Michael Ball

MICHAEL BALL is Britain’s leading musical theatre star, Olivier Award winner, multi-platinum recording artist and popular TV host and radio presenter whose latest album, ‘HEROES’, is released on March 14th.  ‘HEROES’, Michael’s 18th solo album, is released through Universal Music TV and features songs originally performed by some of Michael’s favourite singers such as Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Scott Walker, Neil Diamond.  Most of his albums - from his 1992 debut album, ‘Michael Ball’ to 2009’s ‘Past and Present’ have achieved either gold or platinum status.  

Michael’s regular concert tours are also hugely popular; between May 24th and June 26th 2011 he will perform across the UK and Ireland in the ‘HEROES’ tour with a 20-strong company of musicians and singers.

Since making his West End debut 25 years ago as Marius in the original production of Les Miserables, Michael has created a string of leading characters in the West End and on Broadway in shows such as Aspects of Love, Passion, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Phantom of the Opera, Woman In White and Hairspray.  He made his debut with the New York City Opera in 2005 in their production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience and with the English National Opera in 2007 in their production of ‘Kismet’.  His showstopping performance as Edna Turnblad in the West End production of Hairspray earned him the whatsonstage.com award and Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2008.  As associate producer and lead actor in the 2010/2011 touring production of Hairspray, Michael has been reprising his role as Edna across the UK and Ireland.  In 2011 he’ll perform in Hairspray for the last time before going into rehearsals for Sweeney Todd with Imelda Staunton as Mrs Lovett.  Michael’s BBC Radio 2 show, ‘Michael Ball’s Sunday Brunch’ broadcasts to nearly 3 million listeners a week.


TIMELINE

1980s – Pirates of Penzance (Manchester Opera House); Les Miserables (West End); Phantom of the Opera (West End); Aspects of Love (West End and Broadway).   

1990-4 – Debut album Michael Ball and first UK concert tour; second album Always enters chart at No. 3; 30 date UK tour.  One Careful Owner (1994) goes gold; guests on BBC Radio 2 as presenter for the first time; The Best of Michael Ball earns Michael fourth gold disc in three years. 

1995-2000 – Concerts at European Youth Olympics in Bath and the Rugby World Cup at Twickenham; recreates role of Marius for the 10th Anniversary Gala Concert of Les Miserables at the Royal Albert Hall.  First Love enters chart at No. 4, goes gold; Steven Sondheim’s Passion (West End); Michael Ball – The Musicals cd and national tour; launches Wednesday Lottery Show on BBC TV; performs at BBC Proms in the Park and at the Royal Variety Performance.  Records An Evening With Michael Ball for BBC TV; 7th album Movies goes platinum. Theatregoers Club of Great Britain vote Michael Most Popular Musical Actor over the last 21 years.   Michael plays in the millennium with an outdoor concert in Kuala Lumpur.

2000-2 - UK tour; This Time…It’s Personal cd includes material written by Michael; promotes video Live At The Albert Hall in the USA; Australian tour; two week season at Donmar Warehouse; Centre Stage goes gold; video release Alone Together; UK tour; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (West End) as Caractacus Potts. 2003-5 – new cd A Love Story and major UK concert tour; Australian concerts, American concert debut in Salt Lake City; plays opposite Petula Clark in BBC Radio 2’s live concert production of Sunset Boulevard; Alone Together show at Theatre Royal Haymarket; double cd Love Changes Everything – The Essential Michael Ball goes gold; performs for members of the royal family in Les Miserables at Windsor Castle.

2005 – Woman In White (Count Fosco) (West End/Broadway); presents ITV’s ‘This Morning’; five week sellout UK; Music sells 250,000+; debuts with the New York City Opera as Reginald Bunthorne in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience.  2006 – new cd One Voice; open air concert tour; hosts BBC Radio 2 Special Michael Ball Celebrates Anthony Newley at London’s Hackney Empire. 

2007 – BBC Radio 2 series, Ball Over Broadway; UK tour, debuts with the English

National Opera in Kismet; debuts at the BBC Proms with An Evening With Michael Ball; cd Michael Ball – Back To Bacharach; opens to rave reviews in Hairspray.

2008 – Hairspray breaks box office records and becomes the most successful show at the Shaftesbury Theatre in nearly forty years; open air summer tour dates include Hampton Court and Kenwood House; launches his own radio show, Michael Ball’s Sunday Brunch on BBC Radio 2.  Wins whatsonstage and Olivier Awards for Best Actor In A Musical. 

2009 – March release of Past & Present – The Very Best Of Michael Ball which goes top ten in first week; performs in West End production of Hairspray till July; UK tour September/October 2009.

2010 – Tours the UK as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray; continues to front his own BBC Radio 2 show; debuts as TV chat show host on August 16^th on ITV1 with THE MICHAEL BALL SHOW, airing daily to September 24th at 3pm.   October and November Michael records tracks for his new album, Heroes,  for release March 2011; Hairspray tour continues with Michael as Edna in November (Dublin) and  December (Edinburgh).  ‘LOVE STORY’ opens at the Duchess Theatre in London’s West End on December 6th with Michael as producer.  He sees in Christmas and the New Year in Edinburgh.

