The reason why Stephanie J. Block is immortalized on this board is because she was everyone's first Elphaba, since nobody lived in New York and the only way they could see WICKED was on the First National Tour.
Aside from being, like, SO super nice at the stage door, ALL around the country, WICKED-ites were pissed because Block somehow was going to originate the role on Broadway but Idina Menzel came in and swept the role out from under her, winning the Tony, playing half of her run squealing, unable to handle the vocal demands the way that Stephanie J. Block was on the tour.
Block was wronged, and she is their hero. She rose above the loss of creating the role on Broadway, and came flying back with PIRATE QUEEN, which everyone hated, EXCEPT for the WICKED-ites, most of whom never saw it, all of whom went on and on about how fierce her performance was as the Pirate Lady, and how she and the show were robbed of Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Leading Actress, Best Featured Actress, Best Leading Actor, Best Featured Actor, Best Book, Best Score, Best Costume Design, and most importantly, Best Choreography.
Block flew beyond the PIRATE QUEEN debacle and made a triumphant return to Broadway in the role she should have created from the start: Elphaba.
So this, my friend, is where all the Block goddessization comes from, and, unlike Idina Menzel, this reaches far beyond New York. It is a nationwide idolization. And we will never. forget. it.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
