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Home » Blogs » browne's blog » In love with Lea Salonga

In love with Lea Salonga

by
browne

I’ve always thought of myself as someone who loves musicals. But what I mean by that may not be what you think I mean. Loving musicals, for me, hasn’t usually meant lining up outside a theater on Broadway or the West End to see the latest show, and then treasuring my program and my original cast recording afterwards. It’s been more likely to mean ordering one of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire’s old movies from Amazon, and then watching it again and again and again. The composers I like are Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and George Gershwin. I never thought I had much time for Andrew Lloyd Webber, or Boublil and Schönberg.

Which is why, when a friend got hold of the tenth anniversary concert video of Les Misérables a few years ago, I didn’t think I wanted to watch it. In fact, I think I scoffed, and went upstairs to do something else. It was only when my friend was about halfway through watching the tape, that I happened to wander in and catch my first glimpse of Lea Salonga.

Had I but known it, that wasn’t actually my first chance to have seen Salonga in performance. A child star in her native Philippines, her international career began in 1989, when at the age of 18 she was picked by Cameron Mackintosh to star as Kim in the original West End production of Miss Saigon. An Olivier award for Best Actress in a Musical soon followed — as would a Tony when she continued the same role on Broadway in 1991.

Here’s a clip from a U.K. interview she did back in 1989, with television presenter Terry Wogan:



I don’t know what is more adorable here: her dimples, her very proper English accent (I’m more used to hearing her speak American), her self-possession, or the authoritative way that she tells the interviewer, “I never really wanted to have a boyfriend. And I still don’t want one.” (Sadly for us, she has since changed her mind on that, marrying a man named Robert Chien in 2004).

In 1993, Salonga was cast as street urchin Éponine in the Broadway production of Les Misérables. The first Asian actress to play the part, she started something of a trend, as the role has since been played by Asian performers including Natalie Jackson Mendoza in Sydney and Joanna Ampil in London.

Salonga would go on to reprise the role in a "dream cast" anniversary concert that was filmed live in 1995 — and this was the performance I walked in on, just in time to hear her singing the hit song "On My Own."



Although I never saw Miss Saigon, I know there was some controversy at the time as to whether the story pandered to Asian stereotypes, including the stereotype of Asian women as passive and submissive. Watching the force and intelligence with which Lea plays Éponine, though, I can’t help thinking that those qualities must have shone through in any role that she’s performed.

She provided the singing voice for Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin (performing the song "A Whole New World" with Brad Kane at the 65th Annual Academy Awards, where it won Best Song), and for Mulan in the Disney film of the same name in 1998.

In 2002, she appeared as Mei Li in a reworking of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song on Broadway. Most recently, Salonga has been back on Broadway in a new production of Les Misérables — this time performing the part of Fantine.

Between beauty, talent, and international success, it might almost be tempting to think Ms. Salonga too perfect — if it weren’t for this cheesetastic pop video I came across from the early '90s, a duet with her Aladdin costar Brad Kane:



Otherwise, though, she’s pretty much perfect.

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    • Submitted by
    browne
    on November 19, 2007 - 2:30pm.
    TAGS :: 
    Jess's picture

    You have no idea how

    Submitted by
    Jess (54 posts)
    on November 19, 2007 - 3:39pm.

    You have no idea how excited I am that you're talking about Lea Salonga! I have been listening to Les Miz my entire life and watched the 10th anniversery special a million times. Eponine was always my favorite character and I fell in love with Lea very early on... I think it's no conensidence that Jasmine has always been my favorite Disney character. I know this comment is very "Fan girl" but I really do think Lea is one of the most amazing women in Broadway... I was so upset I didn't have the money to go see her when she performed as Fantine in Les Miz's revival. *sigh* oh well.

    Thank you so much for doing a blog about her and posting these videos and pictures!!

    Interviewer: "Why do you write these strong female characters?"
    Joss Whedon: "Because you're still asking me that question." - Equality Now speech
    If I'm borrowing your icon, I'd be happy to give you credit, just let me know :)

    Queer Silver's picture

    interview...

    Submitted by
    Queer Silver (136 posts)
    on November 19, 2007 - 4:20pm.

    she was interviewed once in this show called 'private conversations with boy abunda'. boy abunda's a gay talk show host here in the philippines. she was asked if she'd rather have a gay son or a lesbian daughter. she said she'd rather have a gay son...

    not sure what to make of it but i do think she's a brilliant singer and actress. i think she definitely gave life to theater here in the philippines when she won the tony for miss saigon. too bad i was too young (clueless) then to have watched its production here with her as kim.

