“What was that?” One of the all-time best lines of dialog ever. It’s so easy to play dozens of different ways and evoke alternative ideas. I always love seeing how each performer delivers it. 👍🏻
Stephanie is amazing and all, but mostly I'm stuck on the crazy high quality of this video. Like watching a slime that isn't like 250p and filmed from across the street? I don't even know what to do
@@tjsgreenteamints Your right of course, I dropped my comment. I didn't realize this was just a handheld clip.. She really does a great job with the song. 😊
the way she looks at the wedding ring (which i know is her own which makes it even more great) really adds so much to the baker's wife's character in such a small moment
Love how well she sells the mental conflict. The constant back and forth between justifying her actions and choosing to accept her life and duties (albeit, too late) is perfectly expressed. She made it fun and poignant, which is exactly what the song should be.
I was lucky to see the original cast and Joanna Gleason as Baker's Wife. It was one of those times when the stars collided and star and role were perfect together. But when I saw SJB perform it here, thought I still love Gleason's performance, but Ms. Block proved that any role - no matter how perfectly envisioned, created and acted - can be reimagined. I loved it!
Stephanie J. Block is one of Broadway's best leading ladies. Would love to see her play Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard or any other roles for that matter. She is just sooooooo good!!!
I saw Sara twice, and watching this, plus the Joannna Gleason version, it's so wonderful that different interpretations and voices work is wonderful ways. The beauty of the work, the lyrics, the music. Well done all, and Sondheim, you got me.
I tell my voice students who want to do all belting that they can't achieve that and keep it unless they build a "legit" foundation and know how to sing correctly, and I use Stephanie's singing as a prime example. To show the other extreme, I play Tiffany Darwish's failure when re-doing "I Think We're Alone Now" recently without having practiced or having been coached...
I was right next to the stage when she sang this. That night Stephanie got hi-jacked by emotions and cried. Which, of course, hi-jacked me with emotions. She made an excellently crafted song into a very human song. Beautiful.
I keep coming back to watch this clip over and over and over again. I saw her play this live just before Thanksgiving and it is genius what she does with this role and in particular, this song and it is all set-in motion by her completely different, original reading of the line, "What was that?" I can't believe I'm about to get to her play this again. Yay me!
GOD. Her voice. How she can just shift from chest to mix to head back to chest, on the same notes, without it sounding like any work at all - is WORK. Man she is just flawless. I'd pay a million bucks (if I had it) to have her come work with my students
knowing Sondheim is gone is making me cry because his brilliant mind with those "life lesson lyrics" becomes all the more poignant in this world. She's brilliant!
When I bought tickets, I was a little disappointed that I wouldn’t get to see Sara, but by the end, I was soooooo grateful that I got to see Stephanie. She really turned my expectations for the baker’s wife upside-down.
It's funny to imagine someone going to a Broadway musical hoping to hear a pop singer rather than the Broadway greats! Kind of reverse in a way. But I get it. I'm a Sara fan too.
What was that? Was that me? Was that him? Did a prince really kiss me? And kiss me? And kiss me? And did I kiss him back? Was it wrong? Am I mad? Is that all? Does he miss me? Was he suddenly Getting bored with me? Wake up! Stop dreaming Stop prancing about the woods It's not beseeming What is it about the woods? Back to life, back to sense Back to child, back to husband No one lives in the woods There are vows, there are ties There are needs, there are standards There are shouldn'ts and shoulds Why not both instead? There's the answer, if you're clever Have a child for warmth And a baker for bread And a prince for whatever Never! It's these woods Face the facts, find the boy Join the group, stop the giant Just get out of these woods Was that him? Yes, it was Was that me? No, it wasn't Just a trick of the woods Just a moment One peculiar passing moment Must it all be either less or more? Either plain or grand? Is it always "or?" Is it never "and?" That's what woods are for For those moments in the woods Oh, if life were made of moments Even now and then a bad one! But if life were only moments Then you'd never know you had one First a witch, then a child Then a prince, then a moment Who can live in the woods? And to get what you wish Only just for a moment These are dangerous woods Let the moment go Don't forget it for a moment, though Just remembering you've had an "and" When you're back to "or" Makes the "or" mean more Than it did before Now I understand And it's time to leave the woods
Was able to see this show for the first time ever this week and it was up close and this video really does it justice. Now I really need the rest of this slime because one view of the show just isn't enough.
I honestly think that's just classic SJB inflection (it has "or do... M&Ms!" from 9 to 5 energy to me), but that's probably why she was so great at playing Cher!
I agree with some of the other commenters here. I think the music director is taking this a beat slow. Steph eats here though. Sara is great....but Stephanie J Block is just someone who eats sleeps and breathes these roles.
I love her voice but...I saw Sara Bareilles in this role and the ease and simplicity with which she approached this song and the entire role was so extraordinary. In many ways, the exact opposite of this. Stephanie Block is an incredible talent but she is working so hard here!
if you haven't already seen it totally recommend the recording on the channel 'broadway bootlegs' her performance is much improved from here imo. simpler, less affected and more direct. i'm not sure which came first but there is a marked difference
oui, but Stephanie does an amazing job for this day and age of very poppy sounding belters/mid rangers. She keeps most of Joanna's phrasing. But the street smart wink of the eye that Joanna had is unique.
@elle walker It was even slower when I saw it yesterday. It was amazing vocally as always but I think she was trying out new things with the pace (there was like a 10 second akward silence pause of her weeping before now I understand) and it’s not really working.
@@ellewalker7735 And she's right there within "allegro" which can be a slow as 126. Taking the rubato into consideration it's within limits. Joanna Gleason's performance was not a great deal more brisk. Conductor must also be considered. Could have been slightly more perky, perhaps, but this is by no means a bad performance and I highly doubt Sondheim is rolling in his grave with someone like SJB singing the roll.
I’m not being rude but if you don’t like it, why comment and spoil it for others? Why not go and comment something positive on Sara’s video. #bekind and all that.
No, what you said wasn’t unkind. But sharing it on this video was. I totally do not understand why someone would rather say “you are NOT my favourite” than “your version is my favourite” to the person you prefer. I just don’t think it was necessary.
