By Andrew Gans
27 Mar 2009

Question: Tell me about your new recording. Are these songs you've written?
Bean: Yes, I co-wrote the entire album with other people. There are two songs I didn't write — one is an Aretha cover, and the other one Lucy Woodward wrote. [The CD] is R&B and soul — it's inspired by the music I was raised on and the music that I listen to. It's definitely contemporary R&B, but we really went organic with it — it's live horns and live drums. It's not that programmed, canned music that you hear more often than not on the radio. All live musicians. I wanted to combine my love of real, organic orchestrated music with the contemporary vibe. Our attempt in some small way was to retrain people's ears — I think we've gotten so used to dumb-downed stuff on the radio. I want to be able to give people what they're used to hearing — in a sense that it's hooky and relatable and it's contemporary sounding — but those are live horns.

Question: Who were the singers that influenced you growing up?
Bean: Definitely Mariah Carey. When her first album came out I [thought], "Oh, this is what I want to do. I want to make an album like this." That first album is untouchable, and it did influence me a lot in making this [CD] — just being fearless in my vocals. . . .Definitely her, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Aretha, of course.

Question: When did you realize that your voice was as big and as rangy as it is?
Bean: I guess I knew I had a little bit of soul. That was all I listened to growing up, and I guess I could emulate it well. And then the more I did that the more organic it became, less imitating and more authentic. But I think it really blossomed in college. I come from Portland, big fish in a little pond, and then I go to CCM, and in my class are Leslie Kritzer, Kristy Cates, Sara Gettelfinger — people just as if not more talented. I used to think, "Well, I can belt, but I can also sing legit." Well, everyone can! You have to find what is individual about [yourself]. I just found that [soulful high belting/riffing] seems to be my signature thing, and that's what I started doing — pushing my range. I remember calling my mom the first week crying, "Everybody's so good. I can't do this." And either my mom or aunt said, "What do you do? You play tennis with people better than you if you want to get better. You don't play with people worse." They're only going to inspire you to become better and better. . . . You think you're only capable of so much. I remember when I was scared to belt a C, and now we're in the Fs.

Question: Tell me about the show you'll be doing in Manhattan in April.
Bean: That is a show with Lucy [Woodward], and she actually was really inspirational. She was an artist who was signed to a major label for a long time, had a record out, and ended up leaving the label, and she did a whole second album independently. And it's such a great album. I actually sang back up for her a couple summers ago, and it totally inspired me to be confident in doing my [album] on my own. . . I haven't done a New York show in two years, a big one. I've done a ton of stuff, but I haven't done a show with my full band and back-up singers since Joe's Pub in 2007. I wanted to come back big, and I wanted to do a good venue, and I wanted to share the bill with [Lucy], a fierce, powerful woman, and her music has sort of the same, soulful vibe. We're each doing half-hour/45 minute sets with a full band and singers. It'll be rocking!

Question: Do you have any other projects in the works?
Bean: To kick off Gay Pride out here in L.A., we're doing a huge show that Upright Cabaret is producing June 11 at the Ford Theatre. The first act [of the one-woman show] is a tribute to Barbra Streisand, and the second half is all my stuff. And then I'm doing Birdland June 22 — a show called Flipped. It will be songs you know and you love — old soul classics, and my stuff and probably some musical theatre stuff — in ways you've never heard it arranged or done before.

[Le Poisson Rouge is located at 158 West Bleecker Street, between Thompson and Sullivan. There is a $15 cover charge; for tickets click here. Bean will also perform and autograph copies of her new CD April 15 at 6 PM at the Lincoln Center Barnes and Noble at 1972 Broadway. The event, which is free and open to the public, is part of the American Songbook performance series.]

DIVA TIDBITS
The second annual 24 Hour Musicals will be held April 13 at The Gramercy Theatre in Manhattan. An initial list of artists who will be part of the one-night-only event has been announced: Idina Menzel, Bebe Neuwirth, Cheyenne Jackson, Alicia Witt, Rachel Dratch, Mo Rocca, Stephen Pasquale, Tracie Thoms, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Ted Sperling, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Tamara Tunie. The fundraiser is billed as "a celebrity charity challenge where stars from theatre, film, TV and rock unite to create four brand new musicals in one day." The evening, presented by Exchange, will benefit the Orchard Project. Show time at the Gramercy is 8 PM. A VIP after party will be held at the National Arts Club. For ticket information visit exchangenyc.org/24.

A concert version of Hey, You Know What Movie Would Make a Good Musical? will be presented April 6 at the Julia Miles Theatre in Manhattan. The 7:30 PM performance will feature the talents of Tony winner Cady Huffman (The Producers), Elizabeth Stanley (Company, Cry-Baby, Xanadu) and Celina Carvajal (Cats, 42nd Street) as well as Maurice Murphy, Douglas Goodhart and show creators Ryan Bogner, Mishaela Faucher and Jason Michael Snow. The evening features direction by Travis Greisler and Austin Regan with music direction by Christopher D. Littlefield and choreography by Mishaela Faucher. The Julia Miles Theatre is located in Manhattan at 424 West 55th Street. Tickets, priced $20, can be purchased at the door or in advance at www.theatermania.com.

The original cast recording of the new Tom Kitt-Brian Yorkey Broadway musical Next to Normal will have a digital release April 7. The two-CD set, which features more than 30 songs, is scheduled to arrive in stores May 12 on the Ghostlight Records label. To celebrate the recording, cast members will perform at the Barnes & Noble Lincoln Center that day at 4 PM. The cast — including Alice Ripley, J. Robert Spencer, Aaron Tveit, Jennifer Damiano, Adam Chanler-Berat and Louis Hobson — recorded the CD Feb. 11 and 12 in Manhattan. Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records president Kurt Deutsch and Grammy Award winner Joel Moss produced the recording.

May the Schwartz Be With You is the title of an upcoming benefit for Project Open that will be held at Don't Tell Mama on Restaurant Row in Manhattan. The April 20 concert will showcase the songs of Stephen Schwartz and will also feature author Carol de Giere, who will share never-before-told stories about researching her recently published book, "Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz from Godspell to Wicked." The 7 PM concert will boast the talents of Carole Demas (Grease, The Baker's Wife), Teri Ralston (Company, A Little Night Music, The Baker's Wife) and Dale Soules (The Magic Show, Grey Gardens) with Shorey Walker, Kathleen Hennesy, Lara Janine, James Reimer, Natalie Ryder and The Treats (Brooke Lyn Hetrick, Katie Danielowski and Emily Zempel). Morgan LaVere will direct the benefit with musical direction by BJ Gandolfo. Don't Tell Mama is located at 343 West 46th Street. There is a $25 cover charge and a two-drink minimum. Call (212) 757-0788 (after 4 PM) for reservations.

(Diva Talk will be on vacation until Friday, April 10.)

Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to agans@playbill.com.