MICHAEL BALL MOVES HIS BOUNDARIES
In his own country Michael Ball is a star.  The vedette of musicals.  Outside of the United Kingdom almost nobody knows the 36 year old Englishman.
By Arie van Driel
(Translated by Mirjam)
 
Amsterdam - Tonight Ball performs at Carré in Amsterdam.  There he starts his European Tour.  After ten years of performing on the big island, he feels it's time to conquer the rest of Europe.  "Moving my boundaries, I call that", says Ball.  Although Carré is not yet sold out, the singer is confident that it will work out.  "I can't do anything else than hope for a sold-out venue, can I?" he says.  His voice and his repertoire won't be the cause if it doesn't.  The singer performs in a two hour plus show with a great diversity of music-styles, like film-music.  His latest CD, The Movies, broke every selling record in his own country.
 

"I know what my audience feels.  Because everyone has their own stories and memories.  Sometimes I get letters from people who write, "Thank you for singing that song so lovely last night.  When my darling wife was buried, we played that song.  This person can see the whole funeral again.  Or the marriage of a son or daughter, of course.  Or maybe the birth of a child."  And Carré won't be any different tonight. The man, who starred as Marius (in Les Miserables), Alex (Aspects of Love), and Giorgio (Passion) will sing two special songs: Love Changes Everything and In This Life.  He is dedicating both songs to Conner, his grandson who was born three days ago.  "I sing both songs with Conner in my mind. When he was born, I wasn't there.  I had to perform on stage.  And now I'm here, in Europe.  He is at home, with my Cathy."
 

In his hotelroom Conner's picture is present.  On the bed are the baby clothes Michael just bought, neatly folded.  Granddad himself is, by the way, only 36 years old.  By this time his forehead is covered with sweat.  Not because the not-so-good sales, or because Ball misses his grandchild, but probably from a hang-over.  It got late last night, because they kept on bringing refreshments, he says.  It doesn't bother him.  "Everyone tells me alcohol is bad for my voice.  Well, I drink and I smoke rather heavily,. Thirty cigarettes a day is not unusual.  Although I do stop some hours before any performance.  Besides my partner Cathy, my voice is my most important partner.  I pamper them both, they get everything they need.  With my voice I have to conquer Europe.  I feel that my voice is a gift from mother nature.  I never needed any singing lessons and I practise in the shower.  I sing pieces from Les Miserables or Phantom of the Opera.  When I wake up, I always do a bit of a neigh like a horse.  I then know immediately how my voice is that day. And after that I drink a glass of water."
 

"Ten years ago I did this same routine.  I smoked, had some beer in the pub.  My voice has only improved.  Take 'One Step out of Time' for instance, the song that I sang at the Eurovision Songcontest in 1992.  The song itself was not very special, but it was nice to do it.  But when I sing this song now it sounds so much better because my voice has improved."
 

"Of course I am afraid of losing my voice sometimes.  Which singer wouldn't be?  Because when you get up and can't make some proper sounds … I have an insurance against that.  I think that's normal.  Football players insure their legs, guitar players their fingers and I insure my voice.  I don't even know what I get from it if it should happen.  Maybe nothing, maybe it's just that the audience get the money for their ticket back!"