Nothing more than media sensationalism which misses the point completely. Susan Boyle, 47 years old, entered Britain's Got Talent and yes she was mocked, the judges snickered and rolled eyes as did the audience. She then gave a little smile, opened her mouth and sang. The world stopped for 3 minutes as we listened. Cheers erupted after the first bars. Then came the analysis. For many papers and television reporters it was the dichotomy between her looks and her voice that was the story. They were wrong.
The audience and judges may have been cynical and expecting a "joke act" as Piers Morgan said, but once she started singing it acted like a reset button on everyone. Just as throwing a vase of water on someone in hysterics stops them cold and gets them back to reason, Susan's voice immediately shocked everyone listening into a reset mode. She had them in the palm of her hand almost immediately not because she was a mediocre or decent singer compared to their expectations (our ours as an audience who saw the video a couple of months later) but because she as a phenomenal singer. That was the shock. It would have been the shock if she was younger, prettier or hadn't made a couple of odd responses to Simon. She herself said that she dealt with nervousness by "carrying on" which she did. Understandable, most of us would either cower or run given an audience of 3000 and judges of the caliber of Simon Cowell. In no way though does that negate her vocal qualities.
Some have suggested that her voice is just ok. Others, that it is nothing special, something many have. They are either tone deaf or no little about music. The public may not know all the ins and outs, prefer one form of music to another but there is little doubt that just like art "they know what they like". I prefer to think of it as they know greatness when they hear it. I am a country music fan even though i do enjoy some of the male operatic tenors who belt out deep bass voices. Power in vocal qualities has always appealed to me but musical theater? Never been, never wanted to go. I would pay a premium to see Susan Boyle in either a musical or singing them in a concert. She is simply magnificent.
The concentration on her looks, should she have a makeover or not, would a pretty girl have been given such acclaim...they all are canards. The simple fact is she sang "I dreamed a dream", one of the most difficult pieces of music to sing, superbly. Equalling Patti Lupone, Elaine Paige and others, after downloading each of them to compare I would say she surpasses both because she is able to project and connect the emotion of the lyrics to the audience in a way that neither does, as well as bringing a power to the song that probably should have been there all the time but was not.
Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of Les Miserables, said
"Just like the judges and audience I was gob-smacked by the emotional powerhouse performance of Susan Boyle's show stopping rendition of 'I Dreamed a Dream.' Vocally it is one of the best versions of the song I've ever heard. Touching, thrilling and uplifting. I do hope she gets to sing it for the Queen."Alain Boubil, the writer of the lyrics for I Dreamed a Dream said:
Alain Boublil, who, with composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, penned the score for Les Miz, told the New York Post, "I think of Edith Piaf. . . Piaf was a small woman who looked like nothing. And then she opened her mouth, and this beautiful sound came out."
Boublil added, "You expect nothing and then [Boyle] opens her mouth and you get three or four of the most exciting moments I have ever seen on television. Act I: She arrives and everyone is laughing at her. Act II: She bowls them over. Act III: Everyone is out of their seats. . . .You cannot plan any of that. My wife was crying when she saw it. Even the most cynical people I know have been moved."
So enough of the distraction about Susan Boyle's looks. She looks like many a middle aged woman who spent their life as a care giver rather than a glamor girl, however her voice stands on it own as a magnificent instrument that has been hidden for years.
