Michael Ball (singer) artist in a controversial 'Musical Theatre' Prom on 27 August 2007 for the BBC at London's Royal Albert Hall. Ball performed a wide range of musical theatre numbers, including several by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The show was broadcast live on BBC Four, as well as on BBC Radio 3. From October 2007 – July 2009, Ball made his West End return starring as Edna Turnblad in the hit musical "Hairspray" at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London. In March 2008, he was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal. He also won the Whatsonstage.com
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.