Broadway's Stephanie J. Block Preps For The Holidays With A Fresh Take On 1970s Classic
Broadway actor and singer Stephanie J. Block will unveil a holiday album, "Merry Christmas, Darling," Nov. 3.
Broadwayâs Stephanie J. Block is getting a head start on the holiday season this week by unveiling a new album.
HuffPost caught an early listen to the actor and singerâs tender rendition of âMerry Christmas, Darlingâ ahead of the albumâs Friday release by Club44 Records. The song, which is also the recordâs title track, was first made famous in 1970 by the Carpenters.
In putting her own spin on the song, Block told HuffPost she hoped to imbue listeners with the essence of âbeing wrapped in a warm blanket.â
âI kept using the term, âlike chewy caramel,ââ she quipped.
Listen to Stephanie J. Blockâs âMerry Christmas, Darlingâ below.
A California native, Block has been a stalwart of New Yorkâs theater scene since making her Broadway debut opposite Hugh Jackman in 2003âs âThe Boy from Oz.â
Since then, sheâs won acclaim for her performances in âThe Mystery of Edwin Drood,â âFalsettosâ and, most recently, âInto the Woods,â among other hit musicals. Sheâs also branched out into television, appearing on âOrange is the New Blackâ and âMadam Secretary.â
Amid her successes on stage and screen, Block said that recording a holiday album has been on her bucket list for years. Her dream began to take shape two years ago, when she released her version of âO Holy Night.â
Fittingly, âMerry Christmas, Darlingâ is also a family affair. Blockâs husband, fellow actor and singer Sebastian Arcelus, is featured on the original track âWhen You Hold Me in Your Arms (Itâs Christmas).â The coupleâs 8-year-old daughter, Vivienne, makes a guest appearance on âLittle Drummer Girl,â a gender-swapped take on âLittle Drummer Boy.â
In 2019, Stephanie J. Block won a Tony Award for "The Cher Show."
âI mentioned to my daughter that I needed to write a little press blurb about my upcoming Christmas album and she responded, âOur Christmas album,ââ Block recalled. âMy initial thought response was to laugh and shake my head, but after a brief moment I realized her comment was exactly right.â
âMerry Christmas, Darlingâ comes toward the end of a fruitful year for Block. In February, she starred as Norma Desmond in a Washington, D.C., staging of Andrew Lloyd Webberâs musical adaptation of âSunset Boulevard.â She and Arcelus also reprised their roles from last yearâs Broadway revival of âInto the Woodsâ across the country on a national tour.
The albumâs release seems auspiciously timed, coming just weeks after the debut of âChristmas,â Cherâs first-ever holiday album. As theatergoers may recall, Block worked closely with the legendary diva before portraying her in the 2019 bio-musical âThe Cher Show,â for which she won a Tony Award.
Though Block insists the timing is pure coincidence, sheâs come to appreciate the unexpected connection.
âI received a text from her a while back saying, âWe will be bonded together for life, babe,ââ she said. âI hope this is one of the many examples of that bond.â