Waitress Star Shoshana Bean on 'Summoning Jenna' on Stage, Returning to Broadway After Wicked & More

It's been 13 years since Shoshana Bean was last seen defying gravity on Broadway as Elphaba in Wicked, and now she's showing audiences what baking can do as Jenna Hunterson in Waitress. Bean has spent a majority of the past few years recording and releasing original music and doing solo concerts across the country, but when she had the chance to return to Broadway in the Tony-nominated musical, it was an offer she couldn't refuse. "When the offer came in, it wasn't something I had even thought about or expected. It was a very fast decision because it just felt right," Bean said to Paul Wontorek in a recent interview on Broadway.com's #LiveAtFive. "It's been lovely to be received back into the community, it's like I never left which has been a really strange feeling because I was gone for so long. Everyone has been so lovely and gracious and generous and being back on stage eight times a week is awesome, it's the same therapy it's always been. I could go on and on about the gifts that have been received in the past couple of months, I love this show."

As she was getting ready to take the stage, Bean immediately connected to the music and lyrics by Tony-nominated songwriter Sara Bareilles. "Every night I discover or hear something new, it's not a score that you can easily tire of," she said. "This has been one of the most joyous theatrical experiences I've ever had. Everything fees so human, [Jenna] feels so familiar to me. I always hope when I go out on stage every night and summon Jenna into me. I'm hoping that in some way the audience receives some type of a healing."

While Bean is currently belting out "She Used to Be Mine" eight times a week, she's making room in her busy schedule to sing with composers Jason Robert Brown and Stephen Sondheim at an upcoming benefit concert. "I'll do anything for Jason [Robert Brown]. If he said, 'Come on your night off and just sing through my catalogue in my living room,' I would do that," Bean said. "The way Jason's words feel in my voice just doesn't happen often. I love the moments where we get to be on stage singing and playing together."

Bean is set to be at the diner through July 7, and she already has us looking forward to winter: "Me and Cynthia Erivo are doing something again," she said. "Make sure you don't schedule or buy tickets to anything else for December 16 in New York City. You're not going to want to miss this."

Catch Shoshana Bean in Waitress through July 7.

Watch the full #LiveAtFive interview below!