Disbelief over Michael Ball's Almondbury cricket club concert
- Published
The upcoming gig was being advertised by a banner on a shed
Concert-goers at a local cricket club do not believe West End musical star Michael Ball will perform - despite buying tickets, organisers have said.
Almondbury Wesleyan Cricket Club in Huddersfield booked the star but some residents believe it will be a tribute act performing.
The broadcaster and singer is best known for appearing in Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera.
"It is actually me coming up," Mr Ball confirmed.
Almost 2,000 tickets for the show have been sold, according to promoter and cricket club committee member, Mark Binns.
However, many had questioned whether the star would really be performing at the club with a 10-piece orchestra.
"People are asking 'is it really Michael Ball?' and we show them the poster, and they say 'well, it does look like him, but it can't be'... but it is," Mr Binns insisted.
Michael Ball hosts a Radio 2 show and is known for his performances on London's West End
He added the scheduling of the gig was a combination of having a music contact that knew Mr Ball and "fortunate" timing, as the date was between the singer's other commitments.
Almondbury, which has a population of about 20,000, will see the cricket club transformed into a "mini-Glastonbury" on 16 June.
However, people had been asked to avoid sitting on the wicket to protect the pitch for a junior game two days later.
'Pioneering' event
Mr Ball recently performed with Alfie Boe in Las Vegas and completed a country-wide tour.
The star, who is set to take over presenting BBC Radio 2's Sunday Love Songs, laughed when told about the confusion.
"I heard people thought it was going to be a tribute act," he said. "People have [also] thought I was going to be Michael Buble or Michael Bolton."
Almondbury Wesleyan Cricket Club is normally home to adult and junior cricket matches
He added he was pleased to be "pioneering" events at the cricket club, which he was happy to support.
"It's a lovely setting, a great idea, I love doing open-air gigs. The thought of listening to music, having your picnic, sat on the lawn.
"There's nothing better, so long as it doesn't rain, and if it does, who cares?" he added.
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