Shoshana Bean & Friends LIVE @ The Hippodrome

Last night I was lucky enough to see not just the late (Duets show) of Shoshana Bean but the early show as well. Having had the privilege of seeing Shoshana perform live before, I knew that I was in for a treat & had already planned to see her before it was announced that Rachel would be performing, but I definitely wasn't prepared for the insane evening I was in for. If you've never seen Shoshana Bean perform live, you need to sort that out as soon as possible. She oozes soul out of pretty much every fiber of her being & it is something truly rare & precious to witness on stage. She literally lays it all out on that stage for you to soak up! Insane talent.

So obviously you're all interested in the Rachel related part of this gig.. firstly lets start with Rachel's pre-show thought.. fair to say she was excited for the performance.

So they sang 'No More Tears (Enough is Enough)' the rather famous Barbra Streisand/Donna Summer duet & put their own spin on it. Rachel came out dancing after watching the previous performance in which Shoshana had two gorgeous & talented dancers performing in front of her. Rachel was clearly not impressed they went on with out her & joked/danced around it. Shoshana had been joking about her love of accents all night & it seemed to take her a second to adjust to Tucker's Irish lilt. Before they could start Rachel decided it was confession time & took a moment to share her story about the first time she'd seen Shoshana perform & try to explain just how much of an impact she'd had on her career.

For those that know Tucker's first Wicked experience story this is rather awesome to hear & just think how different most of our lives & Rachel's herself might be had she never tricked her family into taking that 'shopping holiday!' Dread to think.. So from this fangirl thank you Shoshana for inspiring Rachel's passion to play Elphaba.. what an insane world it is & so small. Love that they finally got to perform together.

So there's already a few videos floating about, but wanted to put my one here first for you guys, before putting it out there, kind of as an exclusive. We are hoping there'll be official video in time (so follow @WestendVideo for updates on that & to see other videos from the night),

EDIT* @WestendVideo has come through for us with an astonishing video edit from the night, so check out their video & then just watch it on repeat for all the days..





EDIT* Our cheeky recording (Although not that cheeky, as filming was indeed allowed).

The entire show was just astonishing, Rachel was the first guest to come out, followed by an absolutely sensational line up of talented performers. A gig like that really can't be summed up in words, you had to be there to understand how it hits you. Even Rachel herself was completely blown away by Shoshana.

Here's a few photos people have tweeted.

Last four pictures are mine - Credit @KiwiCm please & thank you.

If you couldn't make it to the gig and are craving a Rachel fix she's still starring in Communicating Doors at the Menier Chocolate Factory through to 27th June 2015 - Tickets Here.

Or you can book to see her in Belfast on July 18th for her solo show 'Belfast To Broadway' - Tickets Here. If you're pondering making the trip, do not dawdle as the show is almost sold out. (Only 15 seats left in the stalls, with more availability in the mezzanine & balcony).

 Spoke to Rachel about this gig the other day & by the sounds of it it's going to be an absolute cracker of a show, so we can't wait. 

Now for those of you who like to see a performance from as many angels as possible, here you go! All the videos we've found so far of Shoshana Bean & Rachel Tucker's duet.

The wickedly talented @ShoshanaBean and @racheltucker1 perform Enough is Enough at #ShoshanaLondon | 11pm. pic.twitter.com/haSImn3dRc

— William J Connolly (@WJConnolly) June 5, 2015

Right it seems appropriate that we now give a bit of a shout out for Shoshana, as she is just insanely talented & deserves so much love & praise. In case you aren't up to date with all things Shoshana & this has got you interested may we suggest you first watch this...

Secondly go & check her out on iTunes, I myself have had her EP on repeat since it came out & can not get enough, it's a perfect example of just how soulful & talented she is.

I've also uploaded a couple of other videos of Shoshana from the night, so if you're interested...

Have seen Jodie Jacobs perform numerous times & her talent always blows me away & i've come to the realisation that I need to see Rachel & Jodie perform together, so the next gig like this needs to involve that, please & thank you. Does anyone else agree?