On Tuesday night in Newcastle, in the northeastern part of England, Susan Boyle was given a standing ovation at the premiere of a musical that narrates the account of the unemployed Scottish woman in her late 50s who rose to fame after winning a radio talent show in 2009.
Although Susan Boyle didn’t portray herself, she did perform two songs at the end of the performance. She played the hit song that made her famous, “I Dreamed a Dream,” to an enthralled audience that yelled, “Susan, we love you.” She was gorgeous in a red outfit and had been restyled since her debut.
Susan Boyle had not performed in the United Kingdom since she sang for the Pope during his September 2010 visit.
The musical comedy revisits the fairy tale of this working-class girl raised in a family of ten children. A scapegoat at school due to a slight mental retardation, and suffering from great shyness, she found refuge in singing.
Three years ago, Susan Boyle was still a frumpy spinster living with her parents in a small house in Blackburn, Scotland. She sang in choirs, churches and pubs. Her life changed when she sang on Britain’s Got Talent. The sarcastic comments that greeted her on the set stopped when she started singing.
Her version of the hit from the musical “Les Misérables” won over the show’s judges and audience. The recording has since been viewed 500 million times on YouTube, and she has released three albums that have sold 16 million copies.
Elaine Smith, personally chosen by Susan Boyle to play her role and co-writer of the show, explains that she “didn’t want to make a saccharine story”, acknowledging that “there is a delicate balance between happy moments and those of great emotion”.
Susan Boyle has been heavily involved in the show, choosing songs from her albums and music associated with key moments in her life, but she has not yet had the courage to watch it from start to finish. The singer, who spent time in a clinic after the shock of her success, remains fragile.
The musical “I Dreamed a Dream”, playing for a week in Newcastle, begins a tour of the United Kingdom before heading to Europe, Canada, the USA and Australia.
