Michael Ball (singer) represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing second with the song "One Step Out of Time". In 1995, he reprised the role of Marius in "". His other West End roles include Giorgio in "Passion" (1997) and Caractacus Potts in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (2002). He has twice won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He won in 2008 for his role as Edna Turnblad in "Hairspray", and then in 2013 for the title role in the revival of "". Ball was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in
Giant (musical) Giant (musical) Giant is a musical based on the 1952 Edna Ferber novel of the same name, with music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa and the book by Sybille Pearson. The musical premiered at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia in 2009. The story follows a ranch family in Texas over 30 years, and the effect of the oil boom. The musical premiered Off-Broadway in 2012. Edna Ferber's great-niece, Julie Gilbert, had approached LaChiusa about five years ago to write a musical based on the novel "Giant". LaChiusa and Pearson initially thought it impossible to stage as a musical.