There's Something About Susan | |
---|---|
Genre | Documentary |
Starring | Susan Boyle |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
Original release | |
Network | ITV |
Release | 12 December 2013 |
There's Something About Susan is a documentary about Scottish singer Susan Boyle, produced in 2013 by Firecracker Films for UK network ITV. [1] In the film, Boyle is followed around Scotland and Houston, Texas, US. The film's aim was to discover whether Boyle could overcome her anxieties and stress in order to cope with her first-ever concert tour.
The documentary follows Susan Boyle as she prepares for her first-ever solo concert tour to take place in Scotland in July 2013. The documentary, which first aired on ITV in the UK on 12 December 2013, gives the audience a glimpse of the struggles and anxieties about performing live which Boyle has had to deal with and which have previously prevented her from touring. Boyle addresses the topic of her then-recent Asperger's diagnosis and the relief it brought her.
The viewer sees Boyle under extreme stress at rehearsals and shortly before the first concert performance at Inverness 2 July 2013. When asked if she fears letting her musical director down, she replies that she fears letting everyone down. The documentary shows the relief and joy of Boyle and her team after her triumphant opening night in Inverness. The film closes with Boyle performing in front of 20,000 people at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas on 17 November 2013. [2] [3]
The documentary aired in the US under the title Susan Boyle: Her Secret Struggle on Ovation TV channel, with the premiere on 9 April 2014. [4]
Jamelia Niela Davis is a British singer, actress and television personality. She has released three studio albums, each of which has reached the Top 40 in the UK, which collectively have spawned eight UK top-ten singles. In addition, Jamelia has won four MOBO Awards, a Q Award and has received nine BRIT Award nominations.
Melanie Clare Sophie Giedroyc is an English actress, comedian and television presenter.
Alexander Ferns is a Scottish actor and television personality. His role in EastEnders as Trevor Morgan from 2000 to 2002 was described as "Britain's most-hated soap villain". He also played the role of Rick Harper in the BBC Scotland soap opera River City between 2017 and 2018. For his performance as coal miner Andrei Glukhov in the 2019 miniseries Chernobyl he received a BAFTA Scotland Award.
Coleen Patricia Nolan is an English singer, television personality, and author. She was a member of the pop group The Nolans, in which she sang with her sisters. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, The Nolans are one of the world's biggest selling girl groups.
Elaine Constance Smith is a Scottish actress, comedian, and political activist. She rose to prominence from appearing in the BBC Scotland sitcoms City Lights (1984–1991) and Rab C. Nesbitt (1988–2014). Smith has played the role of Christine O'Neil in the BBC Scotland sitcom Two Doors Down (2013–present).
"I Dreamed a Dream" is a song from the 1980 musical Les Misérables. It is a solo that is sung by the character Fantine during the first act. The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with orchestrations by John Cameron. The English lyrics are by Herbert Kretzmer, based on the original French libretto by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel from the original French production.
"Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)" is a contemporary folk song written by Patty Griffin. The song touches upon emotions surrounding Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous 1968 "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, given the day before his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee. Originally recorded by Solomon Burke in 2006 and Griffin herself in 2007, it has found greater prominence in performances and recordings since then by Kelly Clarkson and Jeff Beck, Susan Boyle, Crystal Bowersox, Kree Harrison, and Morgan.
Elizabeth Freya Garbus is an American documentary film director and producer. Notable documentaries Garbus has made are The Farm: Angola, USA,Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,Bobby Fischer Against the World,Love, Marilyn,What Happened, Miss Simone?, and Becoming Cousteau. She is co-founder and co-director of the New York City-based documentary film production company Story Syndicate.
Samantha Jane Barks is a Manx actress and singer who rose to fame after placing third in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything in 2008. She has released three studio albums: Looking in Your Eyes (2007), Samantha Barks (2016), and Into the Unknown (2021), and made her film debut as Éponine in the Tom Hooper-directed Les Misérables in 2012. Her performance in the film won her the Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer and a shared National Board of Review Award with the film's cast.
Yvie Burnett, is a Scottish mezzo-soprano and vocal coach, best known for her work with Simon Cowell on television shows The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, The Big ReunionThe Voice UK and BBC's Let It Shine.
Francis Martin Patrick Boyle is a Scottish comedian and writer. Boyle first gained widespread recognition as a regular panellist on the comedy show Mock the Week from 2005 until 2009. He then created and starred in the Channel 4 sketch show Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights (2010) and BBC Two's chat show Frankie Boyle's New World Order (2017–2022). In 2020, he presented a four-part series on BBC Two, Frankie Boyle's Tour of Scotland. He has embarked on a number of tours, releasing several stand-up specials. Boyle has been involved in several public controversies due to his humour.
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer. She rose to fame in 2009 after appearing as a contestant on the third series of Britain's Got Talent, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables. As of 2021, Boyle has sold 25 million records. Her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream (2009), is one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century, having sold over 10 million copies worldwide, and it was the best-selling album internationally in 2009. In 2011, Boyle made UK music history by becoming the first female artist to achieve three successive albums debut at No.1 in less than two years.
Stacey Chanelle Clare Solomon is an English television personality and singer. She was a contestant on the sixth series of the ITV singing competition show The X Factor in 2009, which she finished in third place. The following year, Solomon appeared on the tenth series of the ITV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! which she won.
I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story was a one-off television special, starring Scottish singer Susan Boyle, produced for ITV, that aired on 13 December 2009 in the United Kingdom, reflecting the success that Susan Boyle has had since appearing on UK talent show Britain's Got Talent and since her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream, became the fastest selling debut album of all time. The show was presented by fellow Britain's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan. Boyle performing songs from her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream, including "Wild Horses", "I Dreamed a Dream" and "Cry Me a River".
Jai McDowall is a Scottish singer–songwriter, who won the fifth series of Britain's Got Talent in June 2011. As the winner, he received £100,000 and performed at the 2011 Royal Variety Performance. McDowall was signed to Syco Music, a subdivision of record label giant, Sony Music. His debut album Believe was released on 9 December 2011. The lead single "With or Without You" was released the same day.
I Dreamed a Dream is a jukebox musical with the book co-written by Alan McHugh and Elaine C. Smith and produced by Michael Harrison. It is based on the life of Susan Boyle and her 2010 autobiography, The Woman I Was Born to Be. The score features songs recorded by Boyle, hymns, traditional songs and popular songs, mostly from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Susan Boyle in Concert is the first concert tour by singer Susan Boyle. The tour promoted Boyle's fourth album, Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs from the Stage.
"Who I Was Born to Be" is the first original song recorded by Susan Boyle. Appearing on her multi-platinum debut album I Dreamed a Dream, the song has become a staple in Boyle's repertoire. This song's lyrics describe Boyle's decades-long dream of becoming a professional singer. The lyrics have become associated with Boyle, who titled her autobiography "The Woman I Was Born to Be".
Susan Boyle: An Unlikely Superstar is a documentary made in 2011 by filmmaker Osca Humphreys and produced by Firecracker Films for UK network ITV. The documentary was distributed internationally by Zodiak Rights.
Dianna Cohen is an American visual artist and activist. She is the CEO and co-founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, an advocacy group and social movement organization which seeks to reduce plastic pollution.