Block began her professional musical career in regional theater and by playing Belle in the Disneyland production of Beauty and the Beast in 1992. She made her Broadway debut in the 2003 original production of The Boy from Oz, playing Liza Minnelli. Having read the part of Elphaba in the first reading of Wicked in 2000, she was the first actress to play the role in the US touring production from 2005–06, winning the Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress in a Non-Resident production. She later reprised the role on Broadway from 2007–08. She received Drama Desk nominations for the Off-Broadway productions of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (2011) and Little Miss Sunshine (2013), and for the Broadway productions of 9 to 5 (2009), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012) and Falsettos (2016).\n', '

Block was born on September 19, 1972, in Brea, California, and has one sister, Renée. Her mother, Rosemarie (Garritano), worked for the local school district, and her father, Steven Block, was a welfare fraud investigator. She was raised Catholic, and is of German and Italian descent. Block grew up in Brea, where she attended St. Angela Merici Parish School. Later she attended an all-girls Catholic private school, Rosary High School in Fullerton, California, for her secondary education. She finished up her high school years at the Orange County High School of the Arts.\n', '

Block started her professional musical theater career with regional theater, appearing in many productions including Funny Girl, Crazy for You, Oliver!, James Joyce\'s The Dead and Bells Are Ringing. Block was additionally the original Belle in the Disneyland production of Beauty and the Beast and did voice work for numerous commercials, including the singing voice of Barbie.\n', '

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