Even if you’re not familiar with this Broadway star’s name, you’ve definitely heard her voice.<\/p>\n
Lea Salonga has filled the rooms of countless American homes as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin” and Fa Mulan in “Mulan” and “Mulan II,” but Broadway fans know her best for her work as Kim in “Miss Saigon” and as both \u00c9ponine and Fantine in “Les Mis\u00e9rables.”<\/p>\n
The Tony and Oliver Award-winning performer is currently celebrating her career with the \u201cStage, Screen, and Everything in Between Tour.\u201d She will perform a two-hour concert on Nov. 14 at the McCallum Theatre, and the program will feature songs from musicals and iconic films \u2014 along with a few surprises.<\/p>\n
During a recent interview, Salonga reflected on her early career in the Philippines, recalling how she was cast in lead roles at the age of 9,<\/strong> and demonstrated her ability to remain calm and authoritative under pressure, which she believed was a path to success later in her career.<\/p>\n Lea Salonga will perform at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, Calif., on November 14, 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cEven with a canine co-star that was taller than me when he reared on his hind legs, that might have given the adults a clue that I could handle certain situations without fear and losing my mind,\u201d Salonga said.<\/p>\n In 2007, Salonga was cast as a replacement to play Fantine in \u201cLes Mis\u00e9rables\u201d on Broadway. Although she was familiar with the story and had previously played \u00c9ponine in the 1993 production, she felt confident in her ability to sing the role. However, the associate director, Shaun Kerrison, offered her a valuable piece of advice: \u201cDon\u2019t ever be afraid to get ugly with this character.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c(Kerrison) unlocked something in me where it\u2019s like, \u2018Oh my gosh, I\u2019m not \u00c9ponine, I\u2019m not the young pretty girl. I\u2019m playing someone who \u2026 even though she starts off as someone beautiful, she goes into this thing in her life that she takes advantage of, and she dies.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLes Mis\u00e9rables\u201d is considered one of the most demanding productions in musical theater for any performer, both vocally and emotionally. Its themes of social critique and calls for compassion toward the marginalized often go underappreciated.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s going to be a character that you see yourself in, you will recognize who the villains are, who the heroes are, and it\u2019s not always black and white because the main hero of the show is a thief. The people that we consider the heroes and heroines of this are people who we probably would not even pay much attention to if we walk past them in the street in real life. I think at whatever point in history, the show finds itself relevant,\u201d Salonga said.<\/p>\n In \u201cAladdin,\u201d Jasmine soared through the clouds while singing \u201cA Whole New World,\u201d and Mulan searched her soul with the song \u201cReflection.\u201d It was Salonga who delivered the vocal performances that connected to the emotional moments of these Disney classics, and she still feels the weight of that legacy and the magic of creating them behind the scenes.<\/p>\n \u201cI think my favorite memory will always be the first time I got to be in the room singing the song (‘A Whole New World’) with a full 75 or 80-piece orchestra. That is always a thrill. It\u2019s a trip to feel the breeze that comes from this collective of incredibly talented musicians. You feel it, this energy coming at you. It\u2019s special and it\u2019s an energy I\u2019m never going to forget,\u201d Salonga said.<\/p>\n But there were also challenges of matching the emotions of the scene in the song and getting it right.<\/p>\n \u201cThey explain that you need to channel all of your emotional energy, as well as your vocal energy into the performance because that\u2019s the only thing the animators will have. They also have a reference video of us in the studio to use as well, but the actual performance has to be channeled to the voice. I\u2019m like, \u2018OK, these two minutes are probably the hardest I\u2019ve worked in my life.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Lea Salonga<\/p>\n When Salonga won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1991 for her performance as Kim in “Miss Saigon,” it marked a pivotal moment in her career. Many recognize her as the first Asian woman to win a Tony Award, but she disputes this claim. Salonga said that the honor actually belongs to the late costume designer Willa Kim, who won in that category a decade earlier, and again about 45 minutes before Salonga received hers at the same 1991 ceremony.<\/p>\n But Salonga does indeed hold the title of first Asian American woman to earn a Tony for performance and she described the feeling of both her and Kim winning that night as “wonderful.”<\/p>\n \u201cI remember thinking, \u2018Oh my god, this is historical, pivotal, and if anything, shows what is possible for someone else from my country, or at least from my region of the world.\u2019 There have been quite a few other Filipinos who have won since in various categories,\u201d Salonga said.<\/p>\n During the 2025 Tony Awards, Filipino-American actors Darren Criss, Nicole Scherzinger and musical director Marco Paguia all took home awards. Salonga was in the audience and described screaming and cheering for all three at Radio City Music Hall.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was mind-blowing for me because so many years prior, I was holding my own. I said on that night, \u2018I got one, and this dream can come true for somebody else,\u2019\u201d Salonga recalled. \u201cIt happened for three incredibly talented people. There have been others that have won previous to that as well, and it makes me feel incredibly happy, and there are other Asian actors who have come up to me and said, \u2018Because of that, it showed me what was possible for myself.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n When Salonga takes the stage, it\u2019s not just a solo act, it’s a family affair with her brother Gerard at the helm. When discussing their working relationship, Salonga said it’s “incredibly easy” because they grew up together, skip all the pleasantries and “get right to the meat of the matter.”<\/p>\n Lea Salonga performs during the closing ceremony at the 15th Asian Games in Doha on Dec. 15, 2006.<\/p>\n “It’s a lot of fun, (Gerald) is a wonderful conductor and a great musical director. I love his sensibilities and he pushes me pretty hard. When I ask, ‘Can we bring this down in a lower key?’ He’ll be like, ‘No, because it’ll lose the excitement. Keep it there and figure out how to sing it.’ I’m not going to argue because I get where he’s coming from,” Salonga said.<\/p>\n The Nov. 14 show is Salonga’s first performance at the McCallum Theatre, and she’s looking forward to returning to the area after quite some time.<\/p>\n “I’ve heard that theater is gorgeous. I’m hoping for a wonderful experience,” Salonga said.<\/p>\n What: <\/strong>Lea Salonga in concert<\/p>\n When: <\/strong>8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14<\/p>\n Where: <\/strong>McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert<\/p>\n Cost: <\/strong>$88-$155<\/p>\n More info: <\/strong>mccallumtheatre.org<\/a><\/p>\n Brian Blueskye covers arts\u00a0and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He\u00a0can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
Lea Salonga Les Miserables experience even more meaningful second time around<\/h2>\n
What it was like voicing two iconic Disney princesses<\/h2>\n
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Salonga among the first Asian women to receive a Tony Award<\/h2>\n
Salonga keeps her career in her family’s hands<\/h2>\n
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