Lately, Stephanie J. Block--who is appearing in concert at Birdland on June 26th and 27th--has been a woman of the elements. Recently spotted midair as Wicked's Elphaba in the smash musical's national tour, the talented Block will soon be reigning over the seas—and Broadway—in the Boublil and Schonberg musical The Pirate Queen.
Yet don't expect a female Captain Jack Sparrow, that charmingly lazy sea dog who helped to ignite pirate mania two years ago. Grania O'Malley (a name further anglicized to Grace O'Malley in the show) was a woman of many accomplishments. In addition to femme-buccaneer, she was a wife, mother, warrior and chieftain. Legendarily, a proud Grace chose not to bow down before Queen Elizabeth I while petitioning the monarch for the lives of her captive son and brother. Who then better to play this fiery, fearless woman than Block, a performer who has proven through many shows that she has the stage presence and acting talent to match her powerful vocals?
It's only natural that such a role is a little intimidating, but Block is excited—and will be very ready when the show opens in Chicago this October before sailing to Broadway. "My preparations began before my contract was even signed. As soon as I read the breakdown for the role of Grace O'Malley in The Pirate Queen, I began to prepare for this character. About a month after my audition I was flown to Ireland to meet and sing with Hadley Fraser, our Tiernan (Grace's love interest). The producers and creators were there and it was such a wonderful opportunity to sing some of the duets with Hadley. It felt like something extraordinary was beginning. I have also started sword fight training and personal training. This role is extremely physical." Block compares her preparations to training for a marathon and says that she has had to be an "actress/singer/athlete."
Block sees much to admire in Grace besides the character's athleticism—and views her as a self-empowered woman long before the word "feminist" entered the dictionary. "This woman was far ahead of her time. She mastered the duties of men with the flare of a woman. She balanced a lot of roles. She gave birth and moments later defended her ship!...She did it ALL!"
Nor is romance overlooked in the show, as Grace was a lover as well as a fighter. Block explains, "The Pirate Queen is, at its core, a love story. But it is shaped in such a epic way. There's great adventure, soaring melodies, vibrant and traditional Irish dancing. All of this is performed by a cast of 40!" When it comes to Irish dancing, The Pirate Queen will have a pretty peerless pedigree—it's produced by Moya Doherty and John McColgan, the creators of Riverdance.
Block is, in fact, thrilled to be working with all of the show's high-profile creative team, whom she calls "phenomenal!" Block elaborates, "In my opinion, Alain and Claude-Michel have outdone themselves," she says of the famed songwriting team, whose Les Miserables is returning to Broadway in the fall. "They are passionate and expressive people and that comes out in their musicality…They see the story and the characters so clearly and they know how to bring that storytelling to a new level. Our producers have that same passion for this story. I am honored to be a part of sharing Grace's legacy and look forward to working with (director) Frank Galati and the rest of the creative team in bringing her glorious life to the stage."
