Beaches Star Jessica Vosk Is a Bette Midler Purist. You Will Be Too
If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you’ve probably come across a video of a woman asking strangers in Times Square the most unhinged questions imaginable. Those videos are part of a series called Vosk in the City, and that woman is Jessica Vosk. Now, what if you found out Vosk is actually a singer and actress who is about to star as C.C. Bloom in the Broadway musical adaptation of the hit film Beaches? Because that’s exactly what is happening and you need to get into it immediately.
If any film is ripe for a Broadway musical adaptation, it’s Beaches. Released in 1988, the film stars Bette Midler as Bloom and Barbara Hershey as Hillary, two lifelong friends who experience the ups and downs that come with a friendship built over a lifetime. For decades now, the film and Midler’s iconic rendition of “Wind Beneath My Wings” have brought millions of fans to tears.
Now, you’re probably thinking nobody else could sing “Wind Beneath My Wings.” Well, not only does Vosk put her own spin on it, but her version takes nothing away from Midler’s. In fact, the entire Broadway adaptation is both wholly original and a nostalgic love letter to the film so many of us love and hold dear.
“I’m a Bette purist and I think her version is perfect,” Vosk told Newsweek's Parting Shot Podcast. “It’s the version that has always existed for me. I’ve never needed to hear another version.” Rather than riffing all over the place, Vosk said she approaches the song as a tribute. “It’s an emotional song and I don’t think it needs to be performed like it’s my own. It wasn’t broken in the first place, is my two cents.”
And she’s right. The feedback so far confirms as much. “What I hoped would happen has happened,” she said. “God, I love this song so much. Thank you for not going overboard with it.”
Originating a role on Broadway is a different beast entirely from stepping into an existing one, and Vosk is candid about the pressure of it all. “Originating is completely yours, top to bottom,” she said. “You’re fleshing out music. You’re talking about, I would say this, I wouldn’t say this as C.C. There’s just a pressure cooker because on top of it being a new musical, it’s the intricate stuff of how do I make this my own while paying the largest nod to the person who I have the most respect for as one of my icons and idols.”
What makes Vosk the right person for this role isn’t just her voice, which is extraordinary. It’s that her path to Broadway mirrors the very character she’s playing. She didn’t go to school for this. She’s not your typical Broadway girl, by her own admission. And like C.C. Bloom, she’s someone who has crawled through the mud to get where she is, covering vulnerability with humor and sheer force of will.
“There’s a lot of C.C. in Jessica,” Vosk said. “A person who is so focused, blinders on, true grit, willing to just crawl through the mud by yourself to get to where you want to go. I also base a lot of my life on self-deprecating comedy. I’m gonna make fun of myself before you get a chance to. And that’s a very C.C. Bloom thing.”
Beaches the musical opens at the Majestic Theatre on April 22 for a limited run through early September. And for those wondering: yes, Vosk is very much prepared for Bette Midler to show up one night. “Getting to even perform for five minutes for this woman would be a time of my life where I’d be like, I am good,” she said. “I’m gonna become a gardener for the rest of my life. I’m fine.”
Newsweek chatted with Vosk about tackling a role defined by Midler, making it her own, what it means to push the envelope as a woman in this business and her ambitions for more Vosk in the City. Listen to that full chat on the Parting Shot Podcast with H. Alan Scott.
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 8:49 AM.