSep 7, 2004 - Jan 9, 20052005Elphaba (replacement)Jan 11, 2005 - Jan 8, 20062006Elphaba (replacement)U.S. National TourSep 6, 2006 - Dec 31, 20062009Peepshow Peep DivaPlanet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Paradise, NevadaN/A2011Dear John MayerN/AOpen Fist Theatre, Hollywood, CaliforniaN/Aalso Music and Lyric credits2015BeachesCeeCee BloomDrury Lane Theater, ChicagoJun 24, 2015 - Aug 16 20152017Funny Girl Fanny BriceNorth Shore Music Theatre, Beverly, MassachusettsN/A2018Songs for a New World Woman #2New York City Center Encores! Off-Center, New YorkJun 27, 2018 - Jun 30 20182019Waitress Jenna HuntersonBrooks Atkinson Theatre, New YorkMar 18, 2019 - Jul 21, 20192022Mr. Saturday NightSusan YoungNederlander Theatre, New YorkMar 29, 2022 - Sep 4, 2022 Nomination: Tony Award, Drama League Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award2023Hell's Kitchen JerseyThe Public Theater, New York October 24, 2023 - Jan 14, 20242024Gutenberg! The Musical!ProducerJames Earl Jones Theatre, New YorkJan 24, 2024One night only Hell's KitchenJerseyShubert Theatre, New York March 28 - December 1, 2024 Nomination: Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award, and Drama League Award.2025 Songs for a New World Woman #2 Hammersmith Apollo September 21 30th Anniversary Concert2026The Lost BoysLucy EmersonPalace TheatreMarch 27, 2026 - presentTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a MusicalNomination: Drama League Award
Benefits +YearTitleVenueDatesNotes2000First You Dream: A Tribute to CourageNew Amsterdam Theatre, New YorkJune 12, 2000Benefit for Actors' Fund of America and the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation in honor of Christopher Reeve and Bran Pace2001Dreamgirls 20th Anniversary Benefit ConcertFord Center for the Performing ArtsSep 24, 2001Benefit for Actors' Fund of America2004HairNew Amsterdam Theatre, New YorkSep 20, 2004Benefit for the Actors' Fund of America2008The Yellow Brick Road Not TakenGershwin Theatre, New YorkOct 27, 2008Benefit for New York Restoration Project
Discography LPs 2008: Superhero (Shotime Records) 2013: O' Farrell Street (Shotime Records) 2018: Spectrum (Shotime Records) 2025: Only Smoke (Shotime Records)
EPs 2014: Shadows to Light - EP (Shotime Records) 2020: Selah - EP 2022: She Is Risen: Jesus Christ Superstar All-Female Cast - EP
Singles 2011: "A Little Hope" (Billy-Boo) 2012: "O Holy Night" (Shotime Records) 2012: "Runnin' Out Of Days" (Shotime Records) 2013: "Skywriter" (Shotime Records) 2014: "Runaway Train" (Shotime Records) 2015: "Jealous" (Shotime Records) – cover of the Labrinth song 2015: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Shotime Records) 2017: "One Way to Go" (Shotime Records) – written by Bean and Britten Newbill.
Soundtracks and cast recordings 2001: Godspell – Off-Broadway Revival Cast Recording (Varese Sarabande) 2002: Hairspray – Original Broadway Cast Recording (Sony Classical) 2007: Hairspray – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (New Line Records) 2008: Enchanted – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Walt Disney Records) 2015: Are You Joking?, "Ain't Life Funny" – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Barb & Associates Records) 2018: Songs for a New World - 2018 New York City Center Encores! Off-Center Cast Recording (Ghostlight Records) 2022: Mr. Saturday Night - Original Broadway Cast Recording (Craft Recordings) 2024: Hell's Kitchen - Original Broadway Cast Recording 2026: The Lost Boys: A New Musical - Original Broadway Cast Recording
Selected other recordings 2003: "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" on Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure 2005: "I Believe in Love" from Hair for Actor's Fund Benefit Recording 2007: "Home" on Dreaming Wide Awake: The Music of Scott Alan 2008: "House of Love" on 37 Notebooks by Jeremy Schonfeld 2008: "Could" on Matt Cusson by Matt Cusson 2009: "Tiny Urban Zoo" on School House Rock:Earth 2011: "Sing Me a Happy Song" on My Lifelong Love by Georgia Stitt 2012: "Stand Up (The Anthem to Benefit St. Jude)" 2013: "Monster" on Alphabet Radio by The Edge Effect 2014: "I'm in Pain" on Anything Worth Holding On To by Scott Alan 2015: "I Want It That Way" on Selfies on Kodachrome by Postmodern Jukebox 2015: "Poison" on Emoji Antique by Postmodern Jukebox