Last year Susan Boyle won over international audiences with her rendition of I Dreamed A Dream….in the musical this is sung by Fantine after she is fired from her factory job, but before things get really rough.
Last year a student sent me this link (hint, hint). The clip is from the 10th anniversary celebration—so from 1990 I guess? You will hear “Do You Hear the People Sing” sung in several languages. It is beautiful to listen to all these different words, yet the message of the song is not “lost in translation.”
However, upon further inspection you will notice that all of the countries represented—all of the countries for whom Les Miserables carries a special meaning—are democracies. So really does this story unite the world or just people who share an ideology?
5 responses so far ↓
1
Meg M
// Nov 3, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I couldn’t watch the second video in different languages but Susan Boyle’s rendition was beautiful. Truthfullt though my favorite part was seeing everyone in such shock. Her perfomance was unbelievable!
2
Sarah H.
// Nov 3, 2009 at 6:07 pm
The second video didn’t have sound but Susan Boyle’s performance is shocking… in a good way!
3
Natalie D
// Nov 3, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Susan’s performance was beautiful! I was nearly crying. I also think, had she been younger, she would’ve made a wonderful Fantine in the play of Les Miserables.
Hearing the song in all of those languages was remarkable, too. It shows how well known and respected the story is around the world.
4
Rossy H
// Nov 4, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Susan Boyle is an awesome singer! I loved how before her performance people, even the judges, were like” Ha! She wants to be a singer? ” And then after they were all speachless and appluading her amazing voice. People were so shocked and amazed with her performance, the judges too. I think she did a wonderful job. How is she not a singer?
5
Jennifer P
// Nov 6, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I saw this video a little while ago on YouTube (:
I felt bad for her because she had no support at all from the audience. The judges were practically already voting her out, just because of the way she looked.
I think Les Miserables unites people around the world whose countries are democracies. It’s touching to everyone, but every country that is a democracy experienced a struggle to become one.
Leave a Comment