Lea Salonga is 'Cinderella'
STAR CIRCUIT By Ricky L. Calderon
Friday, April 11, 2008

The timeless, magical tale of Cinderella is one of the most beloved and most popular fairy tales. The story dates back to the early 9th Century China. Cinderella's glass slipper  perfectly fits Lea Salonga who's playing the role on this Broadway Asia Entertainment (BAE) production that goes onstage at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Main Theater from July 29 to August 24, 2008. Award-winning Filipino director Bobby Garcia leads the powerhouse production team of this timeless and magical tale, with Australian actor Peter Saide playing The Prince.

Producer Marc Routh of BAE said the musical will cost about US $2 million on its Manila production. Cinderella will be staged for several weeks in the Philippines before it moves to other Asian countries like Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea.

Lea said that the timing is just right for her to do the role of Cinderella onstage. "I really set aside my time to do this and my daughter Beverly Nicole also had something to do with it. Cinderella has something good that I want to pass on to my daughter and for her to watch," said the award-winning theater performer who did the role of Kim in "Miss Saigon."

Doing Cinderella is another kind of musical experience from Lea, having conquered Broadway and the West End. According to her, the challenge in doing Cinderella is how to make her a human being, not a fairy tale. She's playing a character that is well-loved and known because of the many reincarnations of the Disney movie. She became acquainted with the character of Cinderella when she was five. Now that she's doing the role onstage, the challenge is to keep it fresh every time the audience comes in.

What sets this Cinderella apart from the movie version is the music. And there's a lot of humor for the character. The Disney movie is for children while this musical will cater to the older audience. Lea said that she just wants everybody to have a fun time with another interpretation of the rags-to-riches story.

Cinderella also remains true to its Disney story. It's about a lady who seeks refuge in her own little corner of the house as she is maltreated by her stepmother and stepsisters Portia and Joy. She dreams of having a better life. That begins when the King and Queen put up a ball for their son Prince to find his true love. In one magical night, Cinderella and The Prince cross paths. The search for true love takes off from there. A glass slipper reunites them and seals a happy-ever-after ending.

Lea is also celebrating her 30th year in the entertainment business this year. According to her, some of the highlights of her career are doing Miss Saigon and Les Miz and winning a Tony award. The awards are welcome blessings but the people she has met through the years are the ones she will treasure more.

Although performing gives her a different high, it's her daughter whom Lea considers as her "greatest joy." She said that she can drop everything for her daughter. She can also talk endlessly about her. She said Nicole sings very well and this early is already showing signs of inclination to the arts or performing.

Lea said she hopes to raise Nicole here in the Philippines, not in the United States, because of the culture. "Here kasi, the kid tends to stay a kid a little bit longer, unlike in the States where a child grows old faster," said the doting mother.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Entertainment&p=52&type=2&sec=126&aid=2008041080

Ni Sanden Anadia
Friday, April 11, 2008

Lea Salonga si Aga pa gihapon ang gusto!

Sa pagbalik ni Lea Salonga sa entablado dili malikayan  nga  pangutan-on siya kung plano ba niya  nga mobalik usab sa pelikula tungod kay daghan na karong artist nga nag-comeback sama ni Gabby Concepcion.

"Oh, I love to do movies again, but it's very hard for me now to accept roles with kissing scenes because I don't want to do it with someone whom I'm not comfortable with.

"I can say na si Aga pa rin ang gusto kong makasama, hoping na puwede pa siya.  Kasi nu'ng ginawa namin ang Sana Maulit Muli ay talagang kumportable kami sa isa't isa, after the kissing scene, wala, dedma, maganda ang pakiramdam namin. Nakakatuwa nga kasi napapalabas pa rin up to now ang Sana Maulit Muli sa Cinema One.

"Now kasi, marami na akong hindi kakilala, though I knew them somehow, pero hindi ganu'n ka-close like Aga when we did Sana Maulit Muli," say pa ni Lea. Balik entablado si Lea sa musical play nga Cinderella nga himoon sa Cultural Center of the Philippines from  July 29 hangtud  August 24 sa dili pa kini ilibot sa Hongkong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand  Korea ug US.

