Stephanie is an original member of the Pimpernel cast. Those of us lucky enough to have seen the first version of the show remember how she used to step forward at the end of "They Seek Him Here" to send those high notes soaring.

NR: Can you tell me a little bit about your background? Where did you grow up?

SB: Sure. I was adopted. I was born in Seoul, Korea. My mom's Italian and my dad's German. They wanted a little girl so they adopted me and brought me over when I was four months old. I grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

NR: As a matter of fact, I received a question from a woman who also grew up in Bethlehem, and she wanted to know what high school you went to.

SB: I went to Notre Dame High School.

NR: Thanks. When did you decide that you wanted to perform?

SB: I think it was in high school. My junior year I auditioned for Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts. It's a five week scholarship program. You go away and all you do is theater and that's what turned me on to wanting to do that in college, rather than art education. I had originally wanted to do art education.

NR: Really? Do you paint and draw also?

SB: I can draw. I was going to teach art. I was going to go to Kutztown and get a degree in that, but then I got a scholarship to Allentown College for theater, and I decided to do that instead and give it a try.

NR: Did you study opera at all, since you have such a beautiful high voice?

SB: Actually, my first vocal teacher was more operatic. She would just throw opera songs at me and I would sing some arias, but I've just mostly been doing musicals. I like opera but it's never been a passion of mine. I love to listen to other people sing it, but I don't care for it. It's very extensive training that I just didn't want to do. You have to go to school pretty much just for that and I didn't want to do that. I actually went to college just for straight acting, not even singing. Singing was just a side thing that I decided to take. I really didn't start singing lessons until after college.

NR: You've done a couple of shows already, right?

SB: Uh huh.

NR: How do you work out a real life schedule in addition to all of this? Isn't that difficult to do?

SB: When your real life really hasn't started yet, it's OK. It's fine because I'm a night person, so this is just fun for me. I've found recently that I'm trying to start a life. I just got engaged and we're buying an apartment and we're trying to make wedding plans. Now it's hard. Now it's difficult, because now I'm doing other things along with it. I'm either doing commercial work or print work, and other readings, so my days are gone, and my nights are gone, and I'm trying to start my life as an adult. (laughs)

NR: You don't get any time off.

SB: No, no. This has been the longest show that I've been in straight. It's been a year and a half of a schedule. I get a little sad sometimes that I miss all the family gatherings at home. They're always on a weekend and I can never go home.

NR: I guess they don't want to have them on a Monday.

SB: That's right.

NR: Are there aspects to a Broadway career that surprised you?

SB: I didn't know it would be this fun, because when you first get in your first show, you're so willing to do everything perfectly and be the perfect little worker. Then, after a couple months you realize that you can just relax and be yourself and have fun with everyone. The people are so wonderful, especially in this show. That's the best part of working.

NR: What was your first show?

SB: It was A Christmas Carol with Terrence Mann.

NR: I think I saw it. I definitely saw it with him.

I received a lot of questions about your voice, especially from people who saw the old version of the show. We all knew that it was you who was carrying those high notes at the end. Was that you alone?

SB: Yeah, that's me alone. For some reason it was just me that was picked to do the high C. Then, when Cynthia Sophiea left, I was just talking casually to Ron (Melrose) and I said, "You've got to get me some help with that note, because when I feel sick, it's a little hard to do it." So now, Alicia (Irving) helps me out with the high C.

NR: How do you take care of your voice?

SB: I'm such a nerd. I don't go out to bars at all. I don't smoke. I don't drink. I don't do any drugs. I basically just pamper it. I'm not one to scream and party all night long. Just going home... my idea of a nice evening out is having ice cream and coffee. I don't even do coffee actually, because there's caffeine in it. So, I'm just lucky.

NR: Have you also sung in choirs?

SB: Oh, yeah. I've sung in lots of choirs actually. When I was in college I did some choir work there.

NR: Is that a different type of singing?

SB: Hmmm, is it different? It's different because it's not as much acting.

NR: Do you sing in the same manner when you're doing ensemble in the show that you would if you were singing in a school choir? Or, is it a different type of voice that you're using?

