Michael Ball (born Michael Ashley Ball, on 27 June 1962 in Bromsgrove, England) is a British actor and singer, best known for musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, and Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Although born in England, Michael Ball is half Welsh, and says jokingly that he considers himself "Wenglish" and proud to be British [1]. He studied Drama at the Guildford School of Acting and graduated in 1984. His first major break was a star part in the production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Opera House, Manchester. Next came a brief stint in Rep. Cameron Mackintosh saw him and cast him as Marius in Les Misérables. Next came Raoul in the second casting of Phantom of the Opera, and Alex in Aspects of Love, both in London and on Broadway, and Giorgio in Stephen Sondheim's London production of Passion. Alone Together was Michael's one man show first performed at The Donmar Warehouse (which was reprised in 2004 for the Singular Sensations season at the Haymarket). In 2002 Michael took on the role of Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which was largely considered his comeback role. In 2005, at 10 days' notice, he replaced Michael Crawford, who had to leave the show due to ill health, as Count Fosco in The Woman in White, and gave a popular and critically-acclaimed performance.
Other performances include singing at the BBC's St David's Day concert, at the Les Misérables Tenth Anniversary Concert in 1995, and the fiftieth birthday party of Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1998. He is a dramatic baritone known for his range, expression and power.
Michael is an accomplished concert artist and tours frequently around the UK. He has also performed concerts in Australia and America. Since reaching the top of the British charts with "Love Changes Everything" (from Aspects of Love) Michael had small successes with follow up singles but in the main he has concentrated on releasing albums, all of which achieved Gold status within weeks, and in the case of The Movies album in 1998, Platinium in 7 weeks{was released Oct 26th confirmed Platinium status in interview on 12 Dec}. Michael represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 1992, singing the song "One Step Out of Time", which finished second.
Michael has also turned his hand to presenting both on TV and radio and has presented The National lottery, Children in Need and This Morning, and had his own series on TV and radio (Ball over Broadway on BBC Radio 2) (which is in its fourth season), The Greenroom, and several specials for BBC Radio 2 on subjects such as Nat King Cole, Cameron Mackintosh, and Cy Coleman.
In September 2005, Michael made his NYC Opera debut as Reginald Bunthorne in Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience with the New York City Opera.
In October 2005 Michael released his latest album "Music". The album went into the UK charts at number 11, and spent 10 weeks in the top 75. The album finished the year the 99th best selling album of 2005.
In November, 2005, Michael returned to Broadway as Count Fosco in The Woman in White, which transferred from London's West End. However, he was forced to leave the show due to a reported viral infection caused by the fat suit required for the role, which reportedly raised Ball's body temperature by several degrees during the show. The suit is also thought to have been the cause of Michael Crawford's premature departure from the show in London. The show closed early, in part due to the health problems of Ball and leading lady Maria Friedman.
Michael spent the first quarter of 2006 on complete vocal rest, following the illness that caused him the leave Woman In White on Broadway. By the middle of July, Michael had taken part in the Royals Court's celebratory performance of The Rocky Horror Show, recorded a new album (called "One Voice", due for release on 30 October 2006) and made a guest appearance on Julian Lloyd Webber's album "Unexpected song". Then came the summer concerts at Aberdeen, Bath, Southport, Oakley Hall and Cardiff. In August, Michael sat in for Michael Parkinson on his Radio 2 show. He was interviewed for Radio 3's "Stage and Screen" programme, and recorded a tribute to Anthony Newley at Hackney Empire, also for Radio 2. Michael then took part in 'Proms in the Park' in Singleton Park, Swansea. He sang two tracks from his forthcoming album, 'One Voice'; the title song and 'Hero'. Michael also sung show stoppers, 'This is the Moment', 'Anthem' and 'Love Changes Everything'. In November, Michael will be releasing a new DVD containing all the best songs from his 'Live in Concert' DVDs. They will be split into five sections: Musicals, Love Songs, Personal Favourites, Party Time and Unplugged. The DVD will also include a brand new "Unplugged" session which Michael has recorded with just 4 other musicians in the studio especially for this DVD. It will be released on November 20 2006. Six days later he will join Petula Clark in concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. (In 2004, he co-starred with her in a production of Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard at the Cork Opera House in the Republic of Ireland, which was later broadcast by the BBC. Michael has lots of promotional activities coming up at the end of the year with the release of his new album 'One Voice'.
It has been announced that Ball will be taking the lead role in Kismet in June/July 2007 for the ENOdetails can be found on the English National Opera website.There will also be a tour but exact dates are not known yet{Michael confirmed this during his Stage and screen interview}.
He is currently sitting in for Johnnie Walker on his Sunday afternoon BBC Radio 2 show.
