Perhaps you stumbled upon this small concert while you were walking your dog, or maybe (like me), you trekked across Midtown searching for this cute little park after hearing whispers of a free Sho-Bean performance. This free concert, a part of the New York Forever initiative, was the first of subsidies; Broadway Forever. The organizations' prime goal, as expressed by their spokeswoman, is to "foster the rebuilding of New York City" after the incredibly damaging and difficult ramifications of COVID-19.
Through arts and performance, these performers intend to restart the beating heart of New York City, a small electric shock to get us back into rhythm, if you will. Well, boy was Shoshana that electric jolt. With passion and intention behind every note, Ms. Bean donated her sweet raspy voice to the locals who gathered around her, singing samples of her own original music like "Quittin' Time", even giving listeners a treat from her newest original project. According to Shoshana, the audience at Cooper Park and a handful of audiences at her most recent residency are the only to have heard this new song. Her new music is widely anticipated, though some of her old standbys certainly retain their magic.
In a slightly informal portion of the show, (which made it all the more personal), Shoshana opened up to requests from the audience, after revealing she coincidentally hadn't chosen any show tunes to feature in her set. From "Bad Idea" with her friend and fellow vocalist Erich Bergen to a beautiful, if not abridged, version of "Defying Gravity". The musical voltage was tangible in each part of the audience as I scurried around, anxious for a better view. Everyone was clapping along, mouthing lyrics and helping Sho out when she forgot a word here or there (hey, who doesn't, right?).
The perfect cherry on the top of the proverbial sundae were the background singers, a phrase here that sounds a little underserving. These performers, Alan Louis and Melanie Nyema, gave a blend of harmony and vocal color that could make the Muses jealous. Both gave stunning performances that added to an already brilliant performer's show. Couple this with the wonderfully talented dancers who opened the show, and you can't help but stand in awe of the talent all around this City.
All in all, the event and it's organizers did exactly what they came to do, bring New Yorkers together through music. They brought focus back to theater, performance, dance, and poetry, and how they all work in this magical tandem to keep us human. So, when we all feel like we'd like to see more humanity in our city today, of course we would look to art again. I'm proud to see a community who creates these kinds of opportunities, and keeps them free and accessible to all. A very important part of a free community is free art.