Murag duna na'y mopuli ni  Lea sa iyang  trono , ang iyang anak nga si Nicole nga almost two years old  na karon, sanglit tsika pa maayo kini mokanta ug kabalo kini moila  sa tingog sa iyang inahan bisan sa kadaghang singer karong panahona.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Showbiz&p=51&type=2&sec=144&aid=20080410161

Timing
Lea baliw na baliw sa anak
Rowena Agilada

Excited

Si Lea Salonga ang napili ng Broadway Asia Entertainment (BAE) para gumanap bilang Cinderella sa musical stage play with the same title. Itatanghal ito sa Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) simula sa July 29 hanggang Aug. 24.
Ayon kay Lea, pregnant pa siya sa anak niyang si Nicole nang simulan ang negotiations para sa naturang musical stage play. Nicole is now two years old.

Enjoy siya sa pagiging mother na aniya, “baliw na baliw” siya sa kanyang anak.
Mukhang may hilig din ang bagets kumanta and Lea doesn’t mind kung maging singer din ang kanyang anak paglaki nito. Susuportahan daw niya ito.

Hanggang April 2009 ang performances ni Lea sa “Cinderella” na  bukod sa pagtatanghal sa Pilipinas ay itatanghal din ito sa Asian countries like Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand at Korea.” Ayon sa BAE producer na si Marc Routh, the musical will cost US $ 2 million sa Manila production. Si Bobby Garcia ang director. Mga international stage actors/actresses ang makakasama ni Lea sa “Cinderella” at darating ang mga ito sa June para sa rehearsals ng play.

“I’m so excited. It’s a challenge for me to play a character so beloved and most popular fairy tales,” Lea said.

http://www.tempo.com.ph/news.php?aid=37552

LEA Salonga is celebrating her 30th year in showbiz. She was just a little girl when we first saw her sang "Hard Knock Life" and "Tomorrow" in "Annie." Since then, she has conquered the world in "Miss Saigon," "Les Miz," "Flower Drum Song," and as Princess Jasmine in "Aladdin." She’ll have an anniversary concert at the PICC, "My Life on Stage," on May 23 and 24 with brother Gerard Salonga and Filharmonika.

On July 29, the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, "Cinde-rella," opens with Lea in the title role. This will run until August 24 at the CCP Main Theatre, produced by Broadway Asia Entertainment (BAE), the biggest producer of Broadway musicals in Asia, directed by the acclaimed Bobby Garcia and later to tour Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Tawian, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea.

What are the highlights of Lea’s 30-year-career? "Definitely playing ‘Annie’ is first because it started my career, then doing ‘Miss Saigon’ in London and later traveling to the US. It gave me the Olivier and Tony Awards but more than winning them, I consider meeting the people I admire in other musicals and concerts as the bigger highlights. Then doing ‘Les Miz,’ first as Eponine and later, as Fantine."

Her daughter Nicole, almost 2 years old, was with Lea as we interviewed her. How is it being a mom? "It’s so much fun. Look at my daughter, she brings so much joy into my life."

When does she intend to have a baby boy? "That has to wait in a long while as I’m under contract in ‘Cinderella’ until April of 2009."

Is married life with husband Rob a blissful one? "Thank God the answer is yes. I was looking for someone who’s sweet, smart, loving, God-fearing, devoted to his family, understands me well, and good-looking. Not much, huh? But I got all in one person, Rob, and even more, too. We have a lot of things in common, like our love for video games and new technology. I really consider myself so blessed as I not only have a good family life but also because I’m doing for a living something that I really love to do. There isn’t anything else that I’d rather be doing. I can never do office work, but I do have the dedication to learn an intricate melody or memorize a long monologue to the point of obsession."

How does she intend to play Cinderella? "I first played it in high school when I was 16. This new production is special because it’s by Rodgers and Hammerstein, whose ‘Flower Drum Song’ I also did on Broadway. Their music is really great. The challenge for me now is how to make Cinderella a real human being, not just a fairy tale character."

This version of "Cinderella" was originally created as a TV special starring Julie Andrews (who was then doing "My Fair Lady" on Broadway) in the title role and Jon Cypher as the Prince. Its best known songs are "In My Own Little Corner," "Ten Minutes Ago," "Impossible," and "Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful." Rodgers and Hammerstein (also the creators of "South Pacific," "The King and I," and "The Sound of Music" were faithful to the original Charles Perrault tale and worked on their adaptation for eight months and this premiered on CBS TV on March 31, 1957. It was a big hit.

Tickets ranging from P500 to P7,000 for the CCP presentation starring Lea are now available at National Bookstore, Ticketworld (891-9999). Groups or companies which want to get block tickets can email Atlantis Productions at cince-rella.phil-@gmail.com or call them at 660-0764, to be sold at 20 percent discount and available for a full, half or quarter house. An early bird discount of 25 percent for a full house during the first two week of its run is also available for the first 30 days only, so call now.

