At a time when most of the world is in the midst of financial crisis, and millions are unemployed or feeling insecure in their employment, Susan Boyles soaring performancea testament to the power of her raw, unpackaged talent--has provided an uplifting diversion, wrapped in a moral. She reminds us that dreams dont come with an expiration date, and that youth and beauty are not prerequisites for success.
When Boyle walked on stage, the audience chuckled at the sight of her. She could have been cast to play the maid in a 1940s movie, her hair a grayish-brown mop, her face framed by unpruned eyebrows and a double chin. She wore a flesh-colored dress that accentuated her boxy shape, dark stockings and white shoes. She was a head-to-toe Glamour dont.
Simon Cowell asked her age, then rolled his eyes when she said, Im 47, punctuating her answer with a wiggle of the hips. With that, Piers Morgan, another of the trio of judges, looked as though he just downed a glass of sour milk. But the real snickering came from the audience when Boyle declared, Im trying to be a professional singer. The camera zoomed in on several young women who wore their disdain on their faces. Then Boyle began to sing. By the fifth note of I Dreamed a Dream, the audience mood changed from one of dismissal to disbelief. Her electrifying rendition of the song about wasted youth, showcased her octave-spanning range and amazing breath control, and had the crowd on its feet, cheering wildly. The camera panned the judges table, Cowells usual smirky expression was wiped off and replaced by a wide smile, Morgan stared in amazed admiration and Amanda Holden welled up with tears.
