Lea Salonga, Vocal coach, Singing Lessons

The