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Top 6: Broadway Star and Disney Princess Lea Salonga
She's a two-time Disney Princess and one of the biggest names on Broadway. We couldn't pick just five so these are our top six performances by Lea Salonga.
The queen of music theatre and two times Disney Princess, Lea Salonga, will once again grace us with her presence in Australia with performances at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre and Sydney Opera House. To celebrate we’ve put together our top six favourite performances.
1- At just 17, Salonga won the role of Kim in Miss Saigon after producers took their search international, not being able to find their perfect Kim in the UK. Salonga won the Laurence Olivier award for her performance in the West End production before opening the show on Broadway and winning the Tony Award. Her audition is breathtaking, check it out below and watch history in the making.
2 – In 1992, Salonga voiced the role of Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin, officially making her a Disney princess. Because we’re Disney nerds we’re not restricting our favourite performance to just one when it comes to ‘A Whole New World’. Salonga reunites with Brad Kane (AKA Aladdin) for a special performance on Good Morning America with composer Alan Menken on the piano. These two have still got it.
3- Salonga joins the legendary #Ham4Ham show with Lin-Manual Miranda. The viral concert series took place outside the Richard Rogers Theatre on Broadway at the show’s lottery in early days of the production. Miranda plays the Aladdin to Salonga’s Jasmine to an enthusiastic crowd.
4- Darren Criss (of Glee and The Assassination of Gianni Versace fame) accompanies Salonga at NYC institution Maries Crisis with the lively crowd singing boisterously along until someone shushes them because “Jasmine’s singing.”
5- Salonga’s last performance at Sydney Opera House was absolutely phenomenal so it was pretty tough to pick just one number as our favourite. But, when you only have one song to feature it should probably be ‘Defying Gravity’.
6- Finally, in an interesting role reversal, Salonga performs a number from Miss Saigon that was sung about her character in the Broadway and West End Musical. A powerful ballad, this song takes on a whole new meaning with this ‘miscast’.
Don’t miss Lea Salonga at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre and Sydney Opera House this November. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com.au
