S8 Ep52: Stephanie J Block, Tony winning Broadway icon
Tony winner Stephanie J Block is In The Frame ahead of her upcoming concerts, discussing her career and highly anticpated return to London! Stephanie started out in the world of US regional theatre, playing roles such as Polly in Crazy For You, Nellie in South Pacific, Sarah in Guys & Dolls, Fanny in Funny Girl, Nancy in Oliver! and many more. She went on to create the role of Elphaba in the original workshops of Wicked. Stephanie later understudied Elphaba during Wicked's pre-Broadway premiere in San Francisco and went on to open the show's first US tour as Elphaba before transferring to the Broadway production to universal acclaim. Stephanie is celebrated for her many iconic performances on Broadway. Her Broadway credits include playing Liza Minnelli in The Boy From Oz, Grace O’Malley in The Pirate Queen, Judy Bernly in 9 to 5, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Edwin /Alice in The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Trina in Falsettos.Stephanie won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Star Cher in The Cher Show. She recently returned to Broadway as The Baker’s Wife in Into The Woods, which she also took on tour across the US.Some of Stephanie's further theatre credits include playing Grizabella in Cats (Muny), Sheryl in Little Miss Sunshine (off-Broadway) and most recently she starred as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard to huge acclaim at the Kennedy Center. Stephanie co-hosts and co-produces Stages Podcast with Marylee Fairbanks and is about to release her first Christmas album, Merry Christmas Darling. On Sunday 29th October Stephanie is playing two highly anticipated solo shows at Cadogan Hall in London. Stephanie will be joined by music director Ben Cohn, who was recently worked on Once Upon a One More Time on Broadway.In this episode, Stephanie discusses family life, her London shows and how she once almost played Elphaba in the West End. She also delves into her history with Wicked, reflects on The Cher Show and shares her thoughts Sunset Boulevard... plus lots more! You can see Stephanie J Block at Cadogan Hall on Sunday 29th October 2023. For info and tickets, visit www.cadoganhall.com.Hosted by Andrew Tomlins @AndrewTomlins32 Thanks for listening! Email: andrew@westendframe.co.uk Visit westendframe.co.uk for more info about our podcasts.