BWW TV Exclusive: BACKSTAGE WITH RICHARD RIDGE: Lea Salonga on Life, Family and Video Game Obsessions

Welcome to BroadwayWorld's first-ever talk show, BACKSTAGE WITH Richard Ridge. Follow Richard as he visits the theater's best and brightest in their dressing rooms, on their stages and favorite hang outs to talk about their lives, careers and all of the things you don't know, but want to know.

Previous guests include Spidey lovebirds Reeve Carney and Jennifer Damiano, UK's First Lady of musical Theatre, Elaine Paige, Spring Awakening alum and GLEE favorite Jonathan Groff, Follies star Jan Maxwell, Godspell's "Jesus", Hunter Parrish, movie musical mavericks Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, 'That Girl" Marlo Thomas, Blockbuster babies Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Bartha and the cast of ASUNCION, Broadway's "it" boy Jeremy Jordan, and Memphis' new "Huey" Adam Pascal.

Today, we bring you Richard in conversation with international songbird Lea Salonga, best known for originating the role of Kim in the West End production of Miss Saigon and bringing it to Broadway, winning the Tony, Olivier and many other awards. She was the first Asian to play Eponine in Les Misérables on Broadway, returned to the show in 2007 as Fantine and reprised the role for the sold-out 25th anniversary concert at London's O2 Arena.

Salonga wowed audiences and critics alike in 2010 in her first ever cabaret show at New York’s famed Café Carlyle and returned in the summer of 2011 for another engagement. In August 2011, she released a live version of her 2010 concert Lea Salonga: The Journey So Far, and it rose to #3 on the iTunes Jazz Charts. Honored with an appointment as a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Goodwill Ambassador in October of 2010, Salonga has vowed to act as advocate for the Youth and United Nations Global Alliance initiative led by the FAO. Salonga’s feature film credits include the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin and Fa Mulan in Mulan and Mulan II. In honor of her portrayal of the beloved princesses, Disneyland bestowed upon Salonga the honor of Disney Legend in the summer of 2011.

Can't get enough of the famed Filipina? Click below for their intimate chat about her unparalleled career, family, and her obsession with video games.

Richard Ridge fell in love with the theatre at the age of five when he went through his parents record cabinet and stumbled upon their original cast album collection and the rest is history.He has toured the world as a performer and for the past twenty years he has been the host of the television program Broadway Beat and now, BACKSTAGE WITH RICHARD RIDGE.

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