Hi, I'm Shoshana Bean. I'm currently starring as Jenna in Waitress, and this is my Broadway Bucket List. (light music) (clanging) Jason Robert Brown being one of my all time favorite composers, and this score, in my opinion, being one of his most glorious. In this song in particular, Francesca is a beautiful role with a ton of depth and complexity and vulnerability and this song sort of summing up the concept of always choosing love, no matter what the situation or challenge or the heartbreak and that choice always being the better one. (piano playing) ♪ You could have driven into someone else's driveway ♪ ♪ You could have tried to find the bridge another day ♪ ♪ I could have gone off to the fair ♪ ♪ Or locked the door ♪ ♪ Or washed my hair ♪ ♪ And in a way ♪ ♪ That would be better ♪ ♪ We could have chosen to ignore what we were feeling ♪ ♪ We could have prayed to make the wanting go away ♪ ♪ But what we did ♪ ♪ Is that we loved ♪ ♪ And love is always better ♪ ♪ I could have gone with you ♪ ♪ And left behind the corn fields ♪ ♪ I could have seen a world like none I'd ever known ♪ ♪ I could have tied my dreams to yours ♪ ♪ And slept beside you on the moors ♪ ♪ And who can say that might be better ♪ ♪ I could have not been where ♪ ♪ My children turned for answers ♪ ♪ And never seen what they've become ♪ ♪ Now that they're grown ♪ ♪ But what I did ♪ ♪ Is that I loved ♪ ♪ And love is always better ♪ ♪ It is hard ♪ ♪ It is insane to place one love above another ♪ ♪ But what a choice ♪ ♪ And what a gift ♪ ♪ And what a blessing ♪ ♪ I could have never known a love like this existed ♪ ♪ But then you kissed me and you left and then I knew ♪ ♪ And what is true ♪ ♪ Is that we loved ♪ ♪ And that I loved ♪ ♪ And that I love ♪ ♪ And I will always love ♪ ♪ And love is always better ♪ (piano outro) Into the Woods has always held a very special place in my heart. I was cast as Little Red when I was in junior high going into high school, and I chose to be on the drill team in my high school instead of doing Little Red, and I think somewhere deep in my heart I knew, I'm gonna go on and do this and have many more opportunities. Never have gotten to do "Into the Woods", but this score has always been like my bible. When I was young, I had the lyrics plastered all over my walls. It seems that whatever your question, the answer lies somewhere in the lyrics of Into the Woods. (piano playing) ♪ What was that ♪ ♪ Was that me ♪ ♪ Was that him ♪ ♪ Did a prince really kiss me ♪ ♪ And kiss me ♪ ♪ And kiss me ♪ ♪ And did I kiss him back ♪ ♪ Was it wrong ♪ ♪ Am I mad ♪ ♪ Is that all ♪ ♪ Does he miss me ♪ ♪ Was he suddenly getting bored with me ♪ ♪ Wake up ♪ ♪ Stop dreaming ♪ ♪ Stop prancing about the woods. ♪ ♪ It's not beseeming ♪ ♪ What is it about the woods ♪ ♪ Ugh back to life ♪ ♪ Back to sense ♪ ♪ Back to child ♪ ♪ Back to husband ♪ ♪ You can't live in the woods ♪ ♪ There are vows ♪ ♪ There are ties ♪ ♪ There are needs ♪ ♪ There are standards ♪ ♪ There are shouldn'ts and shoulds. ♪ ♪ Why not both instead ♪ ♪ There's the answer if you're clever ♪ ♪ Have a child for warmth and a baker for bread ♪ ♪ and a prince for whatever ♪ ♪ Never ♪ ♪ It's these woods ♪ ♪ Face the facts ♪ ♪ Find the boy ♪ ♪ Join the group, ♪ ♪ Stop the giant, just get out of these woods ♪ ♪ Was that him ♪ ♪ Yes it was ♪ ♪ Was that me ♪ ♪ No it wasn't ♪ ♪ Just a trick of the woods ♪ ♪ Just a moment ♪ ♪ One peculiar passing moment ♪ ♪ Must it all be either less or more ♪ ♪ Either plain or grand ♪ ♪ Is it always or ♪ ♪ Is it never and ♪ ♪ That's what woods are for ♪ ♪ For those moments in the woods ♪ ♪ Oh if life were made of moments ♪ ♪ Even now and then a bad one ♪ ♪ But if life were made of moments ♪ ♪ Then you'd never know you had one ♪ ♪ First a witch ♪ ♪ Then a child ♪ ♪ Then a prince ♪ ♪ Then a moment ♪ ♪ Who can live in the woods ♪ ♪ And to get what you wish ♪ ♪ Only just for a moment ♪ ♪ These are dangerous woods ♪ ♪ Let the moment go ♪ ♪ Don't forget it for a moment though ♪ ♪ Just remembering you've had an ♪ ♪ And when you're back to or ♪ ♪ Makes the or mean more than it did before ♪ ♪ Now I understand ♪ ♪ And it's time to leave the woods ♪ This show and this score and this woman have been with me since I was very, very young and probably, you know, for many lifetimes. She is so familiar, she is so deeply ingrained in my DNA, it's my all time favorite musical and my all time favorite role. (piano playing) ♪ Don't tell me not to live just sit and putter ♪ ♪ Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter ♪ ♪ Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade ♪ ♪ Don't tell me not to fly, I've simply got to ♪ ♪ If someone takes a spill it's me and not you ♪ ♪ Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade ♪ ♪ I'll march my band out, I'll beat my drum ♪ ♪ And if I'm fanned out, your turn at bat sir ♪ ♪ At least I didn't fake it ♪ ♪ Hat, sir, I guess I didn't make it ♪ ♪ But whether I'm the rose of sheer perfection ♪ ♪ A freckle on the nose of life's complexion ♪ ♪ The cinder or the shiny apple of its eye ♪ ♪ I gotta try once, I gotta fly once, ♪ ♪ Only can die once, right sir ♪ ♪ Oh love is juicy, juicy and you see ♪ ♪ I gotta have my bite sir ♪ ♪ Get ready for me love cause I'm a comer ♪ ♪ I simply gotta march my heart's a drummer ♪ ♪ Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade ♪ ♪ I'm gonna live and live now ♪ ♪ Get what I want I know how ♪ ♪ One roll for the whole show bang ♪ ♪ One throw that bell will go clang ♪ ♪ Eye on the target and wham ♪ ♪ One shot, one gun shot and bam ♪ ♪ Hey Mr. Arnstein ♪ ♪ Here I am ♪ ♪ I'll march my band out ♪ ♪ I'll beat my drum ♪ ♪ And if I'm fanned out, your turn at bat sir ♪ ♪ At least I didn't fake it ♪ ♪ Hat, sir, I guess I didn't make it ♪ ♪ Get ready for me love cause I'm a comer ♪ ♪ I simply gotta march, my hearts a drummer ♪ ♪ Nobody, no, nobody ♪ ♪ Is gonna rain on my ♪ ♪ Parade ♪ (soft music)
