About Lea Salonga
Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga, OL is a Filipino singer and actress. Known primarily for her work in theatre, she has starred in musicals on Broadway and in the West End. Her accolades include a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, in addition to nominations for two Grammy Awards. She was conferred with the Presidential Medal of Merit in 1990 and the Order of Lakandula in 2007, and she was honored as a Disney Legend in 2011.
Salonga began her career as a child in Philippine musical theatre productions and rose to international recognition in 1989 for playing the lead role of Kim in the original West End and Broadway productions of Miss Saigon. For her performance, she gained five awards—the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Theatre World Award, and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Her further roles include Éponine in the Broadway and West End productions of Les Misérables, Wu Mei-Li in the 2002 Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song, Fantine in the 2006 Broadway revival of Les Misérables, Kei Kimura in the original Broadway production of Allegiance, Erzulie in the 2017 Broadway revival of Once on This Island, and Aurora Aquino in the original Broadway production of Here Lies Love. In 2023 and 2024, she starred in the West End production of the musical revue Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends.
As a recording artist, Salonga began her music career at age ten. Her first album, Small Voice, was launched in 1981 and received a gold certification. She later signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records, releasing her platinum-certified self-titled album in 1993. Her subsequent releases include I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing , Lea... In Love , By Heart , and Inspired .
On film, she portrayed Lisa in the Filipino comedy Tropang Bulilit , and her performances as Sandy and Agnes in the romantic dramas Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal and Sana Maulit Muli , respectively, were widely acclaimed. Additionally, Salonga provided the singing voice for the characters of Jasmine in Aladdin and the titular character in Mulan and Mulan II . As a teenager, she hosted the variety show Love, Lea and later appeared on That's Entertainment. Her television acting credits include Lien Hughes on As the World Turns, Aunt Myrna on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Elodie Honrada on Pretty Little Liars. Furthermore, Salonga has expanded her career to include reality television as a coach on The Voice of the Philippines and its spin-off series, The Voice Kids and The Voice Teens.
Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga was born on February 22, 1971 to Ligaya and Feliciano Genuino Salonga . She has a younger brother named Gerard. At age three, she was trained by her aunt in singing. At age seven, she and her family relocated from Pampanga to Manila. She finished her primary and secondary education as salutatorian and valedictorian, respectively. In an article by The New York Times published in 2000, she said that she planned to enroll at Fordham University.
As a child, Salonga began singing at family parties. Her cousin, who was active with Repertory Philippines, encouraged her to audition for a production of The King and I, where she made her professional debut in 1978 at the age of seven. She played the title role in Annie in 1980, later reprising the role in 1984, and appeared in other productions such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , Fiddler on the Roof , The Sound of Music , The Rose Tattoo , The Goodbye Girl , Paper Moon , and The Fantasticks .
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