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Ballfesting with Michael
at PBS Station CPTV
Hartford, Connecticut

Thanks to Pat, Pamela,
Debbie, Tricia and Crys for sharing their PBS evening with us.

From The American
Coordinator for the Fan Club & CPTV Team Leader
Pat Webb
I'm not sure about the others who
were in the Hartford station, but I don't think I've recovered yet.
I've been to the UK for many of Michael's concerts and have always felt
very lucky if I have a chance for a quick hello on his way in and out of
the various venues. Occasionally there's been time for a quick
autograph or photo.
However, being in the studio with Michael was really special, truly a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and a thrill I will never forget.
Somehow waiting at the stage door for that quick hello won't be quite the
same.... but I'll take it. Bring on the tour!!
Pat W.

From
Pamela - Northeast USA
Hi
-
I know that other Hartford attendees will be providing wonderful reports,
but I can certainly share some tidbits! I hope they're not repeats or
too detailed (I'm much more comfortable lurking than posting). First,
however, I would like to thank Pat (Spudsy) once again for organizing the
callers...I know that I was able to participate in the great evening &
support Michael because of her efforts. She also looked fabulous on
television (the camera did quite a few close ups of her terrific smile).
I brought along a friend who had never heard of Michael (poor dear!), but
by the end of the evening she was certainly a convert. The two
questions she kept asking me were, "How do you know all these
people" and "Why didn't you tell me that they would all be so
nice!" We were both so impressed with the respect and affection
that the fan club members showed Michael...while everyone was supportive
& VERY
enthusiastic, Michael was allowed his privacy as well. For example,
when he had taken group photos & had signed quite a few autographs, he
said he was thirsty & started working his way out of the studio. Those
who were clustered around him but had not had something signed quickly
cleared the way to the exit (I think I saw one of our group bring him a
water bottle as well) & we all appreciated the time that he had spent
with us. He was a consummate professional & seemed to turn on
when the lights came on. Did anyone else notice that he would do a
little jog in place to get his energy up right before the camera turned on?
The hostess (who was the lucky recipient of a few Michael smooches) said
that he was "charming" and added "I understand why these
women are traveling around the country to see him." She also
thanked the members of the fan club for their hard work and said "the
volunteers have been amazing."
Michael mentioned that he is working on a new video at the Cafe de Paris
with a really small invited audience. The format will be like
Unplugged with an acoustic setup. The host asked him "What else
do you want to do?" Michael replied, "I like what I do and I want
to come over here & do it. I'd like to expand the audience and go
to places like Australia and the Far East." When the host asked
how U.S. fans discovered him, Michael said, "The way people have found
out what I do is through PBS...Then they go onto the Internet & there
are a few web sites & they start talking and find out how to find my
music. It is a process of spreading the word." He seemed
pleased that we were there answering the phones & used the word
"fantastic" quite a bit. Off camera, I heard the host ask Michael
if he had arranged for us to be there & he just laughed & said
something like, they did it on their own (Unfortunately, I couldn't hear
all of his answer). It was fun to have him answering phones with us
too...he spoke with one of my callers & she upped her pledge amount!
I don't know if my favorite part was when he sang a snippet of the Tinky
Winky song from Teletubbies & mused about recording a children's CD or
when we shushed him (he was whispering with the host before a pledge break)
while we watched Gethsemane on the TV monitor. It was great to see him
laugh & joke with us. Oh, and during the interview he couldn't remember
what songs came up after the pledge break, so glanced over to the fan club
members for coaching (what a partnership)!
Then there are the minutes I spent tucked under his arm while they
organized a group picture... <<sigh>> ...it was so surreal!