On July 29, the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, "Cinde-rella," opens with Lea in the title role. This will run until August 24 at the CCP Main Theatre, produced by Broadway Asia Entertainment (BAE), the biggest producer of Broadway musicals in Asia, directed by the acclaimed Bobby Garcia and later to tour Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Tawian, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea.

What are the highlights of Lea’s 30-year-career? "Definitely playing ‘Annie’ is first because it started my career, then doing ‘Miss Saigon’ in London and later traveling to the US. It gave me the Olivier and Tony Awards but more than winning them, I consider meeting the people I admire in other musicals and concerts as the bigger highlights. Then doing ‘Les Miz,’ first as Eponine and later, as Fantine."

Her daughter Nicole, almost 2 years old, was with Lea as we interviewed her. How is it being a mom? "It’s so much fun. Look at my daughter, she brings so much joy into my life."

When does she intend to have a baby boy? "That has to wait in a long while as I’m under contract in ‘Cinderella’ until April of 2009."

Is married life with husband Rob a blissful one? "Thank God the answer is yes. I was looking for someone who’s sweet, smart, loving, God-fearing, devoted to his family, understands me well, and good-looking. Not much, huh? But I got all in one person, Rob, and even more, too. We have a lot of things in common, like our love for video games and new technology. I really consider myself so blessed as I not only have a good family life but also because I’m doing for a living something that I really love to do. There isn’t anything else that I’d rather be doing. I can never do office work, but I do have the dedication to learn an intricate melody or memorize a long monologue to the point of obsession."

How does she intend to play Cinderella? "I first played it in high school when I was 16. This new production is special because it’s by Rodgers and Hammerstein, whose ‘Flower Drum Song’ I also did on Broadway. Their music is really great. The challenge for me now is how to make Cinderella a real human being, not just a fairy tale character."

This version of "Cinderella" was originally created as a TV special starring Julie Andrews (who was then doing "My Fair Lady" on Broadway) in the title role and Jon Cypher as the Prince. Its best known songs are "In My Own Little Corner," "Ten Minutes Ago," "Impossible," and "Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful." Rodgers and Hammerstein (also the creators of "South Pacific," "The King and I," and "The Sound of Music" were faithful to the original Charles Perrault tale and worked on their adaptation for eight months and this premiered on CBS TV on March 31, 1957. It was a big hit.

Tickets ranging from P500 to P7,000 for the CCP presentation starring Lea are now available at National Bookstore, Ticketworld (891-9999). Groups or companies which want to get block tickets can email Atlantis Productions at cince-rella.phil-@gmail.com or call them at 660-0764, to be sold at 20 percent discount and available for a full, half or quarter house. An early bird discount of 25 percent for a full house during the first two week of its run is also available for the first 30 days only, so call now.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/apr12/ente_2.htm

Lea plans to raise her daughter here



Shirley Matias-Pizarro

Not only a few have noticed how gracefully Lea Salonga has bloomed all the more since she became a mother.

Truly, being a doting mom to her almost two-year-old Nicole becomes her.

Lea is unapologetic when she says that it is from being a mom where she draws so much joy these days. She just can’t seem to stop talking about her little girl.

Lea confesses she gets really smitten when Nicole calls her mommy, or when she reaches out to her just to cuddle. "I just love it when she does that," she tells us. The little girl, this early, has been showing signs of being a real good dancer. "She sings too, but she dances a lot," she adds.

It will surely not come as a surprise when time comes that Nicole will one day end up to be like her mom. The talent is innate and Nic has the genes of her talented mother. The training may not be too different as well.

Being a resident of both the US and the Philippines , Lea says she plans to raise Nicole here as much as she can. "I would really love to raise her here. I love the fact that she can be a kid longer if raised here than there. I don’t know but somehow, kids raised in America tend to grow up a bit faster. It will be lovely to have her enjoy the same upbringing that we all had in this country and its culture."

When asked whether she and husband Rob (Chien) are planning already for a second baby, Lea said they would love to have another child "but maybe after all the touring is done. My stint with ‘Cinderella’ will end in April, 2009.

So the baby has to wait til after that," she said.

Lea seems to have been achieving a good balance in her professional and personal life these days, able to attend to her family and at the same time, perform here and abroad. In two months’ time, Lea will once more grace the musical stage of CCP as she essays the lead role in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s original Cinderella from the production of Broadway Asia Entertainment (BAE), one of the largest producers of Broadway musicals in Asia.

