Unexamined Life would like to extend a big THANK YOU to Shoshana for answering all our questions!

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Aaron: First of all, I know you're toughing it out in the studio with the CD, but I'm curious as to any advancements thus far? Has a release date been discussed? Is the CD even finished, or close to it? What's your favorite song on the CD? Lastly, can you confirm the rumors that you'll be in 'Joseph' over the summer?

Shoshana: No comments all around, but when and if I can comment, you guys will be the first to know.

Sam: When you do a show, you are performing 8 times a week. There must be days where you just don't feel like going on and doing the same thing over and over again. How do you get yourself past that and regain your energy to get on that stage each night and give a great performance?

Shoshana: You just do. I don’t know where it comes from sometimes . . . maybe it’s divine. But yes, there are certainly those times. And in those times when you push thru . . . that’s when you get stronger.

Christy: What is your favorite memory while being in the production of Wicked and in the production of Hairspray?

Shoshana: There were so many!!! I guess my firsts and lasts. The energy is amazing at openings and closings . . . the gratitude is immense, the appreciation, the love. . .

Carly: Has there ever been a point in your career that has made you think "Wow, I've really made it.." or has that point not come, OR are you just performing and seeing where you end up?

Shoshana: I have little moments along the way where I force myself to stop and look back on where I came from and what I’ve accomplished. I have to remind myself in my request for more and more, that I already do have a lot, and I stop and take some time to be grateful for that. But I don’t think I’ll ever stop wanting or striving or pushing for more. That’s the artist in me . . .

Emilie: Does it ever get to be too overwhelming, when you were doing shows having everyone wanting autographs and pictures, and now with so many people messaging and commenting you online?

Shoshana: It’s not really all that deep. At times it can be overwhelming, but only if you let it be. I just remind myself that it comes with the territory. To whom much is given, much is required. And I just try to be grateful that people even care enough or are moves enough by what I’ve done to even bother! I try to take it all in stride with a grain of salt. . .

Tom: Do you anticipate to ever come back to theatre?

Shoshana: My focus is not on theater right now, but I never say never. It’d have to be the right thing.

Jostyn: How many times did you go on as Tracy in Hairspray?

Shoshana: A dozen?

Jostyn: What is your favorite prop or set from any show?

Shoshana: My green feather pen from Wicked.

Jostyn: What is one show that you would love to be in?

Shoshana: Funny Girl

Jostyn: If you had to live with any famous person [broadway, movies, etc.] for a year, who would it be?

Shoshana: J.Lo. so I could borrow her clothes.

itsallsoozmopolitan: What do you think about the other Elphabas? What other Elphabas do you know?

Shoshana: I’ve only ever seen Idina, Kristy, and Julia ever do the role. . but I know pretty much all the green girls. I think they are all phenomenal women with amazing talent who each briung something different and amazing to the role.

Kasee: What kind of music do you listen to?
Mostly R&B, Soul

Andrew: Do you have any strange talents?

Shoshana: I can tie a cherry stem into a not with my tongue.

Andrew: Do you have any phobias?

Shoshana: Snakes, spiders

Trap Door Lover: Have you ever had to pee really bad but couldn't because you were onstage?

Shoshana: More times than I care to count!!!!

Lauren: Do people stop you on the street and go "OMGGZZ SHOSHANA BEAN"????

Shoshana: Sometimes

Lauren: Do you have any pets?

Shoshana: No

Danni: Do you still make noise when you pee? (Remember "Chuck" from that chat you did? Yeah, just a little joke there)

Shoshana: Still do.

Trap Door Lover: Have you ever had to sneeze/cough etc. during a point on stage that you really couldn't?

Shoshana: Sure I have, it’s live theatre, you do what you gotta do. I’m pretty good at holding my sneezes inside though

Trap Door Lover: Coke or Pepsi?

Shoshana: Coke

Trap Door Lover: Bubble bath or shower gel?

Shoshana: Shower gel. It’s multi-purpose.

Trap Door Lover: What is your fondest childhood memory?

Shoshana: Summers at my Gramma’s lake

Trap Door Lover: What do you think of the Spice Girls?

Shoshana: AHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH

Trap Door Lover: Do you think you could pull off neon purple hair?

Shoshana: You can pull off anything with confidence.

Trap Door Lover: What is your favorite flavor of popsicle?

Shoshana: Cherry

Trap Door Lover: What is your favorite Broadway show?

Shoshana: I have so many! Les Miz always will be up there, but I love West Side, Funny Girl, Sunday in the Park.

Trap Door Lover: What's the creepiest pick-up line you've ever heard of?

Shoshana: Actually, this one is kind of clever, and it’s just the most recent and first one that came to mind, but, I was in a restaurant the other day and I was showing my mom the new underwear I had bought and I noticed a guy watching us and I realized how absurd it was that I was looking at the panties at the table, so I made a joke of it and showed them to him from across the room and I said “What do you think?" and he said “I’d have to see them on!" I died. He won.

Trap Door Lover: Is there any theatre/city you would love to perform in?

Shoshana: I’d love to go back to Portland and Seattle again and again. Best audiences ever!!!!

Trap Door Lover: Do you like amusement parks?

Shoshana: Yes

Trap Door Lover: What did you do between acts or during off-stage time, other than change hair/makeup/costumes etc.?

Shoshana: Eat, check messages, make phone calls, send emails, socialize with the cast. Go potty.

Jane: What's your favorite Bath and Body Works scent?

