Lea Salonga is a Filipina singer and actress who is best known for her musical role in Miss Saigon. In the field of musical theatre, she is recognized for having won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and Theatre World Awards. She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway. Salonga is the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II.<p>
She began her career as a child star in the Philippines, making her professional debut in 1978 at the age of seven in the musical The King and I. She went on to star in productions of Annie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Fiddler on the Roof, The Rose Tattoo, The Sound of Music, The Goodbye Girl, Paper Moon, and The Fantasticks. She began her recording career at the age of ten with her first album, "Small Voice," which received a gold certification. Her second album, "Lea", was released in 1988.
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In addition to performing in musical theater and recordings, Salonga hosted her own musical television show, "Love, Lea," and also opened for international acts such as Menudo and Stevie Wonder. Salonga's big breakthrough came when she was selected to play Kim in the megahit musical Miss Saigon in 1989. For her performance as Kim, Salonga won the Olivier for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical for the 1989/1990 season. From its original London home, Miss Saigon moved to Broadway in April 1991. Salonga subsequently garnered the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and the Theatre World Awards for the same role.
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In 1999, she was invited back to London to close the musical, and in 2001, at the age of 29 and after doing the Manila run of the musical, Salonga returned to Broadway to close the Broadway production. Upon completion of her initial stint as Kim on Broadway, Salonga played the role of street waif Eponine in the Broadway production of Les Misérables.<p>
After Miss Saigon's closing on Broadway in 2001, Salonga recreated the role of Lien Hughes originally played by Ming-Na Wen in the soap opera "As The World Turns." (After completing her contract that year, she was asked to return to the role in 2003.) She also guested on Russell Watson's "The Voice" concert, narrated for the television special "My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States," and appeared on the Christmas episode of the TV medical drama "E.R.," playing the role of a patient with lymphoma.
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In 2002, Salonga returned to Broadway to play the role of a Chinese immigrant in a reinterpretation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song opposite Jose Llana. This was after the reinvented musical had a very successful run at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in 2001 with Salonga playing the lead role and with the show garnering multiple wins and nominations, including Lead Actress in a Musical for Salonga, from the Theatre Los Angeles Ovation Awards. The Salonga-led Broadway revival cast album was also a top contender at the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Musical Show Album.
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In 2005, Salonga played her first US concert tour in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlantic City, and Chicago. Concert dates in Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Virginia followed. Later that year, Salonga performed with a 26-piece ensemble to a sold-out crowd at the Isaac Stern Hall in Carnegie Hall for the benefit of Diverse City Theater Company.
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In her 30-year career, Salonga has performed for five Philippine presidents (from Ferdinand Marcos to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), three American Presidents (George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush), and for Diana, Princess of Wales and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Please visit www.leasalonga.com.
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: Watch the Full List!
December 26, 2020
December 26, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances.
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: Judy Garland Croons a Classic
December 25, 2020
December 25, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about Judy Garland!
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: Wham! Sings 'Last Christmas'
December 24, 2020
December 24, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about 'Last Christmas.'
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: Christmas Vacation Lights Up!
December 23, 2020
December 23, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about Christmas Vacation!
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: MISS SAIGON Celebrates the Season!
December 22, 2020
December 22, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about Miss Saigon!
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: The Muppets Countdown to Christmas
December 21, 2020
December 21, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about the Muppets!
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: Caroling with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
December 20, 2020
December 20, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: Joni Mitchell Croons a Classic
December 19, 2020
December 19, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about Joni Mitchell!
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: A Christmas Carpool Karaoke!
December 18, 2020
December 18, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about Carpool Karaoke!
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: Michael Buble Sings Christmas Duets
December 17, 2020
December 17, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about Michael Buble!
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: Home Alone 2 Captures Christmas in NYC!
December 16, 2020
December 16, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about Home Alone 2!
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: The Grinch Steals Christmas
December 15, 2020
December 15, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about the Grinch!
12 Days of Christmas with Lea Salonga: Kicking Off the Countdown with the Rockettes!
December 14, 2020
December 14, 2020
Christmastime is here at last and BroadwayWorld is continuing our favorite annual tradition of celebrating the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas countdown. This year we've invited superstar of stage and screen Lea Salonga to share some of her most cherished holiday songs and performances. Today is all about the Rockettes!
Lea Salonga Blogs on BroadwayWorld: March 8, 2010
March 8, 2010
March 8, 2010
Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon) comes to the Café Carlyle to make her New York cabaret debut in an exclusive three-week engagement. 'The Journey So Far' will begin performances on Tuesday, March 9 and plays through Saturday, March 27. Leading up to and through her run, Lea Salonga will be blogging for BroadwayWorld.com!
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