Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show, and Being a Goddess Warrior

Last week, Stephanie J. Block won her first Tony Award for her role in The Cher Show, much to the joy of everyone who knows there isn’t a single more deserving person on Broadway.

I have followed her career for the past decade, and have had the pleasure of watching her perform and meeting her several times. Her talent is unmatched, but it is her spirit and her heart that truly make her worthy of all awards she’s received.

Block is so incredibly kind – to every single fan she meets and especially those who have supported her for years. I became a fan through my sister, who she never fails to make feel incredibly special and important. When I started tagging along to shows and concerts, I saw for myself how much light she has in her heart. Now when one of us meets her alone, she always asks about the other.

Block isn’t exactly a household name, even among those who enjoy theater, but she should be. She’s been nominated for three Tony awards, originated roles in six Broadway shows, and was the true first Elphaba before being replaced by Idina Menzel when Wicked moved to Broadway. But Block is always quick to say that everything that happened is how she got where she is today.

After all, she went on to star in the first national tour of Wicked where she met her now husband Sebastian Arcelus. She and Arcelus now have a 4 year old daughter and a dog, and are possibly the cutest family – celebrity or otherwise – that I know of.

Speaking of which, allow me to diverge for a moment and remark on how incredible and supportive of a husband Sebastian Arcelus is. He cheered her on with such pure love on June 11th, and led the (second) standing ovation during Block’s penultimate song in her first post-win show two days later. Future boyfriends take note.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend that performance, and my heart was full as an entire theater of people was able to show Block just how happy for her we were. She seemed grateful but also surprised. If she had any doubt of just how many people admire her and are inspired by her, I hope that night and the other nights following the Tony’s cleared that up.

I am so glad that Block won best actress for The Cher Show for so many reasons, one of them being the attention I hope it will bring to this incredible show. It’s not just for Cher fans (although they’ll love it) and it’s not just a concert of her top hits. It is the true story of her life, and it is emotional, devastating, hilarious and empowering.

What really make the show special are the two other actresses portraying Cher along with Block. Yes, they portray the icon at different ages, but it is more complicated than that. It’s as if they are three different facets of Cher’s personality, with each taking over when she’s needed.

When shy, young Cher wants to get Sonny Bono’s attention, she summons the courage and sass of the woman who will marry him. Decades later, when Bono wants to reunite following their divorce, Block’s character steps back to let that woman turn him down – to say what she couldn’t during their turbulent marriage. And when Cher becomes a Broadway and movie star, it’s the young girl who dreamed of being an actress who gets to soak it in.

All the while, Block is guiding all three of them, embodying Cher’s true soul – all her deepest loves and fears. And they in turn comfort her when she doesn’t know how much fight she has left (the most heartbreaking and captivating of performances by Block, by the way).

There is a part of the show where Block says, “being a goddess warrior isn’t not being scared. It’s about being shit scared and facing it anyway.” That’s advice Block has certainly had to employ during her life, and it’s advice I tell myself every day. When the Cher Show opened I was looking for a job. When I saw the show after the Tony’s I was heading into my second week at a new job where I’ve been terrified every day but facing it anyway.

A goddess warrior is probably the best description for Stephanie J. Block that I have ever heard. It means strong, kind, and unfailingly human. It means unflinchingly female and ruling the world not in spite of womanhood but because of it. This is all on display in The Cher Show, as well as in everything Block does.

In her Tony’s acceptance speech, Block addresses her daughter and says “it’s not about winning little girl; it’s about showing up, doing your best, loving all people and finding joy along the way.” That’s a life motto if I’ve ever heard one. Thank you, Stephanie, for giving us joy and letting us share in your own.