Bean is currently starring on Broadway in Alicia Keys’ musical “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Shubert Theatre. This essay has been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity.
Fresh out of college, rockin’ Steve Madden platforms, and blasting Destiny’s Child, a very hungry young Shoshana—that’s me—arrived in New York City late in the summer of 1999. I was ferociously fearless, with so much to prove and nothing to lose. Here are a few of the many important lessons I’ve learned since. Had I known these then, the journey might have been a little gentler.
You are more than enough—you are essential.
The temptation will arise to become what you see is working for others, even if it means abandoning your own beautiful and unique self. But what makes you different is what makes you singular, special, and, quite literally, one of a kind. There is no need to be like anyone else. We already have them! You are who we are missing. You are who we are looking for.
No one else has lived your experiences. No one is built like you. No single person on earth has your viewpoint and your design. No one can interpret and tell a story from your perspective. Please don’t rob us of the gift of you by trying to be what you think others want. More of exactly who you are is the very thing the world needs.
Shoshana Bean and Maleah Joi Moon in “Hell's Kitchen” Credit: Marc J. Franklin
Your vulnerability and your heart are your superpowers.
It’s not your job to be the prettiest. It’s not your job to be the skinniest or the most in shape. It’s not your job to be ageless or to be the best dressed. It’s not your job to be the best singer. It’s not your job to be the best anything. It’s not your job to win anything, or to be approved of, well-liked, or even loved. Your only job is to continue to dive headfirst into your life—to peel back the layers and be willing to share yourself in your craft, withholding nothing.
Be brave enough to crack open your heart so that audiences might feel the invitation to crack open theirs. I can assure you, there is no greater gift or purpose than that. You have nothing to prove, only to share.
Dreams don’t have deadlines.
There are things I began dreaming about, placing on my vision board, and speaking out loud about decades ago that are just now coming to manifest into physical existence. Alicia Keys has been on my bucket list to work with since her first album came out in 2001. Twenty-three years later, I find myself enjoying the gift of working with her every day.
Know that timing is perfect—your path truly is being laid stone-by-stone. While you’re excitedly (and sometimes impatiently) waiting for the big dreams to manifest, there will be an abundance of magical little gifts in between the mountaintop moments. Don’t miss the incredible people and opportunities that give you chances to learn, heal, grow, and expand. Every single experience is taking you down the path of least resistance toward exactly what you’re asking for. Know that time is of no consequence when it comes to your dreams.
This story originally appeared in the May 16 issue of Backstage Magazine.