Dramaphile

This is Susan Boyle. She recently performed "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables on a television program called "Britain's Got Talent," and has since become, as they say, "a YouTube sensation." If you haven't seen the performance, go there now. I'll wait. (I was unable to link up to it.) I'm quite curious to know if, like me, you get emotional watching it and have difficulty getting the whole thing out of your head.

Why am I so invested in this unemployed 47 year old woman from Great Britain who lives with her cat, admits to being unkissed, and sings so beautifully? I suppose it has something to do with her choice of song. Yes, I'm that girl. I saw Les Miserables on Broadway twice and love Fantine, Jean Valjean, Javert and the gang. It's a good thing Susan Boyle didn't sing "On My Own" or my keyboard would have malfunctioned from all the tears I would have undoubtedly shed on it.

Perhaps another reason I'm humming "I Dreamed A Dream" around the house and talking to you about this is that I enjoy a good underdog story. I think we all do. We cheer for David with his rock, the Texans at the Alamo, Jamal and Latika, Harry facing Voldemort, The Average Joes up against The Purple Cobras, even Underdog attempting to stop Riff Raff and Simon Barsinister. Is it because we relate to the underdog? I don't know that I can relate to the aforementioned underdogs. What have I got in common with them? Although maybe I can relate a bit to Susan Boyle in that we all think we've got talents that go unrecognized. Is it because we want to level out injustice? For many people, it probably is. I'm not sure that I'm that essentially noble. For me, I think I just love the drama. I don't go to fiction or even reality TV for reality. I go to them for drama.The more unlikely the hero, the more I'm hooked. I like tension, nail biting, and insurmountable odds. As much as I relish the tension, I do hate when people cry on these shows. I prefer the look of surprise and pleasure on Simon Cowell's face as Susan Boyle shared her gift on the "Britain's Got Talent" stage. I especially liked the pleasure. He enjoyed the music. As did I. I cannot wait to hear what she sings next