Song:Sun and Moon
Album:Miss Saigon: Original London Cast Recording
Lea Salonga was 18 years old when she scored the starring role in the musical Miss Saigon. Though she has done other things, it's still the role she is best known for. She was born Feb. 22, 1971 in Manila, Philippines. As a child, she appeared in musicals locally. As a teen, she hosted her own TV show and appeared in films. When the producers of Miss Saigon were casting, they were unable to find a strong enough Asian actress in London. So they scoured the world and discovered Lea in the Philippines. She got the role and a star is born. The show was a huge success and Lea won an Olivier award for Best Actress. She also starred in the Broadway production and she was the first Asian actress to win a Tony. Lea appears on the London cast recording but not the Broadway cast recording. The video is from the 2000 Manila version with Nashville's Will Chase. Lea continues to perform on stage most notably in revivals of Les Miserables and Flower Drum Song. She has recorded several albums that have done well in the Philippines. She's obviously a much bigger deal there than she is here. Her best known film roles are as Princess Jasmine in the 1992 Disney film Aladdin and as Mulan in the 1998 Disney film Mulan. These days she does a lot of TV in the Philippines most notably The Voice of the Philippines. She also appeared in the Broadway musical Allegiance. And she appeared on an episode of the CW sitcom My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Here's Lea Salonga with Will Chase performing Sun and Moon in Manila 2000.
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