She played Cher. Now she’s playing herself on a South Florida stage
She was first nominated for her performance in “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” And again when she appeared as Trina in “Falsettos.” But to her surprise, Stephanie J. Block’s big Tony win came from playing an even bigger personality.
Block, 47, most recently appeared in “The Cher Show” in which she played “Star,” the oldest of three Chers shown at different walks of life and points in the superstar’s long career.
Now, Block is coming to South Florida. She will appear Saturday at the Parker Playhouse with Sirius-XM radio host Seth Rudetsky accompanying her on piano and in some witty banter.
We talked with Block in advance of her Fort Lauderdale appearance. She touched on her time in “The Cher Show,” what it was like to win a Tony, and her favorite roles.
Q: What did you do to prepare for stepping into the role of “Star Cher” in “The Cher Show?”
A: Prepping for Cher was really interesting. I kept saying, “No, no no, this is not the job for me. They just got the wrong girl.” Luckily Jason Moore, our director, and Rick Elice, our writer, were so patient with me and kept saying, “We’re not looking for a Cher impersonator.” That is when we opened in Chicago. By the time we got to New York, the role had changed to such a degree that they did want an actress that popped up from the stage within the first two seconds and had to embody and sound like and let the audience feel as though they were watching Cher. It really did morph over the course of the workshops, the presentations, the out of town to Broadway. When you are creating a character that is a living, breathing icon, we do kind of the opposite of what most actors do to prepare for a role. With Cher, I had to work the outside in. I had to learn her walk. I had to learn her mannerisms. I had to learn her pattern of speech and her sound when she speaks. That was my biggest challenge. To grab the audience by the horns and say, “Yep, I’m going to be Cher. Get on board or else it’s going to be a really long 2 1/2 hours for you.”
Q: How is portraying a real person different than a fictional character?
A: An audience comes into the theater, and if they know the character that you’re portraying, they already have an emotional investment. They already have memories of who that person is. So you’re fighting against that. You’re having to not only service and be respectful of the living, breathing person you’re playing, but you have to also then try to get the audience to love you in a way that they’re used to loving that living icon. And then you have to stay true to the piece.
Q: How was it to work with two other women also playing Cher?
A: If you have three girls who have their own personal agenda and want to take the story in different ways, then it could be a problem. But Teal Wicks and Micaela Diamond are excellent actors, as well as excellent humans. We knew if we didn’t play as a team, it was never going to work.
Q: After years of recognition through nominations, how did it feel to win your first Tony?
A: It felt great, I’m not going to lie! Did I ever think that my Tony Award would come by playing Cher? Not in a million years. But it was one of those moments where I was able to stand up on stage at Radio City Music Hall and look into that vast audience and be like, this is my community. I know these people. I’ve worked with these people. They know me. Luckily, they love me, and it didn’t feel foreign in any way. It felt just like a really beautiful moment in time and I was really grateful for it.
Q: How do you deal with rejection?
A: Dealing with rejection is kind of just the name of the game. I’ve always found this industry to be a catch 22 because they say you have to be thick-skinned to be in this industry, and yet unless you’re open-hearted and completely vulnerable, you’re not being a true artist. It’s just crazy to me that people think, “Oh, just let it run off your back.” Everything we do as actors is personal.
Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: Loving this art form. It’s the way I know how to communicate. I feel more myself when I am singing or storytelling, and that’s what keeps me motivated. I also believe that women have a huge voice. That’s one of the reasons that I finally said yes to playing Star in “The Cher Show.” I just felt that there was so much strength in the storytelling. There’s so much strength in this woman. It really opened up a whole lot of other doors of confidence in me where I thought, “OK, there’s a lot more to do and a lot more to tell, even at my age.”
Q: What role would you like to go back and play again?
A: Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl.” I never did it on Broadway, but I did it three different times regionally.
Q: What is your favorite song to perform in concert?
A: That changes with every audience. In fact, I’ve got a concert the day after tomorrow and I still have not finalized my set list because it really depends on where I’m at, who I’m singing to, if it’s a concert of my own or if I’m singing at a special event. I love songs that take people by surprise. “Ring the Bells” by Liza Minnelli, always people are unsure as to what that song is, but by the end people are so onboard. They love it. They start laughing. There’s a special beautiful little tune in my album called”Something Beautiful,” and that’s really tender and gets people thinking. I think in this sort of political climate, I love when people kind of stop a little bit, actually listen to the lyrics, and hopefully take that valentine with them when they leave the concert.
Q: What can audiences expect at your upcoming Parker Playhouse show with Seth Rudetsky?
A: I have no idea! I never know what’s going to happen on stage when I’m with Seth. His audience and my audiences, they may be similar, but I feel very blessed to say that the age bracket and the demographic, it really is quite broad. We get some tweens in there. Those that have fallen in love with either “Wicked” or “Falsettos.” We get tons of women that are my age that fell in love with the strength of “The Pirate Queen.” I feel so blessed ... the Cher crew have now become fans of mine just by coming to Broadway and seeing “The Cher Show.”
TICKET AND CONCERT INFORMATION
What: Stephanie J. Block With Seth Rudetsky
When: Saturday, February 22 at 8 p.m.
Where: Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale
Tickets: $37-$67, available through Ticketmaster
