Michel Bell

Michel Bell

Bass-Baritone

Michel Bell

Michel 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.


Michel is a Tony Award nominee (for his portrayal of “Joe” in Hal Prince’s production of Show Boat,) just one of many diverse achievements.  Mr. Bell also appeared on Broadway in the musical Civil War as well as Riverdance: the Musical.  He also had his West End debut at the Prince Edward Theatre in Show Boat.


At the “America’s Millennium” celebration in 2000 Michel performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in front of more than 600,000 people including the President and First Lady.


Michel 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, Berlin Radio Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic under the Direction of Marvin Hamlisch.


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


He is accompanied by wife Catherine Matejka, a Broadway arranger and superb pianist.

MUSIC SAMPLES

Ol' Man River

Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'

Some Enchanted Evening

An Affair to Remember

'Till There Was You

Without a Song

Awards:

Jefferson Award (Chicago)

The Kevin Kline Award (St. Louis)

Outer Critic’s Circle Award (Broadway)

Ovation Award (Los Angeles)

Michel Bell and Catherine Matejka

"A major vocal discovery..."

USA Today


"A shiver of anticipation swept through the star-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


"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

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