‘Anything Goes’ Star Stephanie J. Block On Acting and Going Viral

Not many can channel the mannerisms of Liza Minnelli, belt “Defying Gravity” or perform a show-stopping tap number eight times a week, but Stephanie J. Block can. The talented star is currently playing Reno Sweeny in Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.

Back Stage chatted with the Broadway star at the Actor’s Fund Benefit on Thursday, where she discussed going viral and “Anything Goes.”

Has seeing Sutton Foster’s interpretation of Reno Sweeny affected your performance?
Stephanie J. Block: I think anytime you see someone do their performance you of course are going to recognize wonderful things that are done, inflections that get a particular response from the audience. But, I think every actor will also admit to take pride and want to take on the role in their own fashion and find the character in their own way. By no means am I trying to mimic Sutton’s performance. In fact I find us actually to be quite different. The role has existed since the 1930’s, and in my rendition, Ethel Merman is the one always in the back of my head, inspiring my remediation of Reno Sweeny.

Recently, the cast of “Anything Goes” created their own music video to One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” Was this video an advertisement intended to boost ticket sales?
Block: It was a great thing that one of our cast members did. They’re always doing fun things, shenanigans, jokes, anything to keep them busy backstage. So, now that’s over a quarter of a million hits. That was not really the agenda at all to make it go viral or to even help sell tickets to “Anything Goes.” It was a loving project that I think people saw the joy in it and I think that became very contagious and the next thing you know it was kind of everywhere.

What is the best piece of advice you can give to a young performer beginning their career in show business?
Block: A lot of people think as long as they got the training, the resume, the agent and the union card, you’re off and running. For me, I found that every time I went into an audition I kept shape-shifting kind of to whatever they wanted behind the table, and I started to loose my sense of self. As an actor, of course, you need to play different roles, but if you start loosing what and who you are, you’re not going to book a thing. You got to walk into the room being very clear as to who you are before you can start giving a casting director a producer what they want. There is a big difference between confidence and ego. Let them direct you and shape you and go from there.