Ep300 - Stephanie J. Block: Rejection is Protection

For Stephanie, she was either going to be a nun or a musical theatre actress. She elaborates on this as she looks back on her early days and her influences growing up, including her mom. She reflects on her journey as an actress, moving to New York in her early 20s and being intimidated by the city, leaving and eventually finding her way back. Being involved with the original creation of “Wicked”, Stephanie recalls how she dealt with rejection and why she believes that rejection is protection. She shares more anecdotes, including the two-hour work session she had with Hugh Jackman, meeting her now husband Sebastian Arcelus on the Wicked 1st Nat’l Tour, what made her say yes to playing Cher, and getting the right speaking voice for the role… with the help of Crest Whitestrips. She also talks about balancing motherhood and a performing career, revealing how they give importance to portraying a sense of teamwork with her family. She recently released a Christmas album called “Merry Christmas, Darling”, and shares the process of recording it, while on tour for “Into the Woods”.

Stephanie J. Block is a three-time Tony Award nominee and six-time Drama Desk Award nominee for her work on the Broadway stage. She has originated or starred in many Broadway productions including “The Boy From Oz”, “Wicked”, “9 to 5”, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”, “Falsettos”, the recent revival of “Into the Woods”, and the first national tour of “Wicked”, and of course, “The Cher Show” where she won a Tony Award in 2019. Her TV and film credits include “Madam Secretary”, “Orange is the New Black” and “Homeland”. She recently released her latest album, “Merry Christmas, Darling,” available everywhere you find your music.

Connect with Stephanie:

• Instagram: @stephaniejblock
• Stream “Merry Christmas, Darling” everywhere you listen to music
• Listen to the “Stages Podcast”

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