An Evening with Susan Boyle at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segestrom Hall

Susan Boyle came to international attention when she appeared as a contestant on Britain's Got Talent on April 11, 2009, singing ""I Dreamed a Dream"" from Les Misérables. Boyle's first album, I Dreamed a Dream (2009), was the most pre-ordered album worldwide of all time at Amazon before its global release, and debuted as the #1 best-selling album on charts around the globe. It instantly became the UK's best-selling debut album of all time, beating the previous record held by Spirit by Leona Lewis. Boyle had sold over 19 million albums worldwide and received two Grammy Awards nominations. Susan is arguably the most intriguing, not to mention instantly recognizable character yet to be produced by the reality talent medium, the decade’s defining TV genre. Her singing voice has a raw combination of strength and fragility, beauty and solitude. Her story demonstrates a fearlessness to dream about something other than the lot life has handed you. The chance to escape. The pivotal role of music as a conduit to go to another place, sometimes lodged at the outer recesses of your imagination, and to allow that new place to blossom. Susan’s tale has connected with so many unsuspecting people across the world because, if she can dare to dream, so can you.