Stephanie J. Block: “It´s still hard for me to believe that people from around the world are familiar with my work”

Her last work in a Broadway musical was 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL. With songs written by Dolly Parton, the show opened at the Marriot Marquis Theatre in April 2009 and closed in September 2009. Stephanie J. Block starred as Judy Bernly alongside Allison Janney and Megan Hilty.

The American actress started her professional musical theatre career with regional theatre. Her Broadway debut was in 2003 playing the role of Liza Minnelli opposite Hugh Jackman in the musical THE BOY FROM OZ. The show was a hit and played on Broadway for close to a year. 

But without question, the role that has marked Stephanie J. Block´s career is Elphaba, the emblematic green-skinned witch from Stephen Schwartz´s musical WICKED. For this role she was awarded the 2006 Helen Hayes Award for Ouststanding Lead Actress in a Non-Resident Production.

In June 2009 Stephanie J. Block released her debut ‘This Place I Know’, and she will do a concert at the New Players Theatre in London on February 28, 2010. The actress tells us more about this concert and her career. 

NEXT 28TH FEBRUARY YOU WILL BE OFFER A CONCERT IN LONDON. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU PERFORMING ON THIS CITY?
Performing in London is quite exciting. It´s still hard for me to believe that people from around the world are familiar with my work and my music. It´s a humbling feeling...one that I do not take for granted.

HOW THIS CONCERT WILL BE? WHAT YOUR LONDON FANS WILL FIND AT THE NEW PLAYERS THEATRE?
The concerts at The New Players Theatre will showcase a lot of songs from my album, THIS PLACE I KNOW. But I will also be performing songs from WICKED, FUNNY GIRL, and 9 TO 5:THE MUSICAL. I want to perform songs that perhaps UK audiences may have only heard/seen on Youtube.

YOU HAVE ALREADY PERFORMED IN LONDON LAST OCTOBER, AS A GUEST STAR OF SCOTT ALAN CONCERT. HOW DID YOU LIVE THAT DAY? HOW DID YOU DISCOVER SCOTT ALAN’S MUSIC?
Scott Alan and I are quite close. His songs have been a part of my repetoire since I moved to New York. I came across his music through chance. He and I had been paired up for a music showcase that was to be performed at a club called Joe´s Pub here in NYC. I met him a few weeks prior to the gig and listened to 4-5 of his songs. The last he presented was a song called "Never Neverland" and I fell in love with it! From that first rehearsal on, he and I have performed "Never Neverland" time and time again. I recorded it for his album, DREAMING WIDE AWAKE and he came into the studio to play it on my album. And that led me to sing in London for the first time, where he and I last performed it together.

LAST JUNE YOUR DEBUT ALBUM ‘THIS PLACE I KNOW’ WAS RELEASED. HOW WOULD YOU INTRODUCE IT? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU HAVING RECORDED A SOLO ALBUM?
My debut solo album, THIS PLACE I KNOW is such a labor of love. I recorded songs with composers who have touched my life or my music sensibility. On every track, the song´s composer is perofrming with me... whether he/she are on piano, guitar or back up vocals.
I have never felt such an accomplishment as when the album was completed. However, I never wanted to finish recording it because I cherished every second creating with these great artists and musicians. 

WAS IT DIFFICULT FOR YOU MAKING THE SELECTION OF THE SONGS INCLUDED IN THESE ALBUM?
Choosing songs for the album was quite difficult. I wanted the album to flow and have continuity. This wasn´t an easy task since I was working with a dozen different composers, several different arrangers and a group of different musicians for each song. But because of the song choices, their placement within the album and a fantastic music producer, Dominick Amendum, it worked out really well.

Stephanie J. Block, Hugh Jackman and Isabel Keating in THE BOY FROM OZ

YOUR BROADWAY DEBUT WAS IN 2003 WITH THE BOY FROM OZ, BUT BEFORE THAT, YOU HAD AN EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL CAREER, AS YOU BEGAN TO WORK VERY YOUNG… WHICH DO YOU THINK THAT WERE YOUR BEST PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES BEFORE STARTING TO WORK ON BROADWAY?
Before moving to NYC, I lived in So.California. Most see Los Angeles as strictly and film and TV town, but there is some wonderful theatre being produced in LA. I was lucky enough to start making a career in musical theatre at the age of 17. Regional theatre throughout the US allowed me to play dream roles like Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL, Polly in CRAZY FOR YOU, Nancy in OLIVER!, and Nellie in SOUTH PACIFIC, to name a few. Fanny Brice was the most challeging of roles. I hope one day Broadway will revive FUNNY GIRL... the part, the score, the humor... there is a new generation waiting to be introduced to this musical and all it as to offer.