"Cinderella," directed by our very own Disney director Bobby Garcia, commences its four-week run at the CCP on July 29, concluding on Aug. 24, before it starts touring Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, and possibly Japan. The touring company will conclude its performance on April, 2009.

Lea’s prince in "Cinderella" will be Peter Saide, originally from Brisbane, Australia and who was most recently seen as Tony in "Saturday Night Fever," "Masquerade," and "Hey! Mr. Producer."

Aside from Lea and a couple of Filipinos in the cast including Lea’s understudy, "Cinderella" will also boast of an all-Filipino orchestra, "Filharmonika." Gerard Salonga and Filharmonika will be featured in the soundtrack recording of the musical which will be locally distributed by Sony-BMG Music Entertainment.

But before the Cinderella fever hits Manila, Lea will be celebrating her 30th anniversary in the business via a concert aptly titled "Lea…My Life…Onstage" directed by Freddie Santos on May 23-24, 8 p.m. at the PICC Plenary Hall.

A production of Ambient Productions, the show will trace Lea’s growth on the musical stage beginning in "Annie" when she was just nine years old, up until she became an international star.

Surprise special guests will be included in the production, particularly those who have figured in her 30-year-career. Her fans will have a real treat I heard.

For ticket inquiries, you may log on to ticketworld.com.ph or at Cinderella.phil@gmail.com.

http://www.mb.com.ph/ENTR20080412121655.html

ABOUT SHOWBIZ Ni Nitz Miralles
Saturday, April 12, 2008

Si Lea Salonga pa lang ang humarap sa press para i-promote ang Cinderella, ang Broadway musical na kanyang pagbibidahan. Hindi pa dumating si Peter Saide, ang Australian actor na gaganap na kanyang Prince Charming sa musical. Sa litrato pa lang, guwapo na ang actor at sabi ni Lea, unang kita pa lang nila (ni direk Bobby Garcia siguro), alam na nilang bagay ito sa role na ibinigay sa kanya.

Peter Saide’s from Brisbane, Australia at lumabas na Tony sa Saturday Night Fever, Hey, Mr. Producer!  ni Sir Cameron Mackintosh at principal vocalist sa  Masquerade ni Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Nakuwento ni Lea na in-offer sa kanya ang Cinderella ng Broad­way Asia Enter­tainment habang buntis pa siya sa baby niyang si Nicole Beverly, na ngayon ay magtu-two years old na.

Ang brother ni Lea na si Gerard Salonga ang chief conductor ng musical at si Bobby Garcia ang director.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Showbiz&p=50&type=2&sec=58&aid=20080411128

April 13, 2008 04:58 PM Sunday

By: Aster Amoyo

IF I KNOW

CINDERELLA’S SLIPPER FITS LEA

Cinderella’s glass slipper  perfectly fits Lea Salonga who’s playing the role on this Broadway Asia Entertainment (BAE) production of this magical tale that goes onstage at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Main Theater from July 29 to August 24, 2008. Award-winning Filipino director Bobby Garcia leads the powerhouse production team of this timeless and magical tale, with Australian actor Peter Saide playing The Prince.

Producer Marc Routh of BAE says the musical will cost about US $2 million on its Manila production. Cinderella will be staged for several weeks in the Philippines before it moves to other Asian countries like Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea.

Lea says the timing is just right for her to do the role of Cinderella onstage. “I really set aside my time to do this and my daughter Beverly Nicole also had something to do with it. Cinderella has something good that I want to pass on to my daughter and for her to watch,” says the award-winning theater performer who did the role of Kim in “Miss Saigon.”

Doing Cinderella is another kind of musical experience from Lea, having conquered Broadway and the West End. According to her, the challenge in doing Cinderella is how to make her a human being, not a fairy tale. She’s playing a character that is well-loved and known because of the many reincarnations of the Disney movie. She became acquainted with the character of Cinderella when she was five. Now that she’s doing the role onstage, the challenge is to keep it fresh every time the audience comes in.

Lea is also celebrating her 30th year in the entertainment business this year. According to her, some of the highlights of her career are doing Miss Saigon and Les Miz and winning a Tony award.         While the awards are welcome blessings, Lea says the people she has met through the years are the ones she will treasure more. 

