Stephanie J. Block
Stephanie J. Block was an acclaimed Broadway musical actress who won a Tony Award in 2019 for Best Actress for her portrayal of Cher in the bio musical "The Cher Show." Born and raised in Brea, California, Block always had a desire to sing and perform. She took an early interest in musical theater, and by her early 20s was making a name for herself in regional theater. Some of the plays she performed in during this period included "Oliver!" "Funny Girl," and Disneyland's "Beauty of the Beast," the latter of which she starred in as Belle. After a number of years working the regional theater circuit, Block set her sights on Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in 2003 playing Liza Minelli in "The Boy from Oz." From 2005 to 2006 she became the first actress to play Elphaba in the U.S. touring production of "Wicked." The following year, in 2007, Block reprised her role as Elphaba when "Wicked" debuted on Broadway. Block continued appearing in musicals on Broadway well into the 2010s. She appeared in the musical "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" from 2012 to 2013, and then "Falsettos" from 2016 to 2017. Both musicals earned Block a coveted Tony Award nomination. With her Broadway career hitting a high point, Block branched out into television in the mid-2010s. She nabbed recurring roles on "Orange is the New Black" (Netflix, 2013-), "Madam Secretary" (CBS, 2014-), and "Rise" (NBC, 2018). Then, after 15 years working as a Broadway actress, Block nabbed the role of a lifetime in 2018 when she debuted as Cher (known as Star in the production) in the Broadway bio musical "The Cher Show." The musical earned widespread acclaim and in 2019 Block earned a Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance. Although she had been nominated twice prior, this was her very first Tony win.