SB: It's a different type in college because I would say that it was more operatic in college. Here, you have to say words that people can understand so I use more of my speaking voice-singing. There I had a more stylized, more operatic sound because they wanted a richer choral sound.

NR: You have to really blend in the ensemble. I know everyone on that stage can do solo work, but it has to sound like a chorus.

SB: Right. It's also Frank Wildhorn's music, because it's a lot different than Phantom of the Opera. You usually speak Frank's songs, where in Phantom, you're way above where you usually speak - you have to sing all these high notes.

NR: What type of training would you recommend for someone who has a soprano range but wants to improve her power?

SB: What I say about acting is that Shakespeare is the foundation. I would say opera is the foundation for singing. A lot of people don't have to start in opera, but I realize that when you can sing opera, you sing so properly that you find out how to use your voice and breath so that it's as powerful as it can be, so when you go to do other things, it seems easy. I went from first doing some opera stuff to doing musical theater, and it was a lot easier. The phrases were easier because it wasn't really long lyrical Italian phrases. Instead, it was just speaking - you want to speak your feelings. What I did was when I came to New York, I went to a vocal teacher who worked on every voice. I could hit a C and sing it rock or pop or operatic, because that's how he taught me. You should go to a voice teacher that isn't against singing a certain way. Some people, when you go to opera teachers, will say never, ever belt. Never, ever do rock, and vice versa, if you want to sing musical theater, never sing opera. But, you want to go to someone who's not against it. You should know all of it.

NR: What's your highest note?

SB: It's an E above high C.

NR: Wow, that's great. Since you've been here a year and a half, this entire thing has been a roller coaster. How do you handle the pressures? You were closing, you weren't closing, then you had to go through the redo.

SB: It's actually made it interesting. I don't think I have as much stress as the leads do. It's more stressful now knowing that I have financial responsibilities. Before it was just wonderful finding out that I had a job. The show was going to close so many times and I just prepared myself to go find another job, which is what I usually do. But, because it always got revived, then I thought, "Hey, there we go." It's not artistically challenging for me now and it's not as fulfilling to me as it was in the beginning when it was a new process, so what it has done is it has enabled me to get out of debt and to get money so I can start a life in New York, and not rent anymore, and to buy a place. That's just so nice to have a home in New York. It says a lot to me, coming from "farm country." (laughs)

NR: How do you keep it fresh every night, being in the ensemble?

SB: Sometimes it's hard, especially when there's little to work with. But, there's always little things. I think I have the most freshness when I look at someone different in the cast. There are so many of us in the ensemble that if we're all doing something slightly different each night, then it will change. Like, Katie (Nutt), if I just look at her and she's doing something different, then I can react off of it, which makes it completely different. I just choose the different people to look at and just react off of what they're giving me.

NR: What's your favorite memory of the past year and a half?

SB: (big smile) My favorite memory was doing the last show before we closed to redo the new show.

NR: October 1st?

SB: Yes. That was my favorite memory, because there was such an energy and so many people were leaving. Half of the cast was leaving so it was their last night and the audience was the best audience you could have ever had in a theater. I don't think it's anything I'll ever experience again, knowing what we were about to go on to and knowing what we were going to leave behind.

NR: A lot of people told me that was very painful for them.

SB: Well, we didn't know what was going to happen.

NR: I know. We didn't either. It was painful for us. We had no idea of what the new show was going to be like. We had heard rumors and we were somewhat afraid.

SB: So were we.

NR: Who would believe it now? Did you have any idea of the success that you now have?

SB: No, never. Never.

NR: What's the best advice you've been given about your career?

SB: "Never lose your integrity." Rick Sordelet told me that. He came to my college to do a workshop in stage combat and that's how we met each other. He's pretty much taken me under his wing. He actually taught me a lot of stage combat and I substitute taught for him at NYU in stage combat. That's what he told me way back when I was young and I had no idea what this career could do to you. He said, "They can take so much away from you like your self esteem because you never know what they're going to say to you, but they can't take away your integrity if you don't let them."

NR: That's great. Is he the one you called up when they were doing casting for this show?

