Anyone know if Michael Ball is back yet?- Page 2

[jimmirae]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 11:47pm

Fat suit offense? lol!! Maybe it will be banned like minstrel face or something, lol.

[BWAYboi_yes]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 11:58pm

I had a dream that they had cast Rosie as his replacement, and she took that rat in one hand, and her little sling-shot in the other... you get the idea.

[DirtyRottenGirl]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 1:29am

He probably is glad to go back and see his significant other.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 3:03am

LOL! Now everytime I see WIW I will see Rosie as Fosco hurling mice weeing while they soar through the air, and the audience is getting sprayed as they all try to catch one lest it hit a wall and - well, SPLAT! Thanks BWAYboi_yes!!
Yes, DirtyRottenGirl ... Too bad I am not his other in this lifetime! I still have a crush on Michael! I believe he has a girlfriend in the U.K. to feed him soup and cook and clean and take his temperature, Goodness knows I would!!

[Rebekah]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 11:35am

Oh! the Rosie vision is funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess I'm out! My soup always turns out awful!!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 11:40am

Is there a point in the show where the fat suit comes off and the Count is supposed to be thin?

Because if not, there is no reason they can't find someone who could play the role who is the right size for it.

[elimeyer]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 11:46am

Seeing it Thursday night, any word if MB is gonna be back?

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 12:01pm

No Rath, the fat suit stays on.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 12:22pm

Wow. It's like blackface, only acceptable for some reason.

I'm surprised Equity allows this, frankly.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 12:31pm

Maybe there was a nationwide search for a fat man to sing it and they couldn't find anyone?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 12:39pm

Did you hear about it? I missed it.

Besides, there are Equity actors who could handle the role who are plenty hefty.

[algy]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 12:40pm

Surely Equity would be less likely to allow casting that ran

"Wanted: Fat person"

Its just the best person for the job surely?

[Baine]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 12:43pm

The reason that the show required the Count to wear a fat suit is because in Wilke Collins' novel, Count Fosco is rather...obese, to say the least. He is also much more obsessed with his little rodents than the show portrays him as being for those who wonder at the point of such creatures.

I agree that they could find a nice, healthy man with a great set of lungs to play the part and therefore eliminate the need for a fat suit altogether. It's the smart thing to do.

I just wanted to comment on the fact that a lot of posters seemed to wonder why the suit was necessary. It was just something that had been in the book.....one of the areas the show managed NOT to deviate away from, too (go figure).

As with most things in life, the book is much better than the show. I finally saw the show last week when I was in NYC on winter break and was greatly let down. I've been anticipating it for a long time b/c I was reading the book in my 19th Century British novel class the fall that Andrew Lloyd Webber announced that it would soon be a musical in London. My teacher and I have been excited about it ever since (that was the best book we read that semester, too). Ah well. At least I got to see Sweeney Todd while I was in the City. That more than made up for all of my disappointments at the matinee!

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 12:48pm

"I agree that they could find a nice, healthy man with a great set of lungs to play the part and therefore eliminate the need for a fat suit altogether. It's the smart thing to do."

HEALTHY, is that what they're calling it nowadays?

Sorry don't mean to offend, I just laughed so hard when I read that.

Updated On: 1/11/06 at 12:48 PM

[chernjam]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 12:50pm

Since Ball and Crawford both suffered from this, I guess we can dub this new condition the "Fosco Flu?"

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 1:09pm

Algy, lots of heavy people are the "best for the job" but don't get the parts because they are physically wrong - finally one comes along, and they put someone in a fat suit instead.

I had an audition the other day for a job where they were calling for "plus-sized" actors. What's wrong with that? Physical type is a huge part of filling a role.

[Rebekah]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 2:34pm

I'm waiting for somebody to call "Pavarotti"(sp?) out of retirement.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 2:37pm

Brian Blessed would work. He sang as Pavarotti on a UK TV show a little while back, so he's got a good enough voice for Fosco.

[MusicAndPassion]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 2:42pm

He was out Sunday.

[algy]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 3:44pm

I was just assuming that there had been some form of audition process and that Ball had been found to be best for the job - I was suprised to hear that it was Michael Ball, as it didn't seem his type of part hence why I was assuming that he was best for the job.

If this is not the case, and they cast him over suitable actors who wouldn't have required a fat suit, then maybe they should have cast them. Or it could be that they wanted a "name" to open up a new show on broadway.... They wouldn't be that shallow surely?!

[Rebekah]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 4:13pm

"Or it could be that they wanted a "name" to open up a new show on broadway"

Well I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks of him as a name!!!

Ooops! Just reread your post Algy and maybe you don't think of him as a name?
Updated On: 1/11/06 at 04:13 PM

[sharon1]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 4:14pm

Now if I am wrong someone please inform me but I believe that when MC got ill and they realized he could not come back they actually phoned Michael Ball. From the story I get he was really enthused about doing such a part. And it took him ten days to go from phone call to first performance. He was that enthusiastic. And I believe, again correct me if I am wrong, but he only left the London production because he had a concert series to do. As far as type of role, maybe he wanted to "expand" instead of forever being typecast. And this was his opportunity. Pardon the pun. In the book, Fosco is really a "handful" and over the top kind of character. And frankly I think he is brilliant in the role. As far as a "name" goes, only NYC theatre goers know who Michael Ball is. The general public/tourists don't, but they do get a laugh at the poster outside the theatre. I have seen that for myself.

Posted: 1/11/06 at 4:20pm

I assume they cast him on the strength of his performance in the WestEnd which I was lucky enough to see myself and can quite understand that they did.

The fatsuit it's self probably isn't to blame for his illness,we can all get ill afterall but I doubt it's helped much once the virus was caught.

[b'dway lady]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 5:07pm

Sharon1

You are correct in thinking Michael Ball was contacted by Andrew
when Michael Crawford became ill and could not return to the show, and right again about him leaving the show for his concert tour. He of course is a name in England but is making one for himself here with his performance & reviews in Patience @ Lincoln Center in September & with his great reviews in WIW and
adding on to his USA fan base.

[Baine]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 5:17pm

[Quote]from bare_nakedlady:


HEALTHY, is that what they're calling it nowadays?

Sorry don't mean to offend, I just laughed so hard when I read that.
[/quote]

I'm not offended. I was trying to be...er...politically correct, I guess? Besides, there are plenty of men in this world who do carry more weight who live very healthy lights. Be it big bones, extra padding, whatever.


Eh....I'm just sinking myself in deeper, aren't I? ^^;; I know what I'm trying to say, I just can't..make it come out right. Does that make sense? Sort of, kind of?