‘Factory’ ni Lea, sarado muna hanggang Nobyembre lang
ni Allan Diones

http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/may0908/entertainment_allan.htm

Lea, mas mababa na ang luha

ILALAHAD ni Lea Salonga ang kuwento ng kanyang buhay sa entablado sa two-night concert niyang Lea, My Life... On Stage sa Mayo 23 at 24 sa PICC Plenary Hall.

Magsisimula ito sa pagiging child star niya, TV appearances hanggang sa pamamayagpag niya sa West End London at Broadway, New York City.

Pagdating sa perso­nal niyang buhay, limi­tado ang isinasapubliko ni Lea.

"I am very leery about putting my personal life out in public. I've always been. I've been burned whenever I put my personal life in public. And those usually involved are private individuals themselves.

"Maybe perhaps to protect the guilty and the innocent. It's been very delicate which aspect of my life would be put forth. It's not just professional. It's also personal that intertwines with it!" bulalas pa niya.

Ang personalidad niya ang magiging reflection ng concert niya.
"My personality has always been that I don't always wear my heart on my sleeve. I always keep things very close. I'm pretty much that way today.

"Syempre, mas mababa na ang luha ko, kasi, may anak na ako! But having said that, I do not want to make hagulgol at the drop of a hat just because...

"I have a wicked sense of humor. It can be sarcastic and  pointed and I will laugh at myself and I do make fun of myself.

"You know, I don't indulge in self pity. If I talk about a flop in the concert, it is without going into anything, any emotion of sort. I am very matter-of-factly and pragmatic!

"But if something touches me during the show and I couldn't help it but let the tears flow, I just let them.

"The only thing I am planning is just be me on stage singing these songs that have been hallmarks of my career. I am really looking forward to this," diretsong pahayag ni Lea.

Nagustuhan ba niya ang kanyang journey?

"Yes, I did and I am still enjoying it! I have a lot of fun! Ha! Ha! Ha!" halakhak ni Lea.

Kung hindi niya tinahak ang mundo ng showbiz, nasaang mundo kaya siya ngayon?

"I really don't know because I was in pre-med. I have really much planned, 13 years of my life towards the medical education.

"If I didn't continue on into Miss Saigon, it's likely that I would have continued on that path. I sincerely enjoyed cutting up things and seeing them how they work.

"I really don't know because it could have been possible that I went on to become a doctor. It could have been possible that I wanna do something else.

"But to reflect on the ‘what if' is really a little bit waste of my time. It seems as though God anyway had my life planned because everytime I veer away from performing or theater or show business, I would be pulled back in and I would feel the pull very strongly!" deklarasyon pa ni Lea.

Matapos ang presscon, ipinarinig ni Lea ang ilang kantang nagpatingkad ng pangalan niya rito at sa ibang bansa na ma­ging bahagi ng kakantahin niya sa darating niyang concert.

Para sa tickets, call kayo sa Ticketworld, tel.# 891-9999.

http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/may1008/ent_jn.htm

Ang saya! Mother's Day at birthday ni Nic, halos magkasabay!

TAKE FIVE
Mom’s the word for Lea


By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:25:00 05/11/2008

MANILA, Philippines - Jokingly, Lea Salonga tells the press gathered at the launch of her 30th anniversary concert “My Life … Onstage” that the “baby factory is closed.” It means two-year-old daughter Nicole Beverly won’t have a younger sister or brother anytime soon because Lea’s booked to do shows till October next year.

Apart from the two-night anniversary concert on May 23 and 24, she’s also slated to lead the Asian tour of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical “Cinderella,” which will have its debut run at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) from July to August this year.

Next year, she’s set to do shows in Las Vegas.

For now, it seems work and Nicole are more than enough to keep Mama Lea on her toes.

Prior to the launch, Lea juggled a makeup session, two interviews and playtime with the tot.

Inquirer Entertainment caught Lea and Nicole huddled in front of her MacBook; the TV fixed on a cartoon show on Disney Channel.
Lea has often said that her baby “runs her life,” that motherhood has “altered” her perspective.

Nicole was born right after Mother’s Day two years ago.

What’s the highlight of your 30 years?

It definitely includes the very first time I stepped onstage at the CCP, for “The King and I,” when I was 7 years old. It was then that I realized that I had no fear of performing in front of people.

Did you ever imagine then that it would become your life’s work?

When you’re that young, becoming an actress is not something you necessarily think about. It didn’t really occur to me. I wanted to be a lot of things: to be a psychiatrist or a doctor. I wanted a life outside of this business, but it seems that God has other plans for me.

Will you allow Nicole to follow in your footsteps?

I don’t know. It’s hard to say because a kid will be a kid and will always emulate other people. Today, she’s emulating her ninong (Lea’s brother Gerard Salonga) conducting an orchestra. Earlier (at the rehearsals), she was holding the baton. She also imitated the violinist. But she likes holding drumsticks, too. She can very well end up a musician and not necessarily become a celebrity. Which is fine by me.

According to her Lola Ligaya, she’s not afraid of the mic.

It’s really up to her. I’m not going to force her into doing something that she may not want for herself. I’m not going to pressure her: “You have to be a singer, like mommy.” I wasn’t forced to do this. It stands to reason that I wouldn’t force my kid into it, either.
If she wants to study music in Juilliard and perform in Carnegie Hall with a violin under her chin, that would make me incredibly proud. My husband and I would have to discern, along with her, what her real gift is and figure out how best to utilize that gift.

Your mom Ligaya also says that you expose Nicole to different things?

I try to. I take Nic to work. Whenever I have band or orchestra rehearsals, I try to bring her so that she’ll be exposed to people and music. Hopefully, she’ll take away something from all this.

You also take her to watch plays in a mall?

I bring her whenever I feel it’s appropriate. I took her to “Seussical” at the Alabang Town Center. It was only an hour long, I had friends onstage and Chari (Arespacochaga) was the director. During the show, Nic either sat on my lap or danced near the stage.

There are a lot of Filipinos, from Charice Pempengco to Madonna Decena, who are doing well in the international scene? What’s your take on this?

Oh, it’s wonderful. It’s always great when Filipino talent is recognized worldwide.

Madonna was active in local theater.

She was on “Once on This Island” in Manila. I had friends in the same production. They were like: Wow! Our Little Timone is on “Britain’s Got Talent.” It just seems to me a little sad that it has to be foreigners who point out how great we are.

Do you feel the same way, that you were underrated here prior to “Miss Saigon”?

But it’s not fair to say that I was underrated. I wasn’t exactly putting in much of an effort because I had school then. For me, show biz was just a hobby.

But it seems it took West End to discover you?

There’ll be people who’ll say that. But I think it took them, for me to realize that this is what I was meant to do. If anything, it was a wakeup call for me. I wasn’t meant to go to med school; I was meant to be onstage and make people happy with my performances.