Lea Salonga will be Grizabella, the Glamour Cat, in the Philippine run of the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical CATS, starting July 2010 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
The following is an amateur video taken during the press launch on Nov. 25, 2009 at the Dusit Hotel in Makati City. Lea sings Memory:
So this is another special concert (since every concert was special hehe) of Lea Salonga. What’s exciting about it is the way it is being promoted through www.leayoursongs.com, the official website of the LEA SALONGA…YOUR SONGS concert. I bet this concert is a tribute of Lea to all her fans by soliciting requests for songs that she will sing.
We often hear Lea sing songs from the musical theater and her own recordings and I am sure that most of her fans (including me) would like her to sing new and original songs. But the song requests would show her versatility and it’s always fun and exciting to hear how your favorite singer would interpret some of the most popular tunes in the radio today. So go to the website now and send in your requests but don’t be so ridiculous about the songs; well, just be reasonable, haha! You could even send a video audition to be able to sing with Lea on stage – SO WOW! That would be a great experience.
Ai-Ai De Las Alas and Richard Poon will be guesting in the concert. With Ai-Ai, the concert would be loud and funny; with Richard Poon, it will be enchanting.
Tickets will be available @ TicketWorld by September 2009.
Ms. Lea Salonga tweeted this about 11 hours ago and will be in LA for this:
Allegiance – A staged reading with Lea Salonga and George Takei (via Facebook)
Music & Lyrics by Jay Kuo
Book by Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione
Production by The San Francisco New Theater Workshop
Allegiance is a new musical about love, loss and heroism during the Japanese American internment. This concert presentation of selected songs and scenes features actors “on-book” at music stands, without costumes, props or sets. This format permits attendees to listen to and appreciate the work’s potential in its purest and rawest form.
Will this be a future Broadway starrer for Lea?
Here’s the latest Backstory from Lea Salonga, about her experience as a featured guest in Asia Uncut of Star World.
“LAST FRIDAY night on Star World, I had the privilege of being a guest on a show called “Asia Uncut,” hosted by Jon Niermann. I have to say it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had on a talk show.
The taping date for the program happened to fall on the same day that “Cinderella” was having its final performance in Singapore (where the show is also taped), so it would be a very busy afternoon and evening. No matter, it was all worth it. If you saw the show, you would have seen just how much fun it was…” More…
You can also view here her videos on the same show or here.
And by the way, I’m kind of excited about her teaser on an upcoming concert! I just hope it’s going to be in the Philippines.
Shelldon is a 3D animated television series produced by Thailand’s Shellnut Entertainment and made its small screen debut in Bangkok’s Channel 3 last year and has been sold to at least 45 countries worldwide. It will have its US debut via NBC in Spring 2009.
Set in the Andaman Sea, the story focuses on Shelldon, a young yoka shell orphaned in the tsunami, who’s found a new home with a fluted giant clam family in shell land. But Shelldon soon discovers that he’s different from his adopted brothers and sisters, with an ability to absorb oxygen and release it as needed.
The animated series targets children 4-8 years old. It is not only for children actually since the central theme of global warming is for everybody, children and adults alike.
Another good thing about it is that the international version has no less than the Disney Princess Lea Salonga singing the theme song “It’s A Brand New Day“! Wow!
[Lyrics: It's A Brand New Day]
Sometimes I hide inside my shell
Scared to move, unsure of myself.
The world can be a crazy place
And I, afraid.
But every time I see your face,
The world becomes a friendlier place.
No matter what trouble today they bring,
My heart can sing.
Refrain:
Together, we can sail across the sea.
Together, be the best that we can be.
Sing a song, you’re not alone in this wide world.
We’re in this together.
Together, we can stand the test of time.
Together, we can swim against the tide.
Smile upon the challenges that come our way.
Together, it’s always a brand new day.
Sometimes we don’t get along;
You think you’re right and I think you’re wrong.
But no matter what happens,
In the end, we’re still good friends.
With each other side by side,
We will brave the stormy seas of our lives.
And though the world will always change,
We’ll be okay.
(Refrain)
Brand new day…
Brand new day…
Backstory
Goodbye, glass slippers
By Lea Salonga
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 17:52:00 01/21/2009SINGAPORE—Thursday night is our final, 115th performance of “Cinderella.” For sure it’ll be one lovely night, not to mention quite emotional.
From our debut in Manila to our swan song here in Singapore, and all the other performances in between, it has been an interesting, enjoyable and challenging run. We’ve been introduced to and immersed in many cultures, types of cuisine and, oh yes, venues that have exercised our skills and adaptability as actors and as human beings. And we’ve had to be very adaptable, indeed, given the situations and circumstances we found ourselves in, in every city and theater.
Where is our garden terrace?
We had complete shows in only three venues—the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and The Esplanade in Singapore. In all the other theaters, we found ourselves missing set pieces—the wedding hanger (the flower arch flown in only for the wedding scene at the finale), our pumpkin portal (the venue for much of the Fairy Godmother’s magic), the garden terrace (where Cinderella and the Prince fall in love), the kitchen railing (which fronts the upstairs bedroom doors), and/or the palace ballroom.
So, in each new city there would be a rehearsal the day before the show just to figure out exactly how to deal with whatever was there, and whatever was gone. Thankfully though, the floor was the same everywhere we went.
Those darned stairs
One set piece that never, ever was struck was the flight of white stairs in the second act at the ball and at the wedding. I have to descend this flight of white to attend the ball, and ascend it to marry the Prince.
This set piece has terrorized me on a daily basis.
Going down to the ball always strikes fear in my heart. I don’t have the strongest feet and ankles in the world, so I have to be careful with every step down… down… and down. The dancers who flank the staircase are always watchful, in case something goes wrong. I’ve wobbled once or twice but, thankfully, I’ve always arrived at the bottom in one piece. The waltz is then a huge relief.
Going up is another story. At this point I am dressed in a large white wedding gown, heavy with beading. Underneath is a skirt with layers of fabric that habitually stick to my legs.
As I approach the stairs, I gather up my gown to free my feet of fabric. Step by step, I kick whatever remains of my costume that may be in the way, just to make things easier. However, and this happened quite regularly, I would end up stepping on my skirt, which would then pull my weight forward, and hamper the climb. My veil has also fallen off my head, my necklace has fallen into my dress, and my wedding bouquet has lost a few little flowers. Cursed stairs.
Replacement
We’ve had only one cast change: the role of Hark the Herald was first played by Aaron Galligan-Stierle. He was then replaced by Steven Strafford.
They are both exceptional in the role—fantastic singers and incredibly funny. Each one brought something unique to his portrayal, and it’s been a joy working with them both.
Parting words
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with “Cinderella,” despite the hurdles we have had to face. I’ve met some fantastic people, made great friends, visited interesting cities, ate delicious food, and sung a beautiful Rodgers and Hammerstein musical 115 times.
To everyone that has seen us, wherever we landed, thank you… to everyone that was a part of our tour, be it for a week, a month or the entire run, thank you… to Broadway Asia Entertainment, Bobby Garcia, Vince Pesce, Paul Miller, David Gallo, Michael Duff, Mike Waters, Robert-Charles Vallance, Renato Balestra, Chari Arespacochaga, Cecile Martinez, Tim Panitz, Virginia Chu, Lakeshore Records, FILharmoniKa, all department heads and associates, musicians, dressers, and crew, Maraming, maraming salamat po!
