I Dreamed a Dream


A colleague and dear friend of mine posted on his facebook a link to Britian's equivalent to "America's Got Talent," aptly named, "Britain's Got Talent."



Susan Boyle hitting a high note on "Britain's Got Talent"

This woman, her name, Susan Boyle, from a village in Britain, walks on stage.  She is very homely looking, unassuming, someone who would blend in a crowd.  With bushy eyebrows, a pug-like face, half-brushed hair, Susan is wearing black stockings with white shoes and what appears to be a beige Sunday dress, a satin belt tied to the side.  The crowd mumbles and the viewer knows they are laughing at her, and Susan is nervous.

What the audience hasn't seen, but the viewer has, is Susan introducing herself a moment earlier.  The first shot, a trumpet playing a dumbo song in the background, shows her sitting from afar, a little bit off center, by herself, stuffing her mouth with a doughnut.  The next shot is her approaching the camera, and then back to her sitting, "I'm nearly 48," she says in a heavy British accent, and certainly not the Queen's English, "I'm unemployed, but looking."  She says she's nervous.  "I live alone with my cat called, Pebbles, "I've never been maa-reed," rolling the "r." She pauses and makes a sad sound, and as if a half-truth, she states, "I've never been kissed," then nervously laughing, "shame."  She's been singing since she was twelve.

It could not have been scripted more perfectly.   It screams stereotype, from the moment you see her with the doughnut,  and each flash is played, it is confirmed in your mind, again and again and again, and again: An old maiden, unemployed, alone, with her cat, never been kissed.  Oh, and she's going to sing for us, "I've always wanted to perform for a large audience."  Well, she is getting her wish, "I am going to make that audience, ruuck (rock)."

Simon Cowell, one of the three judges, speaks to her, a "sexy" whistle (woot-woo-oo) in the crowd can be heard, she stumbles when she answers Simon and in response to the whistle she tries to break the ice with a move as if she had a hoola hoop around her waist. Like an adolescent going through puberty, it is awkward, "and that's just one side of me," one judge rolls his eyes while the one host behind the curtains mimics her and laughs.  It for sure leaves you with a very weird feeling.

Then, Simon asks her, "What's 'The Dream'"?  It's the name of the song she is about to sing, but few know this because it is a song taken from the play Les Miserables.  She responds, "I am trying to be a professional singer."  The camera pans out to a teenage girl, and the miss sort of rolls her eyes.  It is the general feeling of the audience, and I have to admit, the viewer as well.

"And why hasn't it worked out so far, Susan?" Simon then asks her.  "I've never been given the chance before, but here's hoping it will change."  She responds with "Elaine Paige" (not Eileen Page) when Simon asks her who does she want to be as successful as, the camera pans to the shrugging audience, wondering who is ELAINE PAIGE.  Elaine Paige is an actress, singer, and producer.  She has made such a major contribution to the stage musical that her title is undisputed "First Lady of British Musical Theatre".  But those in the audience wouldn't know this unless they were in the "know."

Eileen Paige, Britian's "First Lady of British Musical Theatre"


"I'm going to sing 'I Dreamed the Dream' from Les Miserables".

And what happened next just....words can't explain.  And if you haven't watched it, you must do so now, and then read on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables

There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame

He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came

And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.


Susan Boyle went from spinster to superstar in a flash of a second.  The first thing that came to my mind was, "where did she come from?"  Then as time went on, I tried to put pieces together of her life. I would never have connected her to the theatre.  How? When? Where?  But then I finally gave up, who cares?  It's just wonderful....and magical.

Then people, newspapers, radio, and webwriters turned to another stereotype:  Never judge a book by it's cover. And if you google that old saying, the FIRST entry is Susan Boyle.  Unbelievable.  In only a couple of days!

A book and its' cover: Should be "How Susan Boyle Took Britian...and the World."




I think everyone works with a Susan Boyle, has one in their family, or lives across the street from one.  But instead of being the stereotype, this one wasn't.  Everyone loves a champ, an underdog.  But there is a fine line.

Maybe she can brush her hair, pluck a little bit of her eyebrows, but stay away from the plastic surgeon.  Remember Rosanne Barr?











Turbo Tagger

 del.icio.us  Stumbleupon  Technorati  Digg 

Posted by George Zaharoff at 15 April 2009, 9:25 PM
Categories: My Thoughts
Tags: Susan Boyle Les Miserables Britain's Got Talent. Eileen Paige A Dream
 

What did you think of this article?




Trackbacks
Trackback specific URL for this entry
  • No trackbacks exist for this entry.
Comments
Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)

Leave a comment

Submitted comments will be subject to moderation before being displayed.

 Enter the above security code (required)

 Name

 Email (will not be published)

 Website

Your comment is 0 characters limited to 3000 characters.