Who is Lea Salonga?

Lea Salonga is a Filipino singer and actress who has had a long and successful career in music, theater, and film. Born on February 22nd, 1971 in Manila, Philippines, Lea was the eldest daughter of Feliciano Genuino Salonga and Maria Ligaya Alcantara Imutan. She started performing at age ten as part of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA).

Early Career

In 1981, at age 10, Lea won the role of Kim in PETA’s production of The King and I. In 1989 she starred in Miss Saigon – a musical based on Madame Butterfly – becoming the first Asian woman to win a Laurence Olivier Award. The same year, she was also a cast member on the album recording of Les Miserables. In 1993, she was chosen to play the lead role of Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin the Musical on Broadway.

Recent Projects

In 1994 Lea released her self-titled album which included songs from various films such as Disney’s Mulan. She also released two solo albums: Lea Salonga – The Christmas Album (1998) and By Heart (2001). In 2008, she starred as Ti Moune in Once on This Island at Paper Mill Playhouse. In 2011, she returned to Broadway as the title role in Cinderella, for which she received an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Achievements

Lea has been nominated for six Tony Awards and has won three Laurence Olivier Awards. She was also awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2008. In 2019, she was awarded a place in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Lea is an inspiration to many aspiring singers and performers around the world.