HAD IT A SPECIAL MEANING FOR YOU MAKING YOUR BROADWAY DEBUT? HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING IN THE BOY FROM OZ BESIDES HUGH JACKMAN?
My Broadway debut came as a surprise to me. I hadmoved from LA to NYC with the assumtion that WICKED would be my first Broadway show. But during WICKED rehearsals I auditioned for the part of Liza Minnelli in THE BOY FROM OZ. And after 2 callbacks and a work session with Hugh Jackman, I get the part. It all happened within a weeks time... the phone call scheduling the audition to the phone call offering me the part. The experience was everything... amazing, frightening, frustrating, joyous, unreal... EVERYTHING! Hugh Jackman was a wonder and inspiration. I really enjoyed working with him and getting to know him as a person. There is no one better on both accounts.

YOU’VE SAID THAT WORKING ON HIT PRODUCTIONS AS WICKED IS “A BLESSING”… MAYBE ELPHABA HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE CHARACTERS OF YOUR CAREER… WHAT DOES THIS ROLE MEAN TO YOU? WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN IF IT WAS OFFERED TO YOU?
I have quite a strong connection with WICKED and the role of Elphaba. She is a remarkable character, one that´s been a part of my life for a better part of 8 years (on and off). Playing Elphaba taught me many life lessons and helped me grow as an artist. I love her and will always keep this role close to my heart.

ON THE CONTRARY THAT WICKED, THE PIRATE QUEEN DIDN’T HAVE THE SAME SUCCESSFUL LIFE ON BROADWAY… IS IT VERY HARD STARRING A SHOW  THAT DOESN’T WORK AS IT IS SUPPOSED? HOW DID YOU LIVE IT?
THE PIRATE QUEEN was another experience that taught me A LOT! This show was epic. And the work that went into creating and peroforming this show 8 times a week was epic. I had no idea what I was getting into when I accepted the role. But Grace O´Malley was something I could not turn down. She was a historic figure who exuded strength, passion, loyalty, courage, lust, vulnerability... I had to accept the role and the challenge. I did not expect everyone to appreciate THE PIRATE QUEEN as I had, but I certainly did not expect the response that it received from critics. There was so much beauty in this show. It was flawed, yes, but so beautiful. It´s always hurtful when you invest years of work and so much of your heart into something and then find that it´s not well received. However, I would not trade the time I spent with this show, creative team, producers and cast for anything.

Stephanie J. Block in THE PIRATE QUEEN

YOUR LAST BROADWAY SHOW WAS 9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL. WHAT DID IT MEAN TO YOU WORKING ON THIS DOLLY PARTON’S MUSICAL? WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST OF IT?
Working on 9 TO 5:THE MUSICAL was pure joy! It was not work at all. If I could perform a show for years and years to come, it would be this show with it´s original cast. I LOVED coming into reheasal and then later, the theatre. The cast adored eachother and the audiences adored the show. It will be one of those experiences that I will carry with me as one of the greatest times I ever had on stage. I love Allison Janny and Megan Hilty and miss them everyday. And, as far as Dolly Parton, she is one of the most loving, generous and funny women you will ever meet. She´s everything you want her to be and more. I am so lucky to have been able to work with her on many levels...actor, singer/songwriter, collaborator, producer and friend!

DO YOU ENJOY MOST PERFORMING IN A SOLO CONCERT OR IN A SHOW?
Having to make a decision as to whether I like performing my solo concert or a Broadway musical better is impossible. They are 2 completely different experiences. With my solo show, I am me. I choose songs I want to sing. I talk to the audience and respond to their energy. There is an exciting, unknown factor as to what I´ll say or how the music will flow. It´s truly LIVE. And when playing a role in a show, I get to disappear into another character. I get to play off of other actors and bring to life a unique, shared storytelling. I just hope I get to do both for the rest of my life because I couldn´t possibly choose one over the other.