People's Journal

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-04-13&sec=3&aid=55876

Outrageously lavish at $2-M
DIRECTLINE By Boy Abunda
Monday, April 14, 2008

The world's best-loved fairy tale finally comes to Manila. Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella opens its magical doors in the Philippines with Tony Award winner Lea Salonga in the title role of the mistreated and enslaved chimney sweeper-turned-princess.

Fresh from her critically-acclaimed performance as Fantine in Broadway's current revival of the musical Les Miserables, Lea is back in her hometown to regale her countrymen with her beguiling stage presence and her enchanting voice.

"Lea will give an Asian face to Cinderella," award-winning Cinderella director Bobby Garcia shared.

Incidentally, Lea is also celebrating her 30th year in show business this 2008. She will celebrate her much-celebrated 30 years with an anniversary concert titled My Life... On Stage at the PICC this May.

During the press conference of the much-awaited musical production, Lea sang There Is Music in You, one of the songs from the musical, to give the press a glimpse of the magical doors that Broadway Asia Entertainment (BAE), the largest producer of Broadway musicals in Asia, will open for the discriminating Asian audience.

The performance is enough to convince everyone that Lea perfectly fits the glass slippers worn by the likes of brilliant English actress and singer Dame Julie Andrews and international pop singer Brandy.

Cinderella will have its world premiere on July 29 and will run until August 24 at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

After its launch in Manila, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella will play in Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

BAE is confident that its biggest and most lavish musical production of a Rodgers and Hammerstein classic will be a big hit in Asia.

"Many just don't realize it yet, but the Asian market is huge," Garcia said.

Producer Marc Routh of BAE says the musical will cost about $2-M on its Manila production.

The set for the stage production will come all the way from the US, according to Garcia.

The costumes designed by Italian couturier Renato Balestra will be shipped from Hong Kong. Balestra has dressed the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Lauren Bacall, Iran's Empress Farah Diba, the Queen of Thailand, the first ladies of the Philippines and Egypt, and Saudi Arabian princesses.

Cinderella is one of the most beloved and most popular fairy tales. The story dates back to the early ninth century China. BAE's Cinderella is adapted from the original musical written by American songwriters Richard Rodgers (composer) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyricist) for television.

The pair was famous for creating other popular musicals like Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Flower Drum Song, The Sound of Music, and others which collectively earned 34 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program.

Cinderella's score features familiar songs like In My Own Little Corner, Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?, Ten Minutes Ago I Saw You, Impossible, and several of Rodger's most enchanting waltzes and marches.

Sponsors are Dusit Thani Manila, Getzmo?, Bayo and 105.1 Crossover.

Tickets are available at all selected major National Book Store branches; selected major Robinsons Department Stores; Ayala Malls like Greenbelt I and Glorietta I; Ticketworld offices; and the Ticketworld website (www.ticketworld.com.ph). Ticket sells at P500 to P7,000. For details, call 891-9999.

If your group, corporation or organization is interested in securing block tickets, e-mail Atlantis Productions at cinderella.phil@gmail.com or call (929) 660-0764 to set up an appointment. Only a limited number of performances are available and requests will be handled in the order they are received. Block sales packages will be sold at a 20 percent discount and are available for the purchase of full, half or quarter house. An early bird discount of 25 percent off the purchase of a full house during the first two weeks of performances is available for the first 30 days only. Weekend performances are also available.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Entertainment&p=49&type=2&sec=31&aid=2008041324

April 14, 2008 06:40 PM Monday

Lea’s treat to Filipinos

By: Bong de Leon

Check it out

IT has almost always been a yearly treat from Lea Salonga doing a Broadway musical in our country. She gives us a chance to watch her in these high-end entertainment fare. This time, she’s giving  us a chance to see her in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella slated for July 29 at the CCP.
    
The project means so much to Lea, as  her daughter Beverly Nicole is now on her growing up stage. She wants to pass on to her daughter the legacy of being a first-rate artist. “I want her to watch it and see mommy perform,” she gushed during the presscon for the musical at Makati Dusit Hotel.     
   
Aside from the much-celebrated Miss Saigon, Lea is the first Asian to play Eponine in Les Miserables  on Broadway and has portrayed  Fantine in a musical last  year.        
Other roles she has done were Mei Li in Flower Drum Song, The Witch in Into The Woods, among others.
   
Cinderella is timeless. It dates back to the early  9th century.   Cinderella is adapted  from the original musical written by American songwriter Richard Rogers (composer) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyricist) for television.  The pair was famous for creating 11 immensely popular musicals like Oklahoma , Carousel, State Fair, Allegro, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, among others. For ticket and other inquiries to the $2 million production,   see website www. ticket World.com.ph.