It felt silly not to make conversation while they sorted out the confusion
of everyone lining up for the photo...while on the other hand I won't
pretend that I know anything about who Michael is beyond the joy I find in
his music...but I took a try at it. I'm a Harvard-educated fairly
tough businesswoman who found myself trying not to stutter as I looked up
into those blue eyes...has anyone mentioned that he smells really really
good ;) ?!? While I was determined to treat him like a regular
(although fantastically talented) guy, that dimpled grin is quite
distracting. I think that I told him I enjoyed his music & asked
him if he was looking forward to going home (he certainly was & also
hoped to come back) & we may have talked about a U.S. tour (he again
said he would like to but that it depended on if there was enough
interest...& he said that he knew that we wanted him to tour here). Of
course, we may have talked about world peace or sushi or something
completely different...it is somewhat of a blur. I can only say from
personal experience that Michael is patient, very fit & that I
thoroughly enjoyed being snuggled next to him for the photo (too bad they
finally sorted out the group, or perhaps I could still be standing
there!!).
I read that Michael was tired at the beginning of the week (thank you for
those great reports from the other stations!) When the host asked him
about jet lag, Michael said, "I'm just getting over jet lag, getting
into the swing of this and I'll go back and get a fresh lot." He
mentioned that he's going right back into the recording studio to finish
his album, so I hope he's not too tired.
Wait...maybe the silliest part was when Michael joked about "Help
Yourself" & started to take his jacket off (some of us did make
woo woo noises)...when the host mentioned that Tom Jones was also a
Welshman (Michael said some very complimentary things about Tom Jones),
Michael then told a joke about putting 3 Welshmen in a bar to get a male
voice choir.
It was a wonderfully giddy evening & I enjoyed meeting both Michael
& Phil & other members of the fan club. What a great group!
Best wishes to all of you lucky ones who will see him in concert this fall.
Thank you for sharing him with America.
- Pamela

From
Debbie - Washington State
That
was me (with the water bottle)! I remember he was surrounded by a lot
of people, and he kept turning to either side of me to sign things for
people. I'm not very good at getting myself noticed, so he never moved in
my direction. Then I think I remember he looked around, perhaps for Phil,
and said something like "Can I get some water? I'm really
parched." I didn't see Phil anywhere and nobody else did anything, so
I went and got his Evian bottle. I don't know who the lady was that I asked
for it from, probably somebody dreadfully important at CPTV.
That
water bottle made it possible for me to actually walk up to him. I don't
know if I could have otherwise. I think he appreciated it. I hope so! I
hope I hadn't thwarted some escape signal. He did sign my photo (one I took
at York last year that I'm rather proud of - not your typical concert
photo) and even paused to comment on it. Phil was there by that time and he
said some nice things too. That meant a lot to me.
I can't really add
much substance to what has already been said because I was in a total fog.
But I have a couple of anecdotes I hope you will enjoy.
Lesson #1 - When your airline makes the national news 3 days running
because they've cancelled hundreds of flights and stranded thousands of
people, get another airline. Somehow, some way, get another airline.
Lesson #2 - When driving in an unfamiliar city whose streets follow a more
creative geometrical pattern than right angles, do not rely on Map Quest
for driving directions.
My friend and I learned Lesson #1 before we left and managed to find a
flight that got us there OK. We learned Lesson #2 the hard way, and as a
result we were 30 minutes late for our shift. Those 30 minutes were
torture, let me tell you. But in the end, it all turned out better than we
could have imagined.
The phones at CPTV were set up in two sections. One section was on camera,
with four tables on risers and four phones per table. The other section was
off camera, with a couple of tables and phones to take the calls that
spilled over from the on-camera section. Since we were so late, my friend
and I had places at the last table, off camera. At first we were
disappointed. But not for long.
When Michael came in we all cheered. He looked very pleased and then his
face lit up in recognition when he saw Pat Webb. It must be nice to see a
familiar face so far from home. He went immediately over to the main tables
to give Pat a hug. Next thing I remember he was standing behind the
computer table where all the pledges were being tallied, which was right
next to my friend and me. I'll let my friend tell most of the interaction
if she wants, but the end result was that we told him we'd come from
Seattle. He kind of cocked his head the way he does and mouthed "Aww"
or something and then walked around the table to give my friend a hug.
"That's a HELL of a long way," he said. I got a hug too. Hence
the fog I mentioned earlier. All I could manage to get out was "Thank
you for coming" (brilliant!) and I think he said "It's my
pleasure" but I'm not sure. It meant so much to me that he was
the one who approached us. He was so kind. Everything everyone has said
already is completely true.
