Petula Clark - Michael Ball SUNSET BLVD (wrong date?)

So I saw that BW shared the link to BBC's concert of Sunset Blvd with Petula Clark and Michael Ball. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007kk17

They list that it originally aired in 1994.

I remember hearing this when it originally happened and I'm pretty certain it was after Sunset had closed on Broadway and London (and cannot imagine that they would've ever had the rights to do something like this when it was running on both Broadway and London)

Also - just listening to it again online. I remembered it being a lot better than this -- Yikes. Michael Ball missing cues right from the outset. I appreciated that they did this and wish they did stuff like this more often (i.e. Aspects of Love all-star concert would be a delight)

Yeah Jo - I remember seeing the CD single (how old am I now, that I remember such things) of Sunset Blvd sung by Michael Ball on sale at Colony Records for some obnoxious amount of money (was it $35 or even more? They sold the "import" of the World Premiere Recording for $100) Even that, I was surprised how little I liked Ball's version of the title song having been a fan of his from Aspects of Love.

2004 - that definitely makes more sense. Surprising that the BBC got their own concert dates wrong

I believe this is actually from 2004. I remember when it originally aired, and for years people were selling this as a “commercial” recording on eBay. This is not great, and I hate how Petula seems to jump her cues on many sung lines.

It doesn’t help I had the great misfortune of meeting her when she toured Rochester NY with the show in 1999 - not the most gracious back stage host...

I'm about 2/3 of the way through it now and Michael Ball is really bad. It's odd, because I usually like him, but he is just terrible in this. His pronunciation of some words is so bizarre and his rendition of the title song may be the worst I've heard.

chernjam said: "Lot666 - It's amazing how unlistenable the BBC recording is. I don't remember feeling this negatively about it when I heard it back in 2004. Perhaps because there hadn't been any productions of it and I was afraid that it would never get revived. Having just seen it on broadway with an orchestra of 50 and while Glenn might not have had the vocal strength that Petula did - she sang it beautifully (and on cue)... And I really agree with you regarding Michael Ball. I was a fan of his but on this he really sounded beyond awkward to me."

It's almost like he's trying to put on some weird accent - I have no idea what it's supposed to be - and blowing it badly, and like he's determined to deliver his lines out of time with the music.

Ms. Clark just shot him. For the first time, I was relieved to have Joe die. Now if she'd just turn the gun on herself.

Updated On: 1/3/18 at 02:40 PM

Listening to this again makes me even more upset that we did not get at least a live professional recording of the most recent revival!

The concert version is from 2004, long after Sunset closed in London and on Broadway.

Michael Ball is terrible. He is not - and never has been IMO - a good actor. In this concert, he is almost like a caricature of himself. He is just Michael Ball - no real understanding of the character and certainly very amateurish delivery of the dialogue.

Updated On: 1/5/18 at 01:26 PM