Two Dreams were Dreamed
This is a wonderful, moving video on several related levels. It comes from the Season Finale of Britain’s Got Talent in 2023. And for the finale, as part of the entertainment, they had the cast of Les Miserables that was currently playing on the West End. I have to assume they chose that show because, in a way, it plays a tangential part in the success of Britain’s Got Talent. Back in 2009, a totally unassuming, somewhat dowdy 47-year-old woman named Susan Boyle stunned audience against all expectations by singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical. And it not only brought great attention to Britain’s Got Talent, as the video of the performance went viral across the globe, but it launched a career for Susan Boyle. Before we get to the 2023 video of this, though, let’s go back fourteen years as a reminder and to give some perspective.
Which brings us back to 2023, and the Britain’s Got Talent tribute to Les Miserables. But it actually turned out to be more than that. Because in the opening part of the segment, as Lucie Jones from the show’s cast sang that iconic “I Dreamed a Dream” – a minute into it, out walked Susan Boyle a bit shakily to sing it with her. By the way, Lucie Jones has a glorious voice and absolutely soars in her performance. It’s pretty gutsy for Susan Boyle to sing a duet with her, and though not at that level, she’s still quite wonderful and, after all is now in her 60s. But – there’s something even more special about this. And we have to jump forward to the very end of the video, after the full cast has sung its rousing “Can You Hear the People Sing” to thunderous applause to explain. (By the way, there’s a touching moment in the finale, as well.) And all the performers return for bows.
It’s at this point that we learn in comments to the hosts that only a year earlier, Susan Boyle had a stroke, and she'd said it was her goal to make it back on stage. And in reading through the User Comments, it wasn’t as dismissively minor as that comes across, but she had to have four therapy sessions a week just to re-learn to talk! Which not only explains her being a bit shaky walking on stage – but makes her performance all the more seriously impressive. It explains one other thing: judge Simon Cowell says how he had been aware of her illness and knew the guts it took for her to be there. And if you watch around the 2:20 mark, after she hits a lovely high note, Cowell (on your left) applauds her. Though it was a very nice note, I didn’t know why he did so at the time when I first saw it. But his comment later explains it. He knew how impressive it was. (In fact, if you look closely, you’ll notice that a few seconds before, he begins to react, as well.) It explains, too, why Lucie Jones is as caring and attentive to Susan Boyle during their duet and throughout.
Here's that full performance.
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