Review: SHOSHANA BEAN ONLY SMOKE TOUR 2026 at Dakota Jazz Club Minneapolis

Shoshana Bean brought her Only Smoke tour to the Dakota in Minneapolis for a night that showcased exactly why she has become such a standout performer on both the Broadway stage and beyond it.

Known for her powerful voice and years of work in musical theater, Bean has a style that goes well beyond Broadway. Her music pulls from soul, R&B, pop and theater, and the Dakota was a great setting for a performance that moved between all of those influences.

The set featured songs from Only Smoke, giving the Minneapolis audience a chance to hear Bean's newest material performed live while also seeing the personality and stage presence that have made her such a recognizable performer. The songs gave her plenty of opportunities to show off her vocal range, but the night wasn't simply about big vocals. Some of the strongest moments came when she slowed things down and let the emotion of the music take the lead.

Bean also brought plenty of personality to the stage. There was a relaxed quality to the evening that made the performance feel more personal than a typical large-scale concert. That worked especially well at the Dakota, where the audience is close enough to the stage to really feel connected to the performer.

Her Broadway background was naturally part of the experience, particularly in the way she approaches a song as a story rather than simply something to sing. Even when the music was stripped back, there was a strong sense of character and emotion behind it. At other points, Bean could completely open up vocally and fill the room with the kind of powerhouse sound audiences have come to expect from her.

What made the evening especially enjoyable was the variety. The concert wasn't confined to one particular sound or style, and Bean was able to move comfortably between intimate moments and bigger, more dramatic performances. It felt like a chance to see the different sides of an artist whose career has continued to cross the worlds of theater and music.

The Dakota has hosted plenty of major performers over the years, but there is something particularly well suited about seeing an artist like Bean in a room of this size. Her voice is big enough for a much larger venue, yet the intimacy of the Dakota allowed the quieter moments and personal connection to remain just as important as the powerhouse vocals.

For Minneapolis audiences, the concert was a chance to experience Shoshana Bean outside the traditional Broadway setting and see the full range of what she can do as a performer. Only Smoke provided the foundation, but it was Bean's voice, personality and ability to turn a song into a performance that made the night stand out.

It was a strong showcase for an artist who can bring the theatricality of Broadway together with the freedom and emotion of a live concert — and the Dakota proved to be an ideal place to experience it.

Photo courtesy of Shoshana Bean