When we first arrived at the station, we were followed in by a lady named
Dorothy who was the Volunteer Supervisor. She was quite a character. She
had no idea what was in store for her that night. We told her we were from
Seattle and she couldn't believe it. The rest of the evening whenever she
walked past us she would shake her head and mutter "Seattle." One
time she was sitting at the computer table next to us and Michael and Phil
were behind her. She got Michael's attention and said "They came all
the way from Se-ATT-le." Then she repeated it to Phil. Another time
she stood to talk to us for a while and she said "Have you seen a map?
Do you know where Connecticut is?" I guess we made an impression on
her anyway!
After a few breaks had gone by for Newshour and Michael's concert, Dorothy
was again sitting by the computer table and Michael was standing next to
her. She reached out to touch his arm and pointed at the volunteer tables.
"I've never seen anything like this before. They're not MOVING.
They're supposed to get up. None of them have left their seats."
Michael laughed.
One of the CPTV ladies told us after the show was over that a woman had
called up to pledge the amount that would get her the concert CD as a thank
you gift. Then she called back later and said she forgot she didn't even
have a CD player! So she had to change her pledge and get the video
instead.
I had such an incredible time, despite the fog - or rather because of the
reason for the fog! :-) But I wish I could remember more details. I'm sorry
I didn't get to meet you Pamela - since we were so late we didn't have much
of a chance to mingle. And I wasn't in my right mind.
I'm so grateful I had this opportunity. I will never forget it. Well, not
the parts I actually can remember!
-- Debbie

From Tricia - Iowa, USA
Funny...
the one thing you never hear mentioned regarding PBS pledging is the
obscene phone calls.
I had several... and eventually became quite adept at pretending I was
taking a pledge (keep phone to the ear) while moving my other hand over to
disconnect the call. They had asked us NOT to slam down the phone or
give any indication of what was happening... but it was hard not to give it
away. The one of Pat's that Michael saw was caught on tape and is
just hysterical.
The manager of the station came over after the first pledge break (before
Michael was in the studio) and asked me how it was going. I said that
aside from a few inquiries into my sexual preferences, everything was going
fine! He said unfortunately that was a rather common occurrence.
During the last pledge breaks (during the U Conn program), the callers had
evidently tired and the calls were more of the hang up variety.
Lucky Crys and Debbie... they never thought that little side table would be
the best seat in the house.... no calls to interrupt their gazing.
And great off-camera proximity.
The people making pledges who actually got to talk with Michael were
thrilled beyond belief. One woman had her VCR going but had had to go
to another room to make the call to the station. I told her which
volunteer I was so that when she re-watched the tape she could
"see" her chat with Michael. She
increased her pledge by the way after she had chatted with him.
Another woman (upon hearing my non-New England voice) asked if I was one of
those who had traveled to see him and where I was from. I told her
and she said it was obvious to see from his demeanor in the studio why we
were all so devoted to him.
Many of my callers wanted to know about other CDs and videos of
Michael's. Unfortunately many did not have internet access but I gave
them what information I could. One woman said she had be trying in
vain to find anything of his since seeing him in Aspects on Broadway ten
years ago and was surprised and thrilled to "find" him on her PBS
station.
It really was a great night. The people at the station were lovely to
deal with and seemed very appreciative of our help. The on air people
kept mentioning the fans who had traveled from all over to be there...
again and again. And even mentioned everyone's names.... Er, Crys...
uh.... yours translated to "cryzzzz".... but WE knew who she
meant!
My memories of Thursday are mostly a blur. It seemed like it was over
all too fast but it certainly was fun being there.
It was terrific putting names to faces and, hopefully, I'll be seeing some
of you on tour.
Tricia
Addendum:
I was
thinking after I had posted that perhaps I gave the wrong impression about
Pat's reaction to THAT call. She didn't slam down the phone.
She is in the background while Lee Newsome (the female on air personality)
is giving a pitch in the foreground. You see Pat pick up the phone
and answer it, listen briefly, sort of pull back a bit glancing at the
receiver and quietly put the phone down... but with the most amazing
expression on her face. You might not notice it if you weren't
looking for it. But if you know it is there, you won't miss it.
