Lea Salonga

Lea Salonga is a Filipina singer and actress whose international career began in Manila before moving to London and New York. Born on February 22, 1971, she entered show business as a child and recorded her first album, “Small Voice,” in 1981. She later appeared in Philippine productions of “The King and I,” “Annie,” “Cinderella,” and “The Sound of Music,” establishing herself as a prominent young performer.

Her breakthrough came with “Miss Saigon,” the musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. Salonga was selected to play Kim, a Vietnamese bar girl separated from her American lover during the Vietnam War. She originated the role in the musical’s 1989 London production and reprised it when the show opened on Broadway in 1991. Her performance earned her the Laurence Olivier Award, Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Theatre World Award for best actress in a musical. She became the first Asian actress to win the Tony Award in that category. Salonga later returned to “Miss Saigon” in concert and anniversary productions, including the 2014 West End revival.

Salonga is also known for her work with Disney. She provided the singing voice for Princess Jasmine in the 1992 animated film “Aladdin,” performing “A Whole New World” for the character. She then supplied the singing voice of Fa Mulan in “Mulan” (1998) and “Mulan II” (2004), including the songs “Reflection” and “Honor to Us All.” Her recordings helped make “Reflection” one of Disney’s best-known character songs.

On Broadway, Salonga played Éponine in the 2002 revival of “Les Misérables” and Fantine in the 2007 revival. She appeared as Mei-Li in the 2002 Broadway revival of “Flower Drum Song,” and later played Erzulie in the 2018 revival of “Once on This Island.” In 2015, she joined the original Broadway production of “Allegiance,” starring alongside George Takei.

Salonga has maintained a major concert career while working in television and film. In the Philippines, she served as a coach on “The Voice of the Philippines” and “The Voice Kids.” She has also performed in international concert halls and toured productions featuring her signature musical-theater repertoire. Through theater, animation, recording, and live performance, Salonga has become one of the Philippines’ most internationally recognized performers.