    -MJ

    smile. i just slept with your girlfriend :)

    http://mgayness.livejournal.com

    http://myspace.com/mgayness

    Chief Vitalstatistix's picture

    Miss Saigon

    Submitted by
    Chief Vitalstatistix (152 posts)
    on November 19, 2007 - 4:20pm.
    Caught one of her performances of Miss Saigon on Broadway years ago. Wow. What a talented performer. Missed her twice on Les Mis though *grr*
    fallon ash's picture

    Eponine!

    Submitted by
    fallon ash (386 posts)
    on November 19, 2007 - 5:46pm.
    "My" Eponine will always be Annica Edstam, whom I adored beyong reason for several years in my early teens. However, Lea Salonga will always hold an honorary place in my heart just for playing the same part, and she certainly plays it well, what a beautiful voice. And that old interview is such a treat! Thanks for a great post!
    Broadwaybabe's picture

    I LOVE LEA SALONGA!!!! She

    Submitted by
    Broadwaybabe (44 posts)
    on November 19, 2007 - 6:34pm.

    I LOVE LEA SALONGA!!!!

     

    She will always be my favorite Eponine, but no matter what she does, she is amazing.  She was wonderful in Flower Drum Song and afterwards I got to meet her for a brief min and she was so nice!  Her voice is beautiful from Miss Saigon & Les Mis to even Mulan! 

    Aeriana Eve's picture

    since I was born...

    Submitted by
    Aeriana Eve (29 posts)
    on November 19, 2007 - 7:00pm.
    my parents had me listening to miss saigon endlessly. I suppose you could say that I watched it, except that I was in utero at the time. XD My brother said the helicopter was fantastic though.
    She was one of the loves they had brought from the Philippines and kept until now- almost 30 years. She's the reason I love musicals!! Thanks for bringing her up here, it's so fantastic =)
    leishahaha's picture

    Oh my God!

    Submitted by
    leishahaha (99 posts)
    on November 19, 2007 - 8:38pm.

    Browne, let's get married right now!

    First, when I saw Lea Salonga on the recent blogs list, I almost had a heart attack. I thought she was suddenly coming out! Oh well.

    I have loved Lea since forever - I remember my friends and family going crazy when she won the Tony - as Filipino's we were so proud. Let me tell you, I listened to a tape of Miss Saigon so much - and then saw her on Broadway. She's amazing. I never got to see her as Eponine on stage but I did see her as Fantine. She was sooo good - I kept pinching myself the whole time.

    I've seen that old interview a million times and it's only now that it's dawned on me how sapphic that "I don't want a boyfriend" quote was. You can see the wheels turning in the interviewer's head during that awkward silence and he said that there are girls in the audience who don't want boyfriends either! lol. I don't think she realized what he was really saying. The cuteness of that interview was definitely overflowing.

    Here's another vid of Lea in Les Miz singing A Little Fall of Rain (this one makes me so sad!) [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX8yR0hjb5M[/url]

    Starshone's picture

    Lea's my idol

    Submitted by
    Starshone (24 posts)
    on November 19, 2007 - 11:15pm.
    As an occasionally proud Filipina and an aspiring - well, everything, but for the sake of context, musical theatre-type, I've always looked up to Lea. ♥
    cHarmEd's picture

    sweet..=)

    Submitted by
    cHarmEd (75 posts)
    on November 20, 2007 - 5:55am.

    I so much liked her! She is actually one of my favorites especially then, not only in the music industry but in the movies as well. She has this great voice that really brings warmth to everybody who hears her sing. She really makes us Filipinos proud even is she is already a mom. =) Ah.. I remember my childhood days.. ;)

    Antonia1983's picture

    I Dreamed a Dream ...

    Submitted by
    Antonia1983 (17 posts)
    on November 20, 2007 - 3:54pm.

    I love Lea Solonga and I've seen her do the part on Broadway twice since she started in the revival! My gf loves her too and actually introduced me to her to begin with. I know, I'm SUCH a fan LOL! I also saw her understudy Haviland Stillwell do Fantine once too and she was AMAZING and ... totally hot and .......gay!!!! seriously!

    (see for yourself with Riese on automatic win, they talk about Lea's facebook and how she has all these applications and they talk about the strike, I nearly died, all my favorite words colliding LOL:

    http://marielynbernard.blogspot.com/2007/11/i-see-you-and-i-just-wanna-v...

    So good to see theater here!  I hope the strike ends soon! 

     

     

    Girly's picture

    What can I say,

    Submitted by
    Girly (214 posts)
    on November 21, 2007 - 3:39am.

    I love Lea Salonga too :)

    She's an amazing singer, actress and all around performer.

    And she played Eponine, my favorite Les Mis character and Mulan, my favorite Disney character.


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