Tricia

From my very first
ever, and still Ballfest Buddy, Crys Ager ~ Washington State
Hi All,
I
have been a lurker at heart lately but just want to share what was an
incredible moment......4 days later the smile is still on my face.
I, first, have to say it was wonderful to meet everyone that
I did and I didn't have the chance to meet everyone since (as Debbie did
say) we arrived a bit late but you really are an awesome lot and Michael
knew it at every turn. He seemed chuffed to bits at everyone
support....great job guys! :) And sorry, it's taken a bit to
add my thoughts, but I only got back to my email today at work.
And to our charming gentleman .. Michael, thank you for the most incredible
evening.
>> He did sign my photo (one I took at York last year that I'm rather
>>proud of - not your typical concert photo) and even paused to
comment on it.
>>Phil was there by that time and he said some nice things too. That
meant a
>>lot to me.
Debbie is being more than a bit modest here. It
is an amazing picture she took while Michael was still behind the curtain
at York waiting to come out and he cast a marvelous shadow on the wall of
the theatre backstage.....the picture came out very beautiful and unusual.
Michael and Phil were both very admiring of it and that they had never seen
anything like it. Our gal Debbie is an awesome photographer!
>>>Lesson #1 - When your airline makes the national news 3 days
running
>>>because they've cancelled hundreds of flights and stranded
thousands of
>>>people, get somehow, some way, get another airline.
Can anyone say United. I am not as nice as
Debbie and they had us panic-stricken that we would not be able to make it
or be stranded like 100's of others in Chicago. So with the help of a
most exceptional Vice President of our company, she helped to get us set up
on another airline nonstop Boston.
>>>Lesson #2 - When driving in an unfamiliar city whose streets
follow a more
>>>creative geometrical pattern than right angles, do not rely on
Map Quest for
>>>driving directions. My friend and I learned Lesson #1 before we
left and
>>>managed to find a flight that got us there OK. We learned
Lesson #2 the
>>>hard way, and as a result we were 30 minutes late for our
shift. Those 30
>>>minutes were torture, let me tell you. But in the end, it all
turned out better
>>>than
we could have imagined. Since we were so late, my friend and I
had
>>>places
at the last table, off camera. At first we were disappointed. But not
>>>for
long.
Can you say, DUH? I mean how stupid were
we?!? Our hotel was only 1.3 miles from the TV station, but the
Map Quest directions had us back on the freeway to Boston. 30 minutes
of torture.....talk about absolutely H-E-double toothpicks! I thought
we were both going to end up in tears. It always pays to do a
practice run to know where you really want to go.....lesson learned for Oct
in the UK! So not only we were late, but Tricia and Pat had
tried to save us seats but they were taken by others. So we were (as
Debbie mentioned) relegated to a small round table back away from other
volunteers. And yet....it just goes to show how much fate can
step in to lend a hand to a really desperate MB fan in her greatest hour of
need. For who happens to be standing there 3 feet away from us
for much of his off-camera time while in the studio....but our own Mr.
Ball. My biggest dilemma was now how to appear nonchalant and
not just gawk at him the whole time. Do you know how hard that
is? To sit there with him 3 feet away telling
stories.....and that laugh......just to hear that laugh. Being stuck in
never-never land turned out to be the best thing imaginable that could have
happened.....how different the night would have been if we had been sitting
with Tricia and Pat (sorry ladies, but as much as I love you...). How
many fewer photos I would have gotten.
>>>Next thing I remember he was standing behind the computer
>>>table where all the pledges were being tallied, which was right
next to my
>>>friend and me. I'll let my friend tell most of the interaction
if she wants, He
>>>kind
of cocked his head the way he does and mouthed "Aww" or
something
>>>and
then walked around the table to give my friend a hug. "That's a HELL
of a
>>>long
way," he said. I got a hug too........ It meant so much to me that he
was
>>>the
one who approached us. He was so kind. Everything everyone has said
>>>already
is completely true.
