This Place I Know

After starring opposite Hugh Jackman in the Boy from Oz, in the title role of the Pirate Queen, and as Elphaba in Wicked, Stephanie J. Block wowed audiences anew in the spring of 2009 in the lead role of Judy Bernly in the hip and hilarious 9 to 5: The Musical. With a clear thrilling voice capable of both intimate lyricism and unrestrained passion, Stephanie stands poised at the center of contemporary Broadway. It comes as no surprise, then, that an array of award-winning musical theatre songwriters have assembled to join her on her debut solo album, This Place I Know. Composer Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime) accompanies Stephanie for the recording premiere of his Something Beautiful, while Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell) assumes the piano on Making Good, the driving ballad Stephanie originated in Wicked's initial workshops. Marvin Hamlisch not only accompanies but arranges his own Smart Women, cut from the Broadway play with music Imaginary Friends, while country music legend Dolly Parton joins vocal forces with Stephanie to reinvent her 1974 classic, I Will Always Love You. In fact, every track finds the composer joining Stephanie to interpret his or her song. This Place I Know presents listeners with the rare opportunity to hear one of Broadway's most exciting talents collaborating with the artists who are shaping the modern American musical.