SB: Yeah. I didn't even know about it because I was doing King David at the time and everyone was having auditions for Scarlet Pimpernel and I just didn't get an audition. They wouldn't see me, and so Rick saw me on the street and said, "Hey, you've got to audition for Scarlet Pimpernel." I said, "Oh, they won't see me. I'll send them my head shot and mention your name." Then they called me in.

NR: Wow. I hope you sent him flowers!

SB: (laughing) Oh, I sent him lots of stuff!

NR: What do you like doing in your spare time?

SB: Planning my wedding, doing apartment stuff, but before that, I liked to paint. I like to cook a lot. Most of my days are spent cooking.

NR: Really? Have you contributed to the cookbook that's being sold for Broadway Cares?

SB: Yes. I love to cook. I like to do crafts. If I see something that I like...just recently I saw Chinese paper lanterns. Instead of buying one, I'll look to see how it's made and then I'll make it myself.

NR: You should probably paint something for Broadway Cares. Douglas (Sills) did some little drawings and they're going for a fortune.

SB: Did he? (laughing) Once I get a role and they know my name more...

NR: Don't worry. The League knows your name, which brings up another question. What has your experience been with the League all this time?

SB: The League has been very, very supportive of us, but I think the attention of this show goes towards the men more, so I have experienced a lot of people just speaking to me briefly. I think it's wonderful. I think it's so lovely how they invite us to everything and how they just make us feel important.

NR: What about your future? When's the wedding?

SB: The wedding is September 9, 2000. It's the day we met, but we're buying a place and we didn't want two "stresses" so we decided to wait until the year 2000. As for the future, I actually decided awhile ago, maybe six months to a year ago, not to pursue ensemble work in musicals anymore. I know that sounds harsh but musical theater... although it's provided me with wonderful experiences and financial stability, it's gotten to the point now where people know me as an ensemble player because I have high notes. High notes are usually not needed for roles, so I need to start saying no and stop auditioning for ensemble and try to just hang in there for roles, (which is a little difficult for me because I am Asian-American) and to do straight plays, which is my first love.

NR: Have you found being Asian-American to be a problem? Actually, a woman named Cynthia Yang wanted me to ask you that question, but I felt a bit awkward doing so.

SB: Awww. As much as it has been a disadvantage, it's been an advantage because a multi-racial cast has become so important to some casting people that if I was up against a Caucasian person who was just as talented as I was, they probably would choose me just so they would have a little variety. But, that's in ensemble. When it comes to roles, it doesn't work that way. I find that it's hard for me to even get seen for it.

NR: Well, maybe it's starting to improve. I just saw Miss Saigon, and Ellen is Asian-American. It didn't seem to bother anybody and she was wonderful.

SB: There are of course exceptions.

NR: I don't think the audiences notice as much anymore. At least, I hope that's the case.

SB: Audiences are not the problem. It's the people with money or the creators who don't have that in their head because when they write it, or when they need to cast, they don't really think Asian or Black people.

NR: Well, then you have people who are tall or people who are short as well. I look at someone like James Bohanek... I remember when they were casting for Armand, they actually sent out to the League the requirements that stated he had to be a certain height and a certain weight.

SB: That was because of the costumes.

NR: I know, but I remember thinking, "How many people are this size?" And poor James probably thought, "How many roles did I not get because they wanted someone taller?" Then all of a sudden, this wonderful role came up.

SB: I know. What I would say to that girl is that no matter what you look like or who you are, there will always be a disadvantage. It's just like when you're a kid and you can be perfect, but someone will make fun of you for something, you know?

NR: That is definitely true.

SB: So, you just deal with it.

NR: OK, that will do it. Thanks.

SB: Thanks. Thanks so much.

I think it would be wonderful to see Stephanie step out of the ensemble and take on a full role. She's always so spirited in the crowd scenes and is a lot of fun to watch. I wish her the best of luck with her new home and her upcoming marriage.

Questions suggested by:

Gillian, Kelly Honig, Colleen Rosati, Elizabeth Colpo, Renee Girard, Cynthia Yang, Kate Scibal, Susan Cassidy, Peter Williams