Music
Michael Ball Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses
Helpless to resist the notes I write
For I compose the music of the night
Slowly, gently, night unfurls it's splendor
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Hard as lightening, soft as candlelight
Dare you trust the music of the night
Close your eyes, start a journey through a strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before
Close your eyes, and let music set you free
Only then can you belong to me
Floating (floating), falling (falling), sweet intoxication
Touch me (touch me), trust me (trust me), savour each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music of the night
The power of the music of the night
You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night
Thank you so much Il Divo
The wonderful Il Divo
Gracias
Thank you
The lyrics to Michael Ball's "Music of the Night" are captivating and transport the listener into a mesmerizing world. The song speaks about the allure of the night and how the darkness can awaken the imagination. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, stating that the night-time "sharpens" and "heightens" each sensation. The senses are said to abandon their defenses and become helpless against the notes that the composer writes. The composer claims that he composes the music of the night and that the listener is at his mercy, helpless to resist the lure of his song.
The second paragraph begins with the phrase "slowly, gently," and the listener can almost feel the night unfurling its splendor in response, coaxing the listener onward. The lyrics suggest that hearing is believing but also acknowledge that music can be deceiving. The song is described as hard as lightning yet as soft as candlelight, a contradiction that captures the mystery of the night-time. The composer then dares the listener to trust the music of the night and to close their eyes, allowing themselves to be transported to a strange new world where they belong to him.
The third paragraph is a crescendo in the song, with the composer exalting in the sweet intoxication of the listener's surrender to the music. The listener is implored to touch and trust the composer and to savour each sensation. The dream is allowed to begin, with the listener's darker side given free reign to succumb to the power of the music of the night. The repetition of the phrase "power of the music of the night" is hypnotic and entrancing, and the song ends with the composer calling upon the listener to help make his song take flight, thanking Il Divo for their part in bringing the song to life.
Line by Line Meaning
Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation
The darkness of the night makes everything more intense
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
The darkness of the night inspires creativity and imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses
Our senses become more open and receptive in the quiet of the night
Helpless to resist the notes I write
We are powerless to the beauty of the music being played
For I compose the music of the night
The artist claims to be the creator of this powerful music
Slowly, gently, night unfurls it's splendor
The night gradually reveals its beauty in a gentle and gradual way
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Capture and feel its soft and fragile beauty
Hearing is believing music is deceiving
We can trust our ears but should be wary of the emotions that music can stir up within us
Hard as lightening, soft as candlelight
The music can be both powerful and gentle
Dare you trust the music of the night
The artist asks if we are willing to surrender ourselves to the emotions and sensations produced by the music
Close your eyes, start a journey through a strange new world
The music can transport us to another world and allow us to escape reality
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before
Forget your worries and concerns of everyday life
Close your eyes, and let music set you free
Surrender yourself completely to the music and let your emotions run wild
Only then can you belong to me
By immersing yourself in the music, you become connected to the artist and the world they've created
Floating (floating), falling (falling), sweet intoxication
The music creates a sense of weightlessness and euphoria
Touch me (touch me), trust me (trust me), savour each sensation
The artist invites the listener to embrace the emotions and sensations created by the music
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
The artist encourages surrendering to the deeper, darker parts of ourselves through the music
To the power of the music of the night
The music has a significant and powerful influence over us
You alone can make my song take flight
The artist needs the listener's participation to fully bring the music to life
Help me make the music of the night
The artist invites the listener to share in the creative process of making music
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles A. Hart, Richard Stilgoe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tanikawatrazo2787
Lyrics
There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting.
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting.
There was a time …then it all went wrong…
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hopes were high and life worth living,
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.
Then I was young and unafraid,
When dreams were made and used and wasted.
There was no ransom to be paid,
No song unsung, no wine untasted.
But the tigers come at night,
With their voices soft as thunder,
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dreams to shame
He slept a summer by my side.
He filled my days with endless wonder,
He took my childhood in his stride,
But he was gone when autumn came.
And still I dream he’ll come to me
And we will live the years together!
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather.
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I’m living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream
I dreamed.
@joecastillo8165
Michael is the singer ever!
@Allenmassageguy
Wow. Never heard this guy before. What a powerful,clear & beautiful voice. Matches that beautiful good-looking face.
@zam601
The first Marius. But he also made a great Javert.
@meowmeow1244
He's also famous for Phantom of the Opera
@helengarnett-wren727
This is about 20 years old but still has a voice.
@mikekaraoke
@meowmei He was indeed, when he played Raoul in the 80's 😁
@tommoncrieff1154
@@helengarnett-wren72730 years old!!!
@jolaxton6214
There is only one Michael Ball!! I can listen to him all day!! 🙋♀️😻. Just he could come to Charleston West Virginia 💞💗
@vickidickinson2888
Amen. Not too far from me in Ohio. I would love to see him in concert, without Alfie 1st time.
@ilsaruthen5478
@Vicki Dickinson Agreed. And I'd travel down from NY to see him, but I don't think it'll ever happen.