The second production in the new series of the NBC online streamings under the banner 'The Shows Must Go On', was the 2009 concert recorded at The Royal Albert Hall in London of Michael Ball as he celebrated 25 years in the business. The title of his concert at that time was 'Past And Present: 1984 - 2009'; therefore in today's terms would more accurately be, 'Past And Even Further In The Past'.
In this 2 hour concert Ball sang some 23 songs, some accompanied by and others featuring as soloists, 5 talented support singers, a couple of which have since gone on to become well known names in their own rights. They were Louise Clare Marshall, Louise Dearman, Ben James Ellis, Adrian Hansal, and Emma Williams.
Love him or hate him - and it does seem that most middle-aged ladies have a crush on him judging by the few glimpses of audience we were given - Ball is an extremely talented and enigmatic performer. He also seemed genuinely humbled by the response to this concert and his singing. He comes across as very sincere, and a man who truly loves what he does. His enthusiasm and his openness shone through throughout the whole evening. A charismatic singer who was able to not just hold the audience's adulation for the entire concert but to make this adulation a two-way thing. That, I have found, is a very rare gift indeed, and few solo artistes have that certain 'je ne sais quoi'.
Ball's repertoire for the evening took us through some of his favourite pop songs, starting with Kiss's "I Was Made For Lovin'You", Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now", and The Killers's 'Human'; and his own Eurovision Song Contest entry, "One Step Out Of Time". He also included an Abba favourite, "The Winner Takes It All" which he sang with some passion; and a close-harmony arrangement for 6 voices which he sang together with his troupe of the 1940's Andrews Sisters's "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".
Somewhere in the middle of the concert he allowed Ellis and Hansal to sing a song that he himself had composed. Titled "Just When" it was a soft and elegaic love song and instantly likeable.
The vast majority of Ball's repertoire during the concert though was obviously taken from Musical Theatre; not just the shows he starred in himself, but others too. His one mistake the whole evening was trying to sing 'Gethsemane' from J C Superstar. Ball simply didn't have the Rock voice or technique to truly do this song justice, but the oher song choices along the way, were delightful. Obviously, for those who either follow him or know his career, he sang "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables" from 'Les Miserables', "Love Changes Everything" from 'Aspects Of Love', and "I Know Where I've Been / You Can't Stop The Beat" from 'Hairspray'. A couple of surprise song choices which I really enjoyed were 'Mack The Knife' from Kurt Weill's 'Threepenny Opera'. and "Tell Me It's Not True" from Willy Russell's 'Blood Brothers', and he ended the concert with a plaintive and sympathetic rendering of the song that started everything for him... the song he auditioned with to get him his first job: "The Impossible Dream" from 'The Man Of La Mancha'.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 2/10/20
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