People's Journal

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-04-14&sec=3&aid=56005

MovieGoer
Like daughter, like grandmother
Nestor Cuartero

LIKE HER grandmother before her, Lea Salonga’s two-year old daughter is her biggest fan and adorer. In last week’s media lunch to launch Broadway Asia’s mounting of Cinderella, Chloe, was the first to sigh, break into giggles, and wave at her mother who was then singing excerpts from the musical on stage.

When done with her three songs, Lea gamely brought in her daughter on stage and proudly showed her off to media. The Broadway star said she was glad that she’s doing a non-tragic play, for a change, something that her own daughter could appreciate.

The challenge to playing Cinderella, Lea said, is to how to make her as human as possible and not a mere fairy tale character. Cinderella, according to Lea, will have a more adult treatment, but she’s also going to be very funny.

Broadway Asia Entertainment producer Marc Routh said the company is pouring in about textbig million for the Manila production, which opens at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on July 29. The play, which has a predominantly foreign cast auditioned in New York, will run until Aug. 24 under the direction of Atlantis Productions’ Bobby Garcia.

After its Philippine run, Cinderella will go on an Asian tour with stops in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Korea. The musical play will keep Lea busy for nine months.

To partner with Lea’s Cinderella is Peter Saide as the Prince. Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Saide was seen recently as Tony in ‘Saturday Night Fever.’

While most of the cast members are foreigners, Garcia acknowledged that Lea’s understudies plus a couple more in the chorus, shall be Filipino.

http://www.tempo.com.ph/news.php?aid=37633

Dollywood
Finding Prince Charming


By Dolly Anne Carvajal
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:01:00 04/15/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Does Lea Salonga still believe in fairy tales?

“Happy ever after doesn’t exist,” she says. “After meeting and marrying Prince Charming, there’s still a lot of work to be done to keep the relationship going smoothly.”

The Tony award-winning actress was speaking her mind in connection with her forthcoming appearance in the stage version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical adaptation of “Cinderella”—produced by Broadway Asia Entertainment and which runs from July 29 to Aug. 24 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

What’s her definition of a “Prince Charming?”

“Someone who sweeps you off your feet, lives in a castle and will take care of you,” she muses. “My own prince did just about everything except for the castle part. We did that together.”

What challenges her most in portraying Cinderella?

“She is such a well-known fairy tale character. Everyone in the audience is going to have preconceived notions of who and what she is. My job will be to find something I can relate to in that character, as well as inject as much humor as I can without it being ridiculous,” Lea says.

She adds, “I have to find out why she’s able to keep a relatively sunny disposition, in spite of her living situation. The other challenge will be to stand tall beside my leading man (Peter Saide) who’s 6’4”. Wow!”

No doubt Lea will be standing proud with or without the glass slipper. Whatever the role, she wears it so well.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080415-130595/Finding-Prince-Charming

Lea Salonga, masaya sa buhay may asawa
April 18, 2008

Pinagtawanan lang si Lea Salonga ang balitang hiwalay na sila ng asawang si Robert Chien.

Sinabi ni Lea na malabong mangyari ito sa kanila dahil very open sila sa kanilang relasyon at sa ngayon ay maayos naman ang takbo ng kanilang buhay mag-asawa.

Imposible rin aniya ang mga naglabasang balita na may mga nakakita na nambabae ang kanyang asawa dahil hindi ito ang tipo ng lalaki na makikilala kaagad ng publiko kaya malabong ito ang tinutukoy sa mga nagsulputang blind item.

Sakali man aniyang dumating ang panahon na magpasya silang magkanya-kanya na ng buhay ay hindi naman niya ito itatago sa publiko.

http://rmn.com.ph/

Lea, problemado sa mister na si Robert?

Ni RUEL MENDOZA

TAHIMIK pa rin ang buhay ni Lea Salonga. Noong magpakasal siya sa kanyang mister na si Ro­bert Chien, halos wala ka talagang intriga na mariri­nig mula sa kanilang pagsasama. Nabiyayaan pa sila ng isang baby girl na pinangalanan nilang Nicole Be­verly.

Pero, dahil nasa showbiz si Lea, at kahit pa sabihing tahimik talaga ang pagsasama niyo, hindi talaga mawawala ang may mang-intriga o ang sirain pa rin ang maayos na pagsasama nila.

May nag-blind item nga raw na may problema sa pagsasama sina Lea at Robert.

