Photo: broadwaytovegas.com

Lea Salonga - Chien, born Maria Ligaya Carmen Imutan Salonga on February 22, 1971 in the Philippines. She is a renowned actress both in theaters and in films. She gained international acclaim when she landed the role of Kim in the musical Ms Saigon in London. She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Mesirables and is currently appearing in various musical events in different countries.

The Salonga family is known for their contributions in the field of politics and the arts. Lea was encouraged at a very early age to express her talent in singing. She joined the Repertory Philippines and was featured in the play " The King and I" in 1978. She also played the role of "Annie" and joined other productions like 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. Her first album "Small Voice" was released when she was ten and also received gold certification.

Lea Salonga is the quintessential performer even in her teens. She hosted her own musical television show, Love, Lea and performed in numerous family-oriented films in the Philippines. She even opened for international acts like Menudo in 1985 and Stevie Wonder in 1988 in their concerts in Manila.

Her big breakthrough came in 1989, the British producers of the musical Ms Saigon were meeting challenges in finding a strong asian singer/actress to play the lead role of Kim. Lea auditioned for the part and sang the song "On my Own". She was asked to perform the song "Sun and Moon" to test her voice quality's compatibility with the songs in the musical. Her rendition won the panel over and she got the part. She auditioned with fellow Repertory member Monique Wilson who was also chosen to be her alternate for the role. Lea gained excellent reviews for her portrayal of Kim and received numerous awards.

Highlights :

MISS SAIGON Kim

LES MISÉRABLES Eponine, Fantine

FLOWER DRUM SONG Mei - Li

Awards:

1991 TONY AWARD – Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical
1990 LAURENCE OLIVIER AWARD – Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical
1991 OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD – Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical
1991 DRAMA DESK AWARD – Best Actress in a Musical

References:

http://www.leasalonga.com/resume.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lea_Salonga

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