I'm a Michael Ball fan and a sometimes promenader, and I was quite disappointed with his performance on Monday. I've certainly heard him in better voice, and when he is so he's unbeatable in his genre. However, an opera singer he ain't and I found the duet with Alfie B quite pathetic especially as he seemed less than comfortable with it. Perhaps he realised too late that performing in an operetta or a musical with an opera company is a large step from singing opera.
I also became more than p-ed off with his constant carping at those who thought the Proms wasn't the place for an evening with Michael Ball - anyone with any commonsense would have ignored all the negative comments in order to concentrate on the matter in hand. Methinks the gentleman protested much too much leaving one to believe that he, himself, had misgivings about the project.
He also seemed to alternate between being over-awed by the event and seeming much too complacent. It was like watching Jekyll and Hyde at the music hall.
What a tired, dreary repertoire he belted out. I suppose he thought that if most promenaders were boycotting the night then he just as well might take the path of least resistance and give his fans another same old Michael Ball Show. Perhaps he forgot that some others would watch the BBC4 programme if only out of interest. I've watched the video of it and it's no better than the live concert apart from the sound.
Normally he does what he does very well and, apart from a few bum notes, it wasn't a bad performance. In fact if any current musical theatre singers performed as he did then we'd think that they'd done well. But, if I was a school teacher I'd have been writing "Could do and has done better" on Mr Ball's report. I think it was possibly a mistake to do a show in the Welsh hills right before such an important occasion, I don't think he realises that sometimes it's good to rest a voice before a big performance. I guess that's his lack of formal training showing through, or perhaps he'd had a few too many drinks over the weekend - there was certainly something amiss. Or maybe nerves kicked in too much.
When I first heard that he was doing the Proms I thought that he'd have the opportunity to work with a different MD, but apparently not. It may have been a better night if someone else had taken charge musically. I'm beginning to think that he and Callum (surname?) are joined at the hip.
But, I guess, he filled the Proms coffers and the worry now is that they'll go for another "stunt" night next season which could be worse and not better than a Michael Ball Show. I suppose I got what it said on the packet - I guess I should have read the list of contents before buying it. Most of his fans seemed to think he did the business excellently well - perhaps they watched a different performance.
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