Superstar Michael Ball takes Huddersfield by storm as the sun shines on those who dare to dream big

Almondbury Wesleyan Cricket Club dreamed big when they decided to try and book superstar Michael Ball for a summer gig… and what a delivery!

Yesterday’s show was Michael’s only one anywhere this summer and Huddersfield paid him a fitting tribute with 2,400 people turning up to watch, bringing baskets, chairs, jumpers, blankets, capes rain gear, sandals, sunglasses, etc.

They didn’t need the rain gear on the field itself. It rained in the morning, but the sun came out and stayed out all afternoon. Probably the best afternoon weather so far in what has been a completely miserable and cold summer.

Nothing unfortunate about this gig though. The crowd was there to enjoy themselves and they did, seated in their own squares which had been carefully demarcated by the club.

The editing was brilliant, the sound was excellent and Michael was wonderful. So was the warm-up singer, West End star Jenna Lee-James, who starred as the title character Elsa in the West End stage version of Disney’s Frozen.

He also toured with Hugh Jackman – perhaps best known for his starring role in The Greatest Showman – on his world arena tour called The Man, The Music, The Show.

Jenna just took to the stage in her bright red unmissable all-in-one jumpsuit, welcomed and enjoyed an instant connection with the crowd as she belted out This Is Me from The Greatest Showman, Queen’s Somebody To Love and Tina Turner. Simply the best. It didn’t take long for the crowd to be on their feet.

Then the main attraction. No airs and graces here. Suddenly there was a buzz, people looked around and there was Michael simply walking through the crowd towards the stage, cheered at every step. You don’t get that in your fancy arenas.

He is one of those artists who builds a rapport with the crowd that he did from the start.

As he took to the stage he introduced himself as “your Michael Ball tribute act”, aware of the confusion at the start of the year when the gig was announced when people wouldn’t believe that a cricket club had actually booked Michael Ball.

Well they had and here was the proof with the man himself introducing each song and laughing with the crowd at the same time.

He’s clearly having fun as the voice that has kept him at the forefront of the musical world for 40 years, breathing through the songs of Les Misérables and will be part of the cast of this autumn’s Les Misérables tour, which marks its 40th edition of the musical.^th anniversary.

Backed by an orchestral band and three singers, the repertoire included You Can’t Stop The Beat from Hairspray, his number one hit Love Changes Everything, I Just Can’t Help Believin’ by Elvis, The Gambler by Kenny Rogers, Tom Jones’ I’ll Never Fall In Love Again and a couple from the great musical composer Stephen Sondheim, Not While I’m Around from Sweeney Todd and Loving You from Passion.

Michael Ball turns 62 at the end of June and remains as fit as ever, clearly loving his summer afternoons in Yorkshire.

“I can’t believe the sun is shining,” he told the crowd. “I thought we were in Yorkshire.”

Well, you’re Michael.

Fields were opened right next to the cricket club to provide free parking for the hundreds of cars that arrived, and some were quickly turned to mud by the endless summer rain.

Members of the cricket club and their supporters guided, pushed, shoved and finally carried them all off the site, covered in mud from head to toe, and then cheered the cars as they left.

A nice touch from a friendly club who had achieved the impossible with considerable style and raised a few bucks for the cricket club’s junior section at the same time.

Written by ANDY HIRST, who runs his own freelance journalism agency in Yorkshire AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specializing in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.

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