DUTCH INTERVIEW 'LAAT DE LEEUW' 1998

(This interview is done by Paul de Leeuw, a very sympathetic, but also slightly rude Dutch comedian. This interview is transcribed literally, so don't blame us for anything he says or for his use of the english language J)

Paul: (in Dutch)  I would like to introduce a very famous British musical star, he practically lives in the West End and on Broadway, because he really is Britain's most famous musical star.  I am REALLY glad he's here, I used to have a bit of a crush on him actually.  But not anymore, (laughs) Here is Michael Ball!

 
 
 
 

(Michael sings ‘I dreamed a dream’)
 
 
 
 
 
 

Paul:  You are a very, VERY big star in England, with the musicals, and also on Broadway.

Michael: Thank you!

Paul:  But, howcome doesn't my Dutch viewers don't know you?  They never heard about you Michael!

Michael:  Well, it's early days, they can start to learn about me now, I suppose.

Paul:  I think this'll be your big … what do you call it?  Your breakthrough.

Michael:  I hope so!

Paul:  I hope too, I hope too.

Michael:  Are musicals popular here?

Paul:  VERY popular, we have em ... Joe, we have the little terrible witch, Annie...

Michael: (laughs)

Paul:  And also we have eh ... Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Phantom and the Opera ... what was your biggest success until now?

Michael:  I guess it was Aspects of Love, Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Paul:  Yeah, I've seen it 4 times.

Michael:  Have you?  Did you see it in America?

Paul:  Yes, with you too.

Michael:  Oh great, I think that was the best production ...

Paul:  No, with U2, with Bono!

Michael:  Oh I see ... he was good ...

Paul:  No, with you too.  And what is your favourite musical role until now?

Michael:  Um … I think probably Marius, In Les Miserables.

Paul:  Yeah, I've seen it.

Michael:  And I was lucky because I got to redo the show, we had the 10th anniversary concert, in the Albert Hall.  And it's nice when you've done a role, you've created it, but then you're away for ten years, and you get a chance to do it again and try to get it right.

Paul:  You're a lot older, a lot riper.

Michael:  Yes, much, MUCH riper! (laughs)

Paul:  Yeah, much riper.  Hey six years ago you joined the Eurovision Song Contest, for England ...

Michael:  Yeah I did!

Paul: ... and you became second, second place, you ended in the second place.  WHAT do you think about England now in Birmingham next Saturday?

Michael: (laughs) Uh, I'll be watching on the television!

Paul:  Oh, you're not going to Birmingham by yourself?

Michael:  No, you can't have any fun!  I mean, the fun is sitting at home watching the television, and slagging everyone off.  Slagging, when I say slagging I mean ...

Paul: (in Dutch)  Yeah, you beat everyone up ...

Michael:  Yeah, being rude. 'What a horrible frock, what a horrible voice' you know.  And you sit down and you criticise everyone.

Paul:  And you watch with friends?

Michael:  Oh yeah, big party!

Paul:  Also with your girlfriend?

Michael: Yes, everyone will be there.

Paul: (in Dutch) All right, my boyfriend will be happy about that.  What's the name of that girlfriend?

Michael:  Cathy.

Paul:  Okay, okay ... um, what do you think about Edsilia Romley, our Dutch entry?

Michael:  I haven't heard it?

Paul: (sings a bit of the song)

Michael: Why aren't you doing it?  Have you ever done it?

Paul:  No I never done it, because ...

Michael:  Would you like to?  I could have a word?  I can sort it! (laughs)

Paul:  Oh yeah, well I can have a word too, if I want! (mutters in Dutch) arrogance ...

Michael:  That's CHEAP, to do it in another language! (laughs)

Paul:  (laughs)  Shall we sing Michael?  That's one of my biggest wishes.

Michael:  Let's sing!  For three years you've asked me here.

Paul:  Yeah for three years I've asked him to come here, and now ... we gave him money ...

Michael:  ...And now I'm here!

Paul:  We will sing from Aspects of Love, Love Changes Everything.

Michael:  Which is not normally a duet, but ...

Paul:  We'll make a duet of it, alright, Michael Ball and Paul de Leeuw!

(they sing Love Changes Everything together)

Paul: (hugging Michael)  Thank you very much!  I can go to die now!

Michael:  Well done, well done!  And the band!

(Paul brings out another guest, Boudewijn Zenden, a Dutch soccer player)

Paul:  I can go to die now, because I've sung with you!

Michael: Well we can do it again!

Paul:  We could do it again, in heaven

Michael: ...or in hell! (laughs)

Paul:  Hey...!  Michael thank you very much. (to Boudewijn) Do you want to ask Michael something?

Boudewijn:  Yes I do actually. (to Michael) When you were younger, you were in acting school.  Did you also learn to sing there?  Because you've got a great voice.

Michael:  No I only studied acting and I've never had a singing lesson.  I sing from my heart, not from my head.

Boudewijn:  So what do you prefer, singing or acting?

Michael:  Singing, singing.  Well, you can do both.  If you've got a good song, that has a good lyric, you act it, and you've also got a good tune.

Paul:  Really, I've got all his cd's!

Michael:  Have you really?  You did Thenardier didn't you?

Paul:  I did Thenardier, in Les Miserables, yes.

Michael:  Brilliant!

Boudewijn:  He's a great fan of yours.

Paul: I'm a great fan, but he knows that already.  I'm a little bit ... shy now J

Michael:  Yeah, yeah right!

Paul: (to Michael) I'm going to say the viewers goodbye, but I'll do it in Dutch, because I can't understand myself when I speak English.

Michael: Neither can I!

(Paul says goodbye to the audience, and thanks Boudewijn and Michael)