Lea Salonga

Related Tags: Lea Salonga Extras

Biography
Lea Salonga-Chien (born Maria Ligaya Carmen Imutan Salonga on February 22, 1971 in Angeles City) is a Tony, Drama Desk, and Theatre World Award-winning Filipino singer and actress who is best known for her portrayal of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon. In the field of musical theater, no other Filipino has achieved the same international recognition as Salonga. She has been the first to win various international awards for a single role.

Salonga became a successful child star in the Philippines. At the age of seven, she made her professional debut performing in the musical The King and I by Repertory Philippines. She became the lead star of Annie and joined other productions, such as: Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Fiddler on the Roof, The Rose Tattoo, The Sound Of Music, The Goodbye Girl, Paper Moon and The Fantasticks.

She began her recording career at the age of ten with her first album, Small Voice, which received a Gold certification. Her younger brother Gerard Salonga performed a duet with her with the song, Happiness. Since then he has collaborated with her many times as Musical Director or Creative Director.

As a child star, she has also hosted her own musical television show, Love, Lea, and opened for Stevie Wonder during his 1998 concert in Manila. She won three Aliw Awards for Best Child Performer from 1981 to 1983. In 1983, her sophomore album, "Lea" was released. She also starred in German Moreno's teen variety show That's Entertainment. The young Lea also appeared with Herbert Bautista in several popular family-oriented Filipino films in the late 1980s such as Ninja Kids, Captain Barbell and Pik Pak Boom. Lea Salonga also received her first Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS Awards) award nomination (equivalent of an Oscar nomination) for Best Child Actress for the 1981 flick Tropang Bulilit, though she lost to child star Sheryl Cruz for Mga Basang Sisiw.

Official Website