People forget the show used Shoshana as a test run to see if the show could outlast a Tony winning Actress, the answer was a resounding YES. People were sooo amazed by Sho more and more people wanted to see the show. Ticket sales rose during her run. The show wanted her to stay true to herself but within reason. Rumor has it, the Music Director constantly disagreed with Shoshana about riffs, runs, and changing the tone. This was one of those blessed moments They couldn’t get mad at her because she had complete control over how the song was gonna be sung. The riffs and runs she does in this performance was absolutely beautiful.
The riff on “me” in the “so if you care to find me” is so epic and she only did this a handful of times. I don’t think anyone since has ever attempted something similar. I’m surprised she got away with some of these.
By the time she was on tour they really didn't care what she did. When she was on Broadway she has spoken at length about how every riff had to be approved and she was reprimanded a few times for doing something she hadn't been approved to do. On tour they kinda just let her do her thing since she was now known it. She had three different endings that I've heard that she interchanged quite regularly on tour. I believe this was also her no-fly show where she was pissed as hell and out every riff she ever wanted to into one performance. And then of course there is her final performance which was... Insane
@@gymnast61791 She's done a couple of recent interviews about this. Any podcast she's been on since Waitress, she talks about her time with Wicked and how riddled with fear and doubt she was through much of her Broadway run.
Shoshana is one of the few elphabas to hold the last battle cry note from the 7:31-7:45 mark which is something that is incredibly hard to do. She holds that note for 14-15 seconds while the chorus takes it out. a lot of Elphabas can get only hold until the chorus comes in.
This is just crazy good. She had so many quirks, delivered with so much power. When I was younger, I never quite appreciated how good she actually was. These days, my mind is blown
@@thirstfortruth8904 I hate this performance... Going back to her last ever. this performance is literally bitter riffing because the lift didn't start, so she took it out on her vocal folds... According to someone who saw the performance, she stormed off the stage when she finished, not sure how accurate it is, but the only emotion this conveys to me is rage - and I don't think Elphaba would be raging while flying a broom, that's irresponsible
@@veraelphie0306 Let's be clear - by her own admission, miss Bean is not the master of subtlety. AND she sure does love to riff (and I believe sometimes get's an MDs note as a result). But in her own words: " . . . I marched downstage and I use it as the opportunity to put every riff I’ve ever wanted to put in Defying Gravity cos I thought 'what is possibly going to make this exciting? I’m not flying, the lights (if they’re happening at all) are happening on a black curtain . . .these people aren’t getting anything so I’ll at least give them alternate notes' - I think THAT'S pretty noble. And I'd like to think she never takes anything out on her vocal folds. I've heard this tone from her a number of times and I'm very much of the opinion that she knows exactly what she is doing and understands enough about vocal compression and intentional rasp to NOT be abusing her folds. I just hear some beautiful passion and defiance in this vocal.
@@thirstfortruth8904 I understand her point but there's better ways to execute. She has riff-heavy performances that I enjoy (like her last ever for example) because in those performances she still put acting first (which from what I've seen from her is quite rare). Like, the emotions conveyed are the correct ones. My issue with this is all this conveys is anger. She was pissed off at the lift for not working. And apparently stormed out angrily when she was done singing from what I could gather. That's no way of acting. I understand the thought process of wanting to give a more interesting performance after the unhelpful lift, Idina did it too when her flight was delayed for a few lines (she rose on "Everyone deserves the chance to FLY" for which she tried out a new riff)- that was one of her most riff-heavy performances - but she still stayed calm and collected (in fact I'd go as far to say it's the performance where she seems the most relaxed and at ease), she still put acting first and still conveyed the emotions she was supposed to convey. I swear I feel sorry for the people watching Wicked for the first time in this performance
this is just bitter riffing because the lift didn't work. She was pissed, the only emotion I can feel from this is anger. And it doesn't make sense for Elphaba to be angry while defying gravity. Acting is also about putting your own emotions aside, Shoshana clearly didn't understand this. I much prefer even her last defying gravity, though even more riff heavy than this, because she was at least acting. My favourite ever from her is the proshot
I love Shoshana as a performer and damn she's got a voice, but I always thought she sounded better when she kept it simple and stuck to the score, this to me is an example of how too much riffing can sound messy.
Gotta agree. That one audio of her and JLT on broadway (maybe Idina's last?) is AMAZING to me. Just pure strong notes with beautiful vibrato. Like each actress adds their own vocals and riffs to things, that's fine. But at some point I think it really crosses from enhancing the song and just making it this over the top show off thing.
@@hannahremmel9550 Oh, well that would explain why she added so many riffs to it. She said in an interview with Seth Rudetsky that she used her no fly show as an opportunity to showcase every riff she wanted to put into DG😂
Exactly! Cause when she riffs it normally is pretty clean this is...just a mess. So she was either having a crappy night or she was pissed as all hell.
Wrong, that’s 9th January 2005 on broadway (which i have the bootleg of). This audio is from the 1st National Tour on 12 November 2006 Edit: Not to mention, Shoshana’s first was in 2004 not in 2005 during Idina’s red tracksuit show
