The Sarah Siddons Society is pleased to present its 2023 Award to Tony Award-winner Stephanie J. Block, whose numerous Broadway credits include The Cher Show, Falsettos, Wicked, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes, 9 to 5: The Musical and The Pirate Queen. Chicago audiences most recently enjoyed her turn as The Baker’s Wife in the National Tour of Into The Woods. The Society’s annual Award is presented to an individual who has achieved outstanding artistic achievement in theatre. Ms. Block will be honored at the Society’s 2023 Benefit on Monday, November 20, 2023 at The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St. in Chicago. (6 pm reception, 7 pm program).
Following a reception, the evening’s program will include musical selections from some of Ms. Block’s most memorable shows performed by acclaimed Chicago theatre artists Marya Grandy, Heidi Kettenring, Rob Lindley and Bethany Thomas, under the music direction of Chuck Larkin. The program, hosted by NBC 5 Chicago’s LeeAnn Trotter, will also feature the induction of the Sarah Siddons Society 2023 Scholarship Recipients.
Single tickets and a variety of sponsorship opportunities are currently available here. All proceeds benefit the Sarah Siddons Society Scholarship Program, dedicated to funding scholarships for promising theater arts students at top Chicago area universities.
Sarah Siddons Society President Martin Balogh comments, “The Society is honored to give Chicago’s oldest and most prestigious theatre award to Stephanie J. Block. This multitalented performer has brought her incredible talent to our city in four separate Broadway shows, beginning in 2005 with Wicked and this season with Into The Woods.”
About Stephanie J. Block
Stephanie has established herself as one of the most relevant and versatile voices in contemporary musical theatre. She won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, as well as winning The Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Award for her star turn in The Cher Show. Ms. Block was also recognized for her role of Trina in Lincoln Center Theatre’s 2016 revival of Falsettos,garnering her the Tony Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics nominations for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2013, she was recognized with both the Drama Desk and Tony Award nomination(s) for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Alice Nutting/Edwin Drood in The Roundabout Theater’s production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. That marks three Tony Award nominations in the last six years, a feat very few Broadway actors have attained. Other Broadway credits include Reno Sweeney in the 2011 Tony Award-winning revival of Anything Goes and 9 to 5: The Musical, playing the role of Judy Bernly, for which she earned a Drama Desk nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She created the roles of Grace O’Malley in The Pirate Queen and Liza Minnelli in The Boy From Oz (opposite Hugh Jackman). Ms. Block is best known for her portrayal as Elphaba in the Broadway company of Wicked, as well as originating the role in the First National Tour for which she won numerous awards including the prestigious Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.
Most recently, Stephanie can be heard hosting Stages Podcast alongside Marylee Fairbanks. The two sit down with some of Broadway’s most gifted artists, world renowned healers, authors and creators. Stages Podcast is currently in its third season and has been highly reviewed and ranked among the top podcast of its kind. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Ms. Block has sung with numerous symphony orchestras including the NY Pops at Carnegie Hall, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra (under the baton of Marvin Hamlisch), Dallas Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Charlotte Symphony and the Cleveland Pops among many others. Her solo concert has been critically acclaimed and continues to sell out throughout the U.S/ and in London.
Some of her Off-Broadway and regional theatrical credits include Little Miss Sunshine (Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical), By The Way, Meet Vera Stark (Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play), They’re Playng Our Song (starring opposite Jason Alexander), CATS (St. Louis’ Kevin Kline Award Nominee- Best Actress), Funny Girl, Crazy For You (L.A. Ovation Award Nominee), Oliver (Critics Award-Best Actress), James Joyce’s The Dead, Triumph of Love, The Grass Harp, South Pacific, Will Rogers Follies and the World Premiere of Wicked. Chicago audiences most recently enjoyed her turn as The Baker’s Wife in the National Tour of Into The Woods.
Stephanie’s solo album, This Place I Know has been received with great praise, lauded by critics as “One of the best debut recordings to come out of the Broadway community in quite some time… 6 out of 5 stars.” An array of award-winning songwriters assembled to help interpret their music on Stephanie’s album. Composers such as Stephen Schwartz, Marvin Hamlisch and the legendary Dolly Parton join forces with Ms. Block to create a thrilling musical experience. Her debut Christmas album, Merry Christmas, Darling, will be released November 3, 2023. Stephanie’s voice can be heard on multiple original Broadway recordings.
Television credits include: Bluff City Law (NBC), Rise (upcoming: NBC), Madame Secretary (CBS), Orange is the New Black (Netflix), Homeland (Showtime) and It Could Be Worse (HULU).
About Sarah Siddons Society
Since its inception, the mission of the Society has been to fund scholarships to promising theater arts students at top Chicago area universities including; The Theater Department, Columbia College; The Theatre School at DePaul University; Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and Northwestern University School of Communications. For additional information, visit sarahsiddonssociety.org.
Photo by Christopher Boudewyns