Para kay Lea, wala raw siyang dapat na i-explain dahil masaya ang pagsasama nila ng kanyang mister.

"I am happily married and we're very much together," nakangiting sabi ni Lea.

"I don't know where all that is coming from. But we're fine, and if it was true, I think it would come out of our lips first kasi wala naman akong hiya if that was the case.

"God forbid if ever that happened to me, hindi ko naman itatago. I wouldn't brag about it but I wouldn't hide it," say ni Lea.

Nagtataka nga si Lea sa mga lumalabas na masamang balita, dahil tinuturo nga na nambababae raw ang kanyang mister.

Pero siyempre, natawa na lang si Lea dahil baka raw napagkamalan lang na mister niya iyon since hindi raw ito talaga masyadong nakikita in public.

"Robert is not somebody na nakikilala kaagad in public," say ni Lea.

"Gusto niya ‘yung he's able to go around without being recognized. That's my job to be a public face.

"What's funny pa nga is that maraming hindi nakakaalam na dito na pala kami nakatira. We actually moved here in 2005 and he had a wonderful opportunity to work for a wonderful company. So how would they even think na asawa ko ‘yung nakikita nila, eh he's not even recognized that well in public."

Alam daw ni Lea ang lahat ng mga nasusulat tungkol sa kanilang mag-asawa. At imposible raw na may maitago sa kanya ang kanyang mister na hindi niya nalalaman.

"I've read everything and my husband doesn't hold anything from me. When that news came out it's like, ‘What is this?' And it's easy to debunk everything. Everything that came out in any of those articles na is easy to disprove. I know my husband's whereabouts all the time so those tsismis are not true at all."

Siyanga pala, si Lea ang gaganap bilang Cinderella sa pagbubukas nito sa Cultural Center of the Philippines.

http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/apr1908/ent_other03.htm

In the limelight

04/12/2008

Lea Salonga celebrates

her 30th anniversary at the PICC

This year, Lea Salonga, the most successful Filipino ever to trail blaze the world of international musical theater and recording, marks her 30th year in the business. What better way to celebrate this momentous event in her life than to look back at the musical journey by way of a two-night concert production that will span half a world of theatrical history and outstanding possibilities still.

In this concert billed “Lea...My Life...On Stage,” slated for May 23 and 24, 8 p.m. at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Salonga extends, expands, explores with one eye looking back at all that has been and one eye out for all that is yet come.

Lea has mapped out this concert together with her brother, award-winning musical director Gerard Salonga and Filharmonica, and long time mentor and multi-awarded stage director Freddie Santos to include her auspicious beginnings with Repertory Philippines all the way to her West End and Broadway triumphs.

“Lea...My Life...On Stage” is produced for the first time by Ambient Events, a division of Ambient Media which is a media and entertainment company whose business include web interactive services, e-commerce and delivery, mobile content, digital music, event management, music and audio production, video production and artist development and aims to provide innovative services and a comprehensive source for all media and entertainment requisites.

Ambient Event is a full-service event management company that guarantees comprehensive event management solutions for corporate and live events to social and team affairs.

‘Penthouse 7 (That ’70s Dance Show)’ holds grand concert reunion

Even before Penthouse got associated with the Martin and Pops tandem, many will remember that it was the groundbreaking program responsible for making the 1970s “the golden era of dance” in the Philippines.

The Sunday night show Penthouse 7 was hailed as the “Dance Party on Air” on GMA 7. It set trends, new fashion, popularized the latest dances and music, launched new artists and personalities, introduced the first music videos and inspired recording companies to create their own dance groups.

Archie Lacson was at the helm of Penthouse 7 with different female co-hosts every week. The show was made up of Latin and Modern Groups. It was in this show where dance steps like the Robot, the Bump, the Jacksons, the famous LA Walk, the New York hustle, Swing, Pop-Locking, Locking, The Rock, Errol Flynn and hundreds of other dance steps were popularized and taught during the show’s instruction segment.

Throughout the 27 years after the show’s conclusion, there hasn’t been any other dance show able to duplicate the same kind of success. Thus, having forged a special bond (rooted in dance), Archie and several members of the original cast have kept the passion burning. A posting on YouTube of the Penthouse 7 opening credits by a fan got wheels turning. Emails started circulating, phone calls and text messages were sent, meetings were set, rehearsals scheduled, pictorials arranged and voila! “Penthouse 7 (That ’70s Dance Show): The Grand Reunion” was born and set for April 30, 8 p.m. at the NBC Tent in The Fort, Makati City.

