Michel Bell '68

Michel Bell ended the last century on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in front of the President and First Lady, singing to over 600,000 people at "America's Millennium", the New Year's Eve 2000 celebration.

On the Broadway stage, Mr. Bell received a Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of "Joe" in Hal Prince's production of Show Boat.  He has also received the Jefferson Award (Chicago) and the Ovation Award (Los Angeles).  In 1998, Michel Bell made his West End debut in London, in Show Boat at the Prince Edward Theatre.  Again on Broadway, he starred in the Frank Wildhorn musical Civil War at the St. James Theatre, and earned an Outer Critic's Circle Award.  Most recently, he appeared on Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre as vocal soloist in Riverdance: The Musical.  He was also part of the Riverdance World Tour, performing in Europe and the Far East.

Mr. Bell is especially known for his emotional portrayal of "Porgy" in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, which he performed in the United States, Berlin, Cairo, Tokyo, Pompeii, Paris and Eritrea.

He has performed with the San Diego Opera, Michigan Opera, Opera Pacific and Lyric Opera of Kansas City as well as the L.A. Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic and Berlin Radio Orchestra.

Michel was formerly a member of the Fifth Dimension vocal group, and has performed with many entertainment greats including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Julie Andrews, Perry Como, Sammy Davis Jr. and Bill Cosby.

More information on Michel Bell can be found at http://www.michelbell.com/

What the Critics Say

"A major vocal discovery..." - USA Today

"A shiver of anticipation swept through the start-studded first night audience for Show Boat the moment they heard the improbably deep, dark voice of Michel Bell." - London Observer

"Michel Bell's deep bass rolls...along like a force of nature." - Washington Post

"His rendition of Ol' Man River is touching enough to give even the most macho man goose bumps." - LA Times

"Bell's singing can make the hair stand up on the back of your neck; the night I attended, his rendition of the standard in the first act brought people to their feet." - Los Angeles

"But for true vocal prowess, no one onstage can match Michel Bell as Joe. When he utters his first words, his voice is so impossibly deep and luxurious that the audience gasps. His rendition of Ol' Man River, which he gets to reprise not once but twice, will give you goose bumps." - The Christian Science Monitor

"Hearing Michel Bell sing Ol' Man River with a bass-baritone that rumbles from the center of the earth is worth the price of admission alone." - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Bell delivered an outstanding performance as the crippled Porgy. With his voice resonating through the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Bell was exceptionally convincing, particularly when he was singing with or about the object of his desires." - LA Times

Michel Bell as Joe in "Show Boat"