2011 – January to March Michael will host his BBC Radio 2 programme, Michael Ball’s Sunday Brunch; Hairspray continues to tour through March at the Wimbledon Theatre and in April at the Bristol Hippodrome.  During May and June Michael will perform in concert across the UK from May 24^th to June 26^th; in July he will again host his own BBC Radio 2 show and in August he will open at Chichester in Sweeney Todd with himself in the title role and Imelda Staunton as Mrs Lovett…

This question and answer session took place on 22 June 2006.  If you have any specific questions that you'd like to ask of Michael for inclusion in the next Q and A session please email them to admin@mbfc.co.uk - thanks!

Now you've conquered dancing in Chitty is it something we'll see much more of you doing?  (How about following Lesley Garrett into the Strictly Come Dancing scene????????)from Elizabeth Lamb

Not if I have anything to do with it! I don’t think it’s my natural… I love moving around the stage.  I love getting into things.  I’d love to be able to dance I really would. But if the show came up that required it of course I would do it – or have a stunt double.

I live in South Florida, but would travel anywhere in the US to see you.  You are the best singer ever!  Will you be coming to the US anytime soon? From Linda Sharf

Not to perform at the moment,  I have no plans at the moment to come and perform but of course I want to and we’re looking at doing some concerts there next year.

Is it just a rumour, or is Andrew Lloyd Weber really working on a movie version of Aspects of Love? From Ella.

I have no idea about this.  He seems to be putting most of his stuff on film.  Whether I would be involved?  I think even with the best lighting in the world playing 17 year old Alex may now be a bit of a push.  But who knows?  Uncle George might be the role for me (laughter). Of all of his shows I think it would make the best film.

Will you ever schedule a tour that would bring you to Seattle?  All you would need do is sing a piece from Les Mis and hearts would melt everywhere!  From Rosalee Mohney.

What a lovely thing to say.  I’d love to go to Seattle.  I’m a big fan of Frasier, you have the best coffee and apparently it rains almost as much as it does here in England, so I would feel very much at home and I now there is a great Seattle posse out there.  So yeah I‘d love to come there.

You are an amazing performer all around. I am aspiring to be an actor as well. Do you have any advice for me and others pursuing this career?  From Forrest

The only advice I can give anybody wanting to pursue a career in this business is - first of all develop a very thick skin, second work as hard as you can and do as much as you can in as many different fields as you can.  And watch as much as you can, you learn so much from watching other people perform.  That’s certainly what I did, and get as much experience as possible on stage, even amateur dramatics, putting on stuff with your friends, doing workshops, going to classes, whatever, and be prepared to face rejection because it happens to all of us whatever stage we are at in our careers, but when it works there is no better job in the world.  It isn’t a job it’s a joy, so go for your dreams always, even if they turn into nightmares (laughter)

In some of your recordings, I detect a really sincere Country & Western feel-- and it's gorgeous.  Would you ever consider doing a C&W album?  From Ashley Hope.

Well I did an album called This Time It’s Personal which had a lot of country and western kind of songs on it, and on a number of other albums there have been little nudges towards it.  I love that kind of music - I make no bones about it.  I ‘m a big big fan of country and western, so well spotted, yes I do lean towards that in quite a number of the vocal performances I do and will continue to do so.

Michael I have seen you in concert and I think you have the most amazing voice. I have heard you sing some Elvis songs on your albums and was wondering if you have ever thought about singing American Trilogy as I think apart from the King you would be the only performer who could pull it off and do it justice.  From Lynne Jennings

Many thanks Lynne. I’ve actually sung American Trilogy, not for years and years and it is the most phenomenal piece of music, so maybe you’ve put a good idea in my head, maybe I’ll revisit it at some point, it’s quite nerve wracking though when you try and sing a song that’s been done so definitely as American Trilogy has, but if enough people would like it and wouldn’t take the mickey out of me for doing it then maybe I’ll give it a go (laugh).

Are you English or Welsh? It would be nice to think that an Englishman could have a voice like yours!  From Reg.

Alright let’s set the record straight.  I’m Wenglish. (laughter).  My mum is Welsh – and if you go by – I don’t know what the laws are but in the Jewish religion you take on whatever nationality or religion that the mother is. I’ve always had a huge affinity for Wales.  Technically I’m not, I’m English, I am very proud to be British.  I don’t think I am going to differentiate between the two unless it comes to rugby and war. If we go to war or we fight an international on the rugby pitches I’m a Welshman.  I am supporting the English football team – I don’t think there’s any point in supporting the Welsh at the moment, but I’m a big fan of watching the English football.  But yeah I’m British but I have Welsh ancestry and I’m very proud of it, so I’m a Wenglishman.

What is your favourite role that you've played? Where does being Marius rank on the list? From Clare Haley.

Marius ranks really highly on the list because it was the first west end role that I did.  It was such a well written part in such an extraordinary musical and to be the first person to get the opportunity to play it was a wonderful experience.  I have to say for sheer joy nothing I think will beat Reginald Bunthorne in Patience.  I have never had so much fun on the stage in my life, it was outrageous what I got away with and I’m so glad I did, it was hysterically funny.  I’ve really been blessed.

The full version of this question and answer session appeared in On The Ball.