The cast is back together again though a few years older, a few pounds heavier, but still very much alive and kicking. Sandy Hontiveros says, “We have pulled all our resources together, poured in all our blood, sweat and tears, and hope to God that we bring as much fun to our audience as we have had putting this all together.”

So put on your dancing shoes and let Archie Lacson, Tito Garcia, Poncy Quirino, Nini Morato-Borja, Susan Payawal, Rosie Garchitorena-Gan, Ronnie Henares, Pipo Liboro, Mike Monserrat, Ray Ann Fuentes, Sandy Hontiveros, Gina Valenciano-Martinez, Ida Ramos-Henares, Marlyn Feliciano-Lopez and Anna Garcia bring you back the glory of that ’70s Dance Show. Direction is by Ronnie Henares.

Tickets are available at all Ticketworld outlets (891-9999) and Genesis office (721-4405 local 106 and 722-7281) or you can log on to www.ticketworld.com.ph.

http://tribune.net.ph/20080412/life/20080412lif3.html

BUZZSTATION

Edgar Cruz

04/15/2008

Aussie to be Lea’s Prince Charming

“When he walked in for the audition, we knew we had our Prince Charming,” Cinderella lead character Lea Salonga said about Australian actor Peter Saide when he auditioned for the role in New York and clinched it on first try. Lea launched the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical at the Dusit Thani Manila recently. Cinderella will be staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Main Theater from July 29 to Aug. 24 before it tours Asian countries Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Korea. To open the media event, Lea sang “There is Music in You” accompanied by FILharmonica as conducted by Gerald Salonga. Produced by Broadway Asia Entertainment under the direction of Bobby Garcia, Lea’s Cinderella remain true to its Disney story. Lea explains, “The Disney movie is for the children. This one is certainly a little older.”

Broadway Asia Entertainment is the largest producer of Broadway musicals in Asia. Produced by Marc Routh, this big and lavish musical will cost about US$2 million for its Manila production. Ticket prices from P500 to P7,000 are available at all selected National Book Store branches, selected major Robinsons Department Stores, Ayala Malls (Greenbelt 1/Glorietta 1), TicketWorld Office (www.TicketWorld.com.ph). For inquiries and reservations, call 891-9999. Block ticket buyers must e-mail Atlantis Productions at cindrella.phil@@gmail.com o call (929) 660-0764 to set up an appointment. Block sales packages will be sold at 20 percent discount and an early bird discount of 25 percent off the ticket price is available for the first 30 days only.

http://tribune.net.ph/20080415/life/20080415lif1.html

Lea sings songs of her life



By KAYE VILLAGOMEZ

It’s a staged life literally for Lea Salonga as her story — professional and personal life — is played out in her concert "Lea…My Life… On Stage."

Long-time friend, mentor and director Freddie Santos wrote and conceptualized the entire musicale with Lea. "Lea and I share a history that goes back when she was starting. I was her first leading man in ‘The King & I,’ her first musicale when she was just eight or nine."

Lea supplied Freddie with a lot of personal details about the musicale but when it was time to piece together the details of her young career, it was the director who joined the puzzles for Lea. "We were filling gaps and she would fill in later details but during her childhood, I would be filling the gap for her because she could not remember," said the director who was also Lea’s school teacher.

Freddie recalled, "The first time we saw Lea audition for the King & I, she knew the whole play. She read everything. Her mom made her memorize the whole thing so even back then we knew, without a doubt, she will be making it big internationally."

He added, "At first I did not think that they would go for the idea of Lea’s life on stage to celebrate her career milestone but I was even more surprised that the scripts I sent weren’t touched!"

Equipped with full scores and the 40-piece FILharmoniKa Orchestra, "My Life" marks two other milestones in Lea’s career — her 30th career anniversary and the only local concert before she embarks on her "Cinderella" tour.

HER LIFE

Like the lyrics of the Lennon-McCartney classic "There are places I remember all my life…," the musicale will harp back on Lea's journey as a child actress up to her triumph as a Broadway star. Filipino audience will also see Lea as a daughter, a wife and a mother.

The director said "important people in Lea’s life will definitely be played on stage. Of course Mommy Salonga will be there and her husband Rob will be there. All the important persons in her life will be there. You cannot do Lea’s life without a ‘Kuya Germs,’ so there will be a sort of Kuya Germs there."

Like any musicale of this proportion, the two-time best director tapped reliable actors int