Michael Ball back on stage in autumn 2013

[06s091]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 2:38pm

Matt Wolf interviewed Michael Ball recently.
Here's an excerpt:

AFTER SWEENEY, WHERE DO YOU GO NEXT IN CAREER TERMS? WHAT DO YOU DO FOR AN ENCORE?
The rest of my career doesn’t stop [laughs]. I’m making a record at the end of the year and by autumn 2013 I want to be back on stage in a show I’ve always had my eye on and am very excited by—but you’ll forgive me if I don’t tell you what it is just now. The lovely thing with the success in Sweeney is that I’m in some sort of position to make things happen, which is great.


I wonder which show it will be... He has been linked to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" but I don't know if that would be a part he's "always had his eyes on".


http://www.broadway.com/buzz/161776/michael-ball-on-his-london-triumph-and-broadway-dreams-in-sweeney-todd/ Updated On: 5/9/12 at 02:38 PM

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 2:44pm

My guess would be Charlie. It's a flamboyant role which seems like his kind of thing.

[AddisonMizner]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 3:31pm

I would see Michael in absolutely anything! I love him as a performer!

Part of me hopes its not "Charlie" though. While it reportedly has a score by Shaiman and Whitman whom I also love, I don't think this is right for Michael at this time in his career. He has already done a "children's" show in "Chitty" so I'd like to see him have a go at something else, just not sure what. I think it would have to be something extroadinary to top both Edna and Sweeney.

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 3:42pm

But Wonka could be a real out there character, he could have a lot of fun with it. The only other options could be Valjean (although cast change is June for that show) or phantom which does have a September cast change. That said I don't see him in either, especially phantom

[06s091]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 4:00pm

The way I read the interview - I think it's a new production.

I would absolutely love to see him as the Phantom one day. I love his versions of the title song and Music of the Night. And as a high baritone the role fits him much better than Valjean. (which is a tenor role)
He did play Valjean at Windsor Castle back in 2004 though and has been asked to do the show in the West End too - but declined. He said he was happy to get to do it once, but didn't think the role was right for him to do over a longer period. I could see him as Javert some day though.

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 4:06pm

He was linked to Barnum at one point, and that is Chichesters rumoured 2013 musical. If he does do that he he will need to lose a fair bit of weight

[06s091]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 4:19pm

Whatever it is - he'll have quite a busy year in 2013:
New album and UK tour, undoubtedly a few award shows, maybe his radio show, maybe a limited run for Sweeney Todd on Broadway and now a new show in the autumn.
And this is a man who is 50 years old next month - I say: "Well done Michael!"

[AddisonMizner]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 4:23pm

"Barnum" was one of the things I thought of. I can't imagine him wanting to go back and do "Phantom" or "Les Mis" after doing them at the very start of their run. I would have thought he would want to instead concentrate on other roles. Actually, I'm pretty sure I read that he didn't want to revisit them.

[06s091]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 4:31pm

I heard a radio interview with him a few years back where he said Phantom was something he wouldn't mind doing sometime in the future. So I'm still hoping. :)
As for Les Mis: I know someone who asked him about it a year or two ago and he said he didn't have any plans to go back into the show at the moment, but if he ever did go back - it would probably be as Javert.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 6:52pm

Think Michael, who I adore could easily do Phantom and Valjean for say a limited 4 months period and send the box office in overdrive.

I enjoy seeing him perform and relish his next project he does.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 7:06pm

He couldn't sing Valjean, unfortunately, and I even think Javert would be too low for him.

As for Phantom, I don't think he has the right voice.

[06s091]

Posted: 5/9/12 at 8:23pm

So you are basically saying he can't sing anything...
Valjean is a tenor role, Phantom can be sung by both tenors and baritones (I personally prefer baritones) and Javert is sung by a baritone or bass baritone.

Michael HAS played Valjean, but I agree that it's too high for him to sing 8 times a week.
But he has proved with Sweeney that he can sing the low notes perfectly fine so I wouldn't rule out Javert.
As a high baritone the Phantom should suit his voice very well and as I posted earlier I love his versions of MOTN and the title song.

But anyway I highly doubt the show he is referring to in the interview is Les Mis or Phantom.
The obvious choice is "Charlie" since he has been rumoured to be the producers first choice and it's a bit of a coincidence that he mentions being on stage again in the autumn when "Charlie" is also supposed to open at that time.

But then again this sentence from the interview(The lovely thing with the success in Sweeney is that I’m in some sort of position to make things happen, which is great.) makes me think it's very specific show that he has wanted to do for a long time. Only now he has the "power" to make it happen himself. (just like he did with Sweeney)
And I honestly have no idea what show that could be...

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 5/10/12 at 2:32am

I doubt Michael could slip that bottom G out as Javert, the score is in a very different position to Sweeney Todd.

And I think he just has too much of a pop sound for Phantom.

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 5/10/12 at 4:05am

Woohoo Clap we agree on something!

[06s091]

Posted: 5/10/12 at 8:03am

Popish is probably the last thing I would call Michael's voice.
He has been criticised for having a voice that is too "musical theatre" for pop songs.
There are plenty of popish sounding musical theatre performers(Lee Mead, Gareth Gates, Jon Lee and to a certain extend John Barrowman to name a few) but I wouldn't put Michael in that group. For one thing he has too much vibrato to sound popish IMO.

But I get that not all like his voice - everyone have different tastes. Just like I don't care that much for Ramin Karimloo I'm sure there are plenty that don't like Michael.

[The Scorpion]

Posted: 5/10/12 at 9:48pm

I've always thought Ball would make an interesting Phantom, especially after watching him perform the title song alongside Lesley Garrett once on TV. His voice is surprisingly powerful and he didn't sound at all like I expected him to as the Phantom. If they got him to tone down the cheese element as they did with Sweeney, I think he could work. And he certainly would have a more fitting voice than Peter Jöback. I even think he has a much more appropriate voice for the Phantom than Ramin Karimloo, whose voice is one I don't enjoy (sounds asthmatic with the constant gasps for breath, too young, too shouty and too North American - despite his attempts to anglicise it - for my taste to work as the Phantom).

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 5/11/12 at 4:02am

Cheesy is the perfect word for his voice thanks (in my opinion anyway), I used camp previously but thats not right. I always cringe at the Les Mis 25th concert as his voice booms over everyone else in a cheesy way. He just about gets away with Sweeney, but I have never overly rated him as a serious straight actor, sheer brilliance in Hairspray though