About Lea Salonga:
Lea Salonga-Chien (born Maria Ligaya Carmen Imutan Salonga on February 22, 1971 in the Philippines) is a multi-awarded Filipino singer and actress who is best known for her acclaimed portrayal of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon. In the field of musical theater, she is recognized for having won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and Theatre World Awards, the first to win various international awards for a single role. She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway. In 2007, Salonga released her first studio album in seven years called “Inspired,” which has been certified platinum, and finished another stint in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway, this time as Fantine. She is slated to appear in a number of musical events scheduled in different countries until 2008.
Early career:
Lea Salonga started as a child star in the Philippines, making her professional debut in 1978 at the age of seven through the musical The King and I by Repertory Philippines. She became the lead star of Annie and joined other productions such as 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. A song on the album, the duet “Happiness,” marked her first recording collaboration with her younger brother Gerard Salonga who would, years later, work with her either as musical director or creative director in her concerts and recordings. Her second album, “Lea,” was released in 1988. In addition to performing in musical theater and recordings, Salonga hosted her own musical television show, Love, Lea, and was a member of the cast of German Moreno’s teen variety show That’s Entertainment. She likewise acted in films, which included the family-oriented Tropang Bulilit, Like Father, Like Son, Ninja Kids, Captain Barbell and Pik Pak Boom. She also opened for international acts such as Menudo and Stevie Wonder in their concerts in Manila in 1985 and in 1988, respectively. As a young performer, Lea Salonga received a Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) award nomination (the Philippine equivalent of an Oscar nomination) for Best Child Actress and three wins from the Aliw (literally, “entertainment”) Awards as Best Child Performer.
International career:
Salonga’s big breakthrough came when she was selected to play Kim in the megahit musical Miss Saigon in 1989. Unable to find a strong enough Asian actress/singer in the United Kingdom, the producers scoured many countries looking for the lead role of this major British production. For her audition, the 17-year-old Salonga chose to sing Boublil and Schönberg’s “On My Own” from Les Misérables and was later asked to sing “Sun and Moon” to test her voice quality’s compatibility with the songs in the musical. The members of the panel were impressed with Salonga’s rendition of the songs, noting that from Salonga’s very first note, they already knew they had a potential Kim. Salonga competed with childhood friend and fellow Repertory Philippines performer Monique Wilson as they were tested with songs from the musical, which included “Too Much for One Heart,” a number replaced by the duet “Please” right before the musical opened. Salonga was offered the lead role, with Wilson as the alternate (who was also assigned the role of bar girl Mimi).
For complete information about Lea Salonga:
Visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lea_Salonga
Official Site:
http://www.leasalonga.com/
Disclaimer:
I do not own the song, this is purely fanmade. No copyright infringement intended.