Black bird lea salonga biography

 Lea:

As internet connections get faster and more stable all over the world, there might be ways of making exchanges much easier. That said, however, there is something to be said about being in the same room.

 Tony:

Hello, it's Tony Howell, and I am thrilled to welcome you to Conversations with Changemakers. 

On this episode, we speak with global changemaker, Lea Salonga. An ambassador for the United Nations, Lea has sung for six Philippine presidents, three American presidents, and two members of British royalty. From her award-sweeping performance as Kim in Miss Saigon, to voicing two of the most empowered Disney princesses in song, she's an icon of music, theatre, television, film, print, and web. 

Most recently, Lea was on Broadway in the Tony winning revival of Once on This Island, but she also revealed some of America's untold stories in the new musical Allegiance. In addition to being the very first Asian woman to win a Tony Award, Lea was the first Asian performer to play both Eponine and Fantine in Les Misérables. 

Also appearing in the 10th and 25th Anniversary Concerts, but beyond her status as a Broadway and West End royal, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honorary title, Disney Legend. She sold more than 19 million albums and continues to sell out concerts all over the world. 

But the secret beneath her powerful voice: she has the most beautiful human heart. Thank you, Lea and Josh, so much for this interview. I do need to let you know, we dealt with a little bit of audio challenges, but we did our absolute best and it is still worth your time. Enjoy.

Lea Salonga, thank you so much for being on the podcast. Welcome.

 Lea:

Oh, thank you for having me. I love technology and what we can do now with it. I mean, you're halfway around the world. If I dug right now from my house, I would totally bump into you. If I just went through the center of the ear

PROVO — Sparkling more brightly than her gold-embroidered gown, Broadway star and international soloist Lea Salonga wowed audiences at two de Jong Concert Hall performances on the BYU campus.

While widely known for her ability to belt out an emotional Broadway ballad, Salonga impressed with the interpretive skills she brought to standards by a variety of composers and her keen, often self-deprecating sense of humor. She also radiated warmth and good cheer to the enthusiastic audiences.

Salonga surprised the audiences with her opening selection of “Feeling Good,” from the musical “The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd.” But her jazzy interpretation set the tone for the evening of “just fun stuff,” as she later explained.

Following up with Lerner and Lowe’s “On the Street Where You Live,” Salonga’s exquisite technique and commitment to the song was evident. And her rich, creamy vocal tone was also heard in her lush interpretation of the Gershwins’ “Nice Work If You Can Get It.”

Relating that she listens to a wide variety of music, Salonga showed her enjoyment of contemporary songs by covering Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface” and Bruno Mars’ “Forget You.”

The Tony-winner is popularly known for performances as two Disney princesses. To introduce “Reflection” from “Mulan,” Salonga expressed her disappointment at being asked to record a shorter, now-official version. “So now I have to make sure that Mickey Mouse is not in the audience, so I can sing the long, original version,” she said.

Salonga invited an audience member to join her for the “Whole New World” duet from “Aladdin.” “It’s either a train wreck, which is always quite entertaining, or it can be pretty good. Sometimes.”

The evening turned personal as she introduced songs related to meeting her husband and the joy brought by their 5-year-old daughter.

“Blackbird” became a song about romantic timing that revolved around the words:“You were

For her eponymous album, see Lea Salonga (album).

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Imutan and the surname or paternal family name is Salonga.

Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga, OL (LAY-ə-_-sa-LONG-ə; born February 22, ) 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 and the Order of Lakandula in , and she was honored as a Disney Legend in

Salonga began her career as a child in Philippine musical theatre productions and rose to international recognition in 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 Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song, Fantine in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables, Kei Kimura in the original Broadway production of Allegiance, Erzulie in the Broadway revival of