[2][3] She has appeared in numerous musicals, performing in major Off-Broadway and Broadway theatres, including in the original production of Hairspray.

[13] In 2004, Bean joined the Broadway production of the musical Wicked as a replacement standby for Elphaba, which was played by Idina Menzel.

In 2009, Bean joined the new production of Peepshow in Las Vegas in the role of Peep Diva alongside Holly Madison.

[19][20] In 2015, Bean portrayed the role of CeeCee Bloom in the musical adaptation of the book and movie Beaches at the Drury Lane Theater in Chicago.

[21] In June of 2016, Bean played Fanny Brice in North Shore Music Theatre's production of Funny Girl.

[25] Starting in March 2022, she returned to Broadway in Mr. Saturday Night at the Nederlander Theatre starring Billy Crystal.

Between October 2023 to January 2024 Bean starred as Jersey in Alicia Keys' Off-Broadway jukebox musical Hell's Kitchen at The Public Theater.

[30] On December 2, 2008, Bean released her debut solo album, Superhero, on her own label Shotime Records.

[36] Bean has said that inspirations for the record were the music of Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, and Frank Sinatra.

[37] Bean's music has been featured on MTV's The Hills, Mercy, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Bad Girls Club and Showtime's The Big C, and she arranged the vocals for Jennifer Lopez's performance of her 2014 song "I Luh Ya Papi" on American Idol.

[38] Bean has appeared on film soundtracks to Hairspray, Enchanted, the Wayans Brothers' Dance Flick, and the 2016 animated musical Sing.

She has sung with artists such as BeBe Winans, Brian McKnight,[39] Ariana Grande, David Foster, and Jason Robert Brown, Michael Jackson, among others.