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.
This is the Moment
Michael Ball Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is the day,
When I send all my doubts and demons
On their way!
Every endeavor,
I have made - ever
Is coming into play,
This is the moment,
This is the time,
When the momentum and the moment
Are in rhyme!
Give me this moment
This precious chance
I'll gather up my past
And make some sense at last!
This is the moment,
When all I've done
All the dreaming,
Scheming and screaming,
Become one!
This is the day
See it sparkle and shine,
When all I've lived for
Becomes mine!
For all these years,
I've faced the world alone,
And now the time has come
To prove to them
I've made it on my own!
This is the moment
My final test
Destiny beckoned,
I never reckoned,
Second Best!
I won't look down,
I must not fall!
This is the moment,
The sweetest moment of them all!
This is the moment!
Damn all the odds!
This day, or never,
I'll sit forever
With the gods!
When I look back
I will recall
Moment for moment
This was the moment
The greatest moment of them all
The lyrics of Michael Ball's "This is the Moment" are about seizing the moment and taking control of one's life despite doubts, fears, and obstacles. The song speaks of reaching an important point in life where everything that had been done previously is culminating into one moment of incredible opportunity. Ball sings about how he has faced the world alone for many years, but now the time has come for him to prove to everyone that he's made it on his own. The lyrics talk about taking a final test and embracing one's destiny, even if it means going against the odds. The song is a call to action, urging listeners to embrace their moment and not let it slip away.
The message of "This is the Moment" is powerful and inspiring, which is why it has become one of Michael Ball's signature songs. However, it's worth noting that the song was originally written for the Broadway musical Jekyll & Hyde, which premiered in 1997. The show was a huge success, and "This is the Moment" became one of its most popular songs. Ball's version of the song was released as a single in 1999 and became a hit in the UK, reaching number three on the charts.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the moment!
This is the crucial moment that will define everything moving forward.
This is the day,
When I send all my doubts and demons
On their way!
Today I will rid myself of all my fears and doubts, setting them free and moving past them.
Every endeavor,
I have made - ever
Is coming into play,
Is here and now - today!
Everything I have ever done has led me to this point and is reaching its peak now, today.
This is the moment,
This is the time,
When the momentum and the moment
Are in rhyme!
The timing is perfect and everything is aligned for success in this moment.
Give me this moment
This precious chance
I'll gather up my past
And make some sense at last!
Allow me this momentous occasion, so I can reflect on my past and finally make sense of it all.
This is the moment,
When all I've done
All the dreaming,
Scheming and screaming,
Become one!
All of my past efforts, hopes, and struggles are finally coming together in a unified and meaningful way.
This is the day
See it sparkle and shine,
When all I've lived for
Becomes mine!
Today is the day when all my hard work and aspirations will be realized and fulfilled.
For all these years,
I've faced the world alone,
And now the time has come
To prove to them
I've made it on my own!
After years of facing life's hardships alone, I finally have the chance to prove my independence and success to those who doubted me.
This is the moment
My final test
Destiny beckoned,
I never reckoned,
Second Best!
This is the ultimate challenge and test that will decide my fate and purpose; I refuse to settle for second best.
I won't look down,
I must not fall!
This is the moment,
The sweetest moment of them all!
I will not let fear or doubt overcome me now; this is the most important and meaningful moment of my life.
This is the moment!
Damn all the odds!
This day, or never,
I'll sit forever
With the gods!
I will triumph over all the odds set against me today; this is my chance to achieve greatness and live forever in the annals of history.
When I look back
I will recall
Moment for moment
This was the moment
The greatest moment of them all
When I look back on my life, I will remember this moment as the pinnacle of my achievements and the greatest moment I ever experienced.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC., BMG Rights Management
Written by: Frank Wildhorn, Leslie Bricusse
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Faith
Michael Ball has the most beautiful and powerful, yet gentle voice ever. If I could pick only one performer to listen to for the rest of my life, it would be him.
Betty Lindauer
Agreed. Just love him - forever.
Linda Hoffman
The Power of his voice never once obscures the WORDS and emotion of every song he sings! Every word SOARS! 💕🌹
Peter Holwill
Just the best rendition of this song.Michael can convey a mixture of tenderness and unforced power when required.His excellent vocal quality unchanged throughout his entire range.
Peter Holwill
@M R Well you are entitled to your opinion as I am to mine.I personally prefer Michael Ball's rendition, greater light and shade, his voice has a warmer tone.As to your comment that Michael Ball is a pansy, has no relevance to his singing, is also incorrect, he has been in a relationship with Cathy McGowan for the last 30 years.Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim have selected Michael Ball for lead roles in their shows, would think their ability to assess his talents greater than yours.Michael Ball has had a successful career in musical theatre, radio and TV and has an extensive discography.Check your facts before you insult an excellent and successful performer.
Marylou Veniziano
I agree with you.
Betty Lindauer
Love this man and his voice. One of the very best. Never tire if listening to him.
Jas Gould
Was lucky to see him live and he performed this song. Goosebumps all over. One of the greatest songs and singers ever.
Kathleen Courtenay
What a lovely song thank you Michael Ball ❤
Hi I guess
My grandad died 4 years ago and I remember us listening to this song together so I searched it up on YouTube and listened to it. I’m at that stage in life where I’m becoming an adult and have to face the world alone and I wish he was here with me. Listening to this song I feel like he’s talking to me and telling me I can do it. I feel so close to him right now, I’m in tears ❤