Travis Wall stars in the mesmermizing dance
Art is a powerful thing — it can uplift, empower, break barriers, and heal. That’s everything this new version of This Is Me does and more.
From the Hugh Jackman-starrer The Greatest Showman, This Is Me is a song about being who you are and being confident. In the movie, the people appearing in PT Barnum’s show (aka oddities) sing it, with a bearded woman taking the lead.
In this new take, Broadway veteran Shoshana Bean sings the song to benefit LGBTI people. The proceeds go to the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Travis Wall stars in the video. At the start, he has words like ‘fag’, ‘failure’, and ‘reckless’ written on his body.
As the dance progresses, the words slowly fade. By the end, words like ‘worthy’, ‘survivor’, and ‘safe’ replace the previous ones.
It’s a beautiful and heart-wrenching rendition. Both Bean and Wall give fully-realized and emotional performances.
Power to all
‘I wanted to give to a place that is local and speaks to my heart,’ Bean told the Center. ‘I want to call attention to those fighting for equality and to be accepted for who they are. It just felt natural to me.’
Bean began her theater career appearing in the original cast of Hairspray. She then went on to play the coveted role of Elphaba in Wicked, following Idina Menzel.
‘It’s a song that I think speaks to anyone who feels different or who has been made to feel uncomfortable in their own skin for being who they are or for how they want to live their life.’
