Lea Returns
The star of Les Miz, Miss Saigon and two Disney films, Lea Salonga returns to Honolulu for a performance at the Blaisdell Concert Hall on Saturday evening, and she promises to sing her
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and very cute,” says a love-struck Salonga. “I like his sense of humor, and the same things make us laugh.”
Meanwhile, following her run in Flower Drum Song in both Los Angeles and on Broadway, Salonga returned to Manila to debut her first “all-Filipino” concert, Songs from Home. To add to her continued successes, Salonga was honored with the Aliw Award as Entertainer of the Year, which she also had won the previous year.
When asked which role she likes best, this Broadway star answers, “I liked them all. They each just came at just the right time in my life, and it was great working through either personal problems with a role, or just using a performance as a catharsis or release for tension going on in my life.”
Yet she has a special affinity for her most recent role as Fantine on Broadway.
“It’s the freshest in my mind and a challenge to accomplish,” says Salonga, who in this role played a woman who has experienced life beyond her years, sacrificing everything for her daughter. “To go through a person’s life in 25 minutes of stage time is just crazy! It was far easier to relate to her (Fantine) now that I’m a mom. There is a whole treasure trove of emotions that remain untapped until parenthood hits, and to be able to access that was incredible. Sure, it was exhausting, but fulfilling.”
And having a daughter of her own has been nothing but “fulfilling” for Salonga. She and her husband welcomed a lovely little girl, Nicole Beverly, into their lives almost two years ago. Taking on her most important role ever, Salonga says, “Being a mom has been nothing short of wonderful! Every day is just a gift with her.
“She’s just been an incredible little person,” gushes Salonga of her daughter. “Every day she grows smarter and more funny - she’s a budding comedienne. She’s just too cute. She knows how to pose for a camera now as well - she’s the girliest little girl I’ve ever seen!”
Salonga confesses she can talk about her daughter for hours, something she says she can’t do about herself, her husband or her career.
Salonga’s success has made her the idol of many Filipino and non-Filipino girls alike. In the Philippines it is difficult for her to go out in public without being recognized, while in the U.S. she is able to maintain a somewhat more private profile.
“My career at home will always flourish because it’s home,” Salonga says with gratitude. “I don’t have to work so hard to get my name out there, so I feel that I don’t have to be so aggressive in pursuing opportunities - they will always come, and so far that’s true. As for the U.S., I do try hard to get my name out there, but given competition and the fact that I now reside in the Philippines, it won’t be easy.”
Still, Salonga has been able to make a name for herself in the U.S. and to create a strong bond with Disney as the singing voices of Jasmine and Mulan.
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“It was a bit weird at first to see this cartoon character mouthing words that I sang,” she admits. “But it was liberating in a way - I didn’t have to think about my appearance, only about my vocal performance. Working with Disney is always a pleasure.”
Salonga also has performed with other talented artists including Julie Andrews and Peabo Bryson as well as at the Academy Awards. Among her most rewarding - and challenging - experience was her Carnegie Hall debut in 2005. Looking back on that ultimate experience of performing for a sold-out crowd, Salonga says it was a crazy time, as she was also pregnant with her daughter:
“It wasn’t comfortable getting ready for it because I was having morning sickness every day. I couldn’t eat normally, and my voice was changing due to my new hormone levels, so I could-n’t sing the same way, nor did it feel the same.
“Having said that, I must have been able to pull something out of me when I needed to - the show was an amazing experience!”
Along with Salonga’s obvious vocal talent come her gifted acting abilities. Salonga starred on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns, re-creating the role of Lien Hughes, and made a guest appearance on the hit medical drama E.R.
Salonga also has had an impact on individuals much closer to Hawaii. Kristian Lei, Philippines-born and Hawaii-raised, played the role of Kim in the German production of Miss Saigon, and says during her entire run she would often refer to Salonga’s vocal track for guidance. Lei recalls her initial meeting with Salonga.
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“I first met Lea in the Philippines,” says Lei. “I was taking a dance class at our country club, and I noticed a really pretty lady doing sit-ups next to me. I thought the person looked so familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Suddenly our mutual friend, Menchu, introduced me to her, and I was so stunned. I couldn’t believe that she was the Lea Salonga!
“She’s the first, or one of the first, from the Philippines to really hit the international scene and be successful at it. I do believe that she paved the way for many Filipinos in the musical theater world. She really inspires me to be the best I can be. She is truly filled with life and talent ... she treats people with respect and is very humble for a superstar.”
And for Salonga, humility is an important value, one that she holds close to her heart, both professionally and personally.
“I value truth in creating one’s work, humility when things go well, magnanimity when things go wrong, a joyful heart, honesty when performing or just relating to people, and a sense of humor,” she says. “Having a child is a pretty good way of keeping one’s feet on the ground,”
And unlike many entertainers, she isn’t into a huge entourage.
“For work, I either like going alone or having a member of my family around, be it my husband or my mother,” she says.
Salonga’s mother, Ligaya, will be accompanying her to Honolulu for Saturday’s concert.
“She hasn’t been (to Hawaii) in a long while, so that should be fun,” says Salonga. “My husband, my daughter and I were last here for Christmas. We were on a cruise that went around the Islands, and we had dinner one night with family.”
Salonga has a lot of great memories of Hawaii and says any time that she gets to spend with family and friends in the Islands is always bound to be a good time. But she definitely appreciates every opportunity she has to just “chill out.”
“When I don’t have to work I like visiting the North Shore for some Matsumoto shave ice ... going to Ala Moana ... eating at Like Like (Drive-In) or Eggs ‘N’ Things, and trying to, at the very least, take a walk on the beach.
“But definitely eating,” she exclaims. “The eating is always good here!”
Salonga has already wrapped up concerts in other parts of the Philippines, California, Hong Kong and Guam. In July, she will embark on a 39-week tour of Asia as she stars in Broadway Asia Entertainment’s international tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
After spending much of her life in the entertainment industry, Salonga says, no matter what life throws at you, “follow your heart and figure out your true calling. Remain down-to-earth, God-fearing and prayerful, and keep your friends and family always in your corner.”
And beyond Salonga’s rich voice, natural talent and more than any number of awards or shows can amount to, Kristian Lei sums it up rather nicely.
“If there’s anything that stuck out to me about Lea, it would be that she is a kind human being,” she says.
In the end, when the final note is sounded and the curtain goes down - that’s what matters most.
Tickets to Lea Salonga’s March 8 concert cost $125, $49 and $39, and are available at the Blaisdell box office and at Ticketmaster outlets, including Times Supermarket locations. You also can purchase them online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 877-750-4400. Show starts at 8 p.m.
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