Seasoned veteran Stephanie Block joins New York’s “Wicked” cast

Most well-known for her recent roles in productions such as “The Pirate Queen” (2007), and her performance as Liza Minelli alongside Hugh Jackman in the show “The Boy From Oz,” Stephanie J. Block just accepted the role of Elphaba in New York’s cast of “Wicked” the musical on Aug. 31, according to an article posted on the Chicago Tribune Web site. Block, who played the role in the first national tour of the production in 2005, which later scored her the 2006 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress. With an extensive acting career under her belt, including staring on several television shows such as “Three’s Company,” “Life Goes On” and “General Hospital,” Block also has put in time on Broadway in productions such as “Guys and Dolls,” “Grease,” “Oliver” and “Bye Bye Birdie.”

Her newest election to the ranks of Wicked’s New York cast as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who is “green” with envy over her counterpart, Glinda, the Good Witch of the East. The two meet as girls at sorcery school and are matched up as oddly-paired roommates. As the two get closer, however, they learn that they just misunderstand each other’s motives. Their lives conitnue to stay connected as both girls fall for the same love interest and find themselves on the same journey to the Emerald City. This story about the land of Oz before Dorothy and Toto drop in has underlying themes of the underdog overcoming the odds and explains how the two’s unlikely friendship finally dissolved. For Wicked tickets to any of the national tour locations, which include London, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Australia, visit Stubhub.com.

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