The interaction....well Mr. B is the certainly the
sweetest, charming, and most handsomest of men. We did say hello
while the TV people were setting up for Michael's 1st go on screen. I
asked if I could give him something I had brought. MB retorted
"Of course, you can." So starting my well practiced
speech....."We wanted to bring you something so we thought a
subliminal (a word I kept stumbling on in the car, and totally slaughtered
face to face with MB.....Debbie who knew my speech by heart...cracked
up....MB cracked up and said "would the word be subliminal?")
message so you would have Seattle in your mind next time (in the form of a
Seattle Mariner Jersey...who are our professional baseball team) you come
to America and to let you know your Seattle fans love you."
Well! He took the Jersey out and held it up and said "what a
really cool shirt" and "Thanks you so much". Then
turned to Phil and said "Hey Phil, look at my cool shirt".
It thrilled me to death because he seems genuinely to like it.
I turned back towards the table, then found Michael dodging the TV camera
and table between us as he came around and gave me a huge hug :) .....what
can I say.....strange things float in your mind at a moment like
that.....my 1st thoughts were how lovely he smells (as my face was buried
in his neck) and how soft his suit was....strange, I know, but that is what
popped in my mind. All I could mumble was "Thank you for coming,
Michael". And he said (still hugging me) "No love, thank
you for coming". I could have died happy at that
very moment. Michael as charming as ever hugged Debbie too.....the
incredible nature of this man.
>>>She got Michael's attention and said "They came all the
way from
>>>Se-ATT-le." Then she repeated it to Phil.
Yes, not for one moment did Dorothy let Michael, Phil
or us forget where we were from. At least for one precious night, it
was indelibly etched in his mind that he has huge (numbers of) fans in
Seattle :)
Michael's most charming traits: (as noticed by Debbie and I as we
watched him)
*He
still nervously bounces his knees just before going on camera, what a doll.
*Constantly tucking a stray curl behind his right ear. (earlier in
the evening, I did mentioned his cutting his hair again....I am one of
"those" who like the bit of length...and he laughed and said he
was growing it back out)
*Rubbing
his chin with his right thumb? A new one on me. And of course, all
the normally adorable ones like rolling his eyes, making faces and that oh
sooo cheeky grin.
Funny phone & other moments:
Debbie mentioned the caller who orders the CD, then totally forgot she
didn't even own a CD player and had to call back. WE can
certainly all understand how Michael can fluster a woman :)
Tricia (bless her heart) got sweet little old lady with whom Tricia took
painful measure to get all her information for the pledge form. When
they got to the zip code the poor lady could not remember it, so she laid
the phone down to go in search for it.....5 minutes later she still had not
come back and Michael was back on TV....we think she got caught back up in
Michael and forgot she was ever on the phone to begin with. Once, again the
power of Michael to totally distract :)-
There was even an obscene phone call (I'll let the poor woman clue you in
to her identity if she wants) but the funny part was Michael's reaction.
He noticed the funny look cross her face and asked her what was up.
She told him and he wanted to know what the caller said.
Michael cracked totally up and then went off to tell Phil, all that could
be heard was "Phil, you got to hear this one......."
A true "Frat
boy" at heart, and the "blue" sense of humor is definitely
live and well inside our guy.
During "Gethsemane" it was just before a on screen pledge break
and Michael was standing with the host whispering. He kept getting
ssshhh'd by us all but was not taking the hint, so I said "WE are
trying to listen HERE." and Michael grinned, made a face, and
nodded to the camera "Oh him, he's not very good".
The man can certainly make you laugh and wit just comes so quick to him.
As everyone has mentioned, there was time at end as he did in every city
for photos and autographs, more hugs and kisses. So many fun moments
to remember. Such an incredible evening. Michael was the
sweetest, most open performer I've ever met. I never dreamed he would
be so truly friendly, open and caring. To share himself so
completely for one incredible night. We truly are a lucky lot. The
station manager kept saying to Michael that he was lucky to have us -- but
I believe we are more lucky to have him. A night I will never, ever,
forget. Thank you, Mr. Ball for your generosity and kindness.
Cheers & Love,
Crys Ager
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