Shoshana: Brown Sugar and Fig

Jane: What was the first concert you ever went to?

Shoshana: Night Ranger

skillysmurf: Worst or most embarrassing moment you’ve had on stage?

Shoshana: Tripping and falling on my face during the bows in Hairspray.

skillysmurf: Favorite Disney movie?

Shoshana:Little Mermaid

Cierra: Who is your favorite Disney princess?

Shoshana: Ariel

Cierra: What's your favorite TV show?

Shoshana: A tie between Entourage and Top Chef

Tom: Is your hair a mess when you wake up in the morning?

Shoshana: Nope. Actually it looks its best. Serious!

Sara: When you're in a show, is there something that you just love to do on your day off?

Shoshana: Mani, Pedi, steam, massage, or facial and sleep!!!!!!!!

Trap Door Lover: What is your favorite item of clothing?

Shoshana: Tyler’s red sweatshirt that’s 10 sizes too big for me

Aaron: What's one thing right now you would like to say to your fans, or let them know?

Shoshana: Always look for the positive.

Jane: What’s your favorite bad word?

Shoshana: F@*k

Christy: Do you think Fergalicious really makes all the boys go loco?

Shoshana: Sure!

Danni: Why the hell are you so pretty?

Shoshana: Um… I don’t think I am.

Jane: What is the first thing you think of when you see something pink and something green by each other in a store or something?

Shoshana: Pink goes good with green. Naturally.

only_verbally: If you were not in the entertainment industry, what would you do as a living?

Shoshana: I would own a boutique.

skillysmurf: Who did you sit next to in the second grade?

Shoshana: I have no idea… good question!!!

Mark: Are you writing a lot of the music for your new cd?

Shoshana: I’m pretty much writing all of it.

Mark: What is it like singing words you wrote yourself?

Shoshana: It’s really powerful and vulnerable and exposing. And honest. And therapeutic.

Mark: In the Wicked community, you've become known for your riffs. Where do you come up with them all?

Shoshana: I dunno. I just feel ‘em I guess.

Mark: Do you write them musically or just experiment?

Shoshana:Well, some experiment, although sometimes they can end pretty ugly. Mostly randomly one day I’ll hear something different and it just comes out.

Mark: How do you feel about bootlegs and videos on YouTube of you performing? Do you ever watch them?

Shoshana: Sometimes I watch them, if someone sends it to me. But I don’t go looking cause then I’ll read the comments and that always inevitably ends up hurting my feelings, so I try to stay away. I don’t love the whole idea of bootlegs and YouTube, only because what we do onstage is supposed to be seen and heard live onstage. It doesn’t transfer well to ghetto video and audio ... so when people judge us or a show just on seeing a bootleg, it’s unfair. But it’s obviously out of control, so it’s not a battle I choose to pick.

Mark: What do you have to say to people who bash actors and shows on internet forums such as BroadwayWorld?

Shoshana: I think it’s unfortunate. I think no good comes from negative comments and energy. I think it takes a bigger person, a smarter person to find the positives. Anything creative, be it a piece or the performance of it, comes from a brave and wonderful place and we need more of it in this world. So why on earth would we spend our time bashing someone’s creation????

Mark: Put your iPod on shuffle mode. What are the first three songs to play?

Shoshana: Soooo random!!! “Further On Up the Road" Eric Clapton (from City of Angels soundtrack), "For All We Know" Joe Sample and Layla Hathaway, And "Justices’ Groove" Stanley Clarke (from Poetic Justice soundtrack) and the 4th was “Thriller” in case you were wondering.

Mark: If there ever were to be a Wicked movie, would you want to play Elphaba or be somehow involved?

Shoshana: I honestly don’t know. I’m not really into the whole film making thing. It wouldn’t be my first choice of things to do, but I’m up for anything.

Mark: Where you at girl?

Shoshana: You know where I be. Chillin on the left coast, handling my B.I.

Trap Door Lover: Any guilty pleasures?

Shoshana: Soooo many. Spa visits, ice cream, handbags, shoes and dresses. I’m very indulgent, I spoil myself.

Christy: Do you prefer double stuffed Oreos over the regular kind?

Shoshana: Regular

Christy: If you were stranded on an island with one person, who would you want it to be?

Shoshana: If it could be annnnyone, I’d want it to be my late boyfriend Tyler. But if they’d have to still be on this Earth, then my cousin/lil sis Sylvianne would be the winner.

Danni: Do guys at the mall still call out "AYOO GURRRL. BABY GOT BACK!" ?

Shoshana: No. Thank God. Now they wait until the second or third date to comment on it.

Christy: What is your favorite item off the dollar menu at McDonalds?

Shoshana: I don’t know what’s on it, but I’d say if they fries were on there’ they’d win.

Aaron: If you could choose one professional (and popular?) artist to perform a song with, who would it be? What song would you choose?

Shoshana: Alicia Keys. We’d write something new and amazing.

Mark: What's the biggest misconception you think your fans have about you?

Shoshana: That I’m cool.

Mark: If your life were a Lifetime Original movie, what would t be called?

Shoshana: "WHITE CHOCOLATE"

Christy: What songs would you consider to be the "soundtrack" to your life?

Shoshana: That’s a tough one. Not sure if you mean by appropriateness or by lyrics, or by holding with them strong memories . . . I don’t know how to answer it!!!! Way too many songs to mention, and you guys are probably way too young to know what they are or who they’re by!!!