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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“A whole new world, a hundred thousand things to see ... I’m like a shooting star, I’ve come so far, I can’t go back to where I used to be ...” - Princess Jasmine in the Disney hit “A Whole New World ”
Many girls at some time in their lives dream of being a Disney-style princess - and for one girl in particular, this dream is just one of many that came true. The crystal clear singing voice of Princess Jasmine in the Disney hit A Whole New World belongs to that of Philippine native Lea Salonga. These lyrics she’s come to know so well are relevant not only to the princess, but Salonga herself.
As a little girl growing up in Manila, Salonga was considered a child star, taking her country by storm. Soon enough, her star shot its way across the globe. Now a world-renowned singer and one of Broadway’s best, Salonga returns to Honolulu on Saturday as part of her 2008 concert tour with a special performance at Blaisdell Concert Hall.
“I’m always happy to be returning to Honolulu,” says Salonga. “My husband has lots of family here. We’ve spent holidays here and visited with loved ones, so coming to Hawaii is more than just a work stop for me - it’s an extension of home that I’ve grown to love.
“As for what people can expect (of her concert) - expect a lot of music that I love to perform. Some I’ve recorded and some I like to sing live.”
At 37, Salonga already has 30 years experience in the entertainment industry, and her career has taken her all over the world.
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Salonga recently returned to the Philippines after seven months on Broadway, where she played the role of Fantine in the revival of the Alan Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg classic Les Miserables, a musical with which she is very familiar. In fact, it was Les Miserables that first brought her to Blaisdell Concert Hall back in 1996 as part of the musical’s U.S. national tour when she played the role of street waif Eponine.
She also has released her first studio album in seven years. Titled Inspired, which went platinum in the Philippines, the album features some of Salonga’s personal favorites as well as a few originals such as To Hear You Say (Jim Brickman), Promise Me (Beverly Craven) and Do You Hear It (Lani Macaraeg).
Her talent was evident from the start.
“My cousin, who was at the time active with the local repertory company, recommended to my mother that I audition for that company’s production of The King and I,” she recalls. “So I did, and I got in.” It was then, at the age of 7, that she made her professional debut with Repertory Philippines. She then landed the title role in Annie and starred in other productions along the way. By age 10 she was taking her voice from the theater stage into the recording studio with her first album, Small Voice, which certified gold in her home country. Soon after, Salonga hosted her own television show, titled Love Lea, appeared in many Filipino films and starred in German Moreno’s teen variety show, That’s Entertainment.
Her big break came in 1989 at the age of 18 in London’s West End production of Miss Saigon. Determined to find the perfect “Kim,” the show’s producers searched throughout the United Kingdom. Unable to find what they were looking for, they expanded their search. It wasn’t until they arrived in Manila that they found their “Kim” in Salonga. She was concentrating on school at the time, but came prepared to the audition anyway, singing On My Own from Les Miserables. The producers were certain she had talent, but to see if her voice quality was compatible for the songs in Miss Saigon, she was later asked to return for a final assessment. The producers were blown away by Salonga’s talent - as audiences always are.
Salonga flew to London to take on a role that would change her life forever.
“It was a bit of a cultural shock,” she says. “I was a sheltered teenager and had to grow up pretty quickly. It was the first time I had to manage my bank account, take public transportation, pay my monthly bills - basically, I had to learn how to be a responsible adult while working on this huge West End show. It was pretty awesome, and I ended up having a wonderful stay,” says Salonga.
The show proved to be a success, earning Salonga the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical and later garnering her the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and the Theatre World awards for her Broadway debut in 1991.
Then, in 1993, she made her initial appearance as Eponine on Broadway, later returning to the same role once again in the London production. Salonga was the first actress of Asian descent to ever be cast as Eponine, and she proved that skin color means nothing when you have the vocal talent. She was later invited to play the same role as part of the “dream cast” in the musical’s legendary 10th anniversary presentation at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
That same year, Salonga released her self-titled international debut album, which sold close to 3 million copies.
In 2002, Salonga returned to Broadway, starring in the revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song. The show gained much success and was considered one of the 10 best plays on Broadway of the year by Time magazine. The previous year, Salonga also played the same lead role, Mei-Li, in the Los Angeles production of the musical. Living in L.A. at the time, she was focused on the show, not knowing that she would later find her future husband as a result.
Cast member Christine Yasunaga (also with Hawaii ties) insisted Salonga meet her cousin, Robert Chien. Yasunaga introduced the two, and Salonga admits it took a few meetings before things began to click.
“It was love after a good bottle of beer,” jokes Salonga. When they first met, Chien had no idea who Salonga was or all that she’d accomplished. Now married for three years, she is creating her own real-life fairy tale.
“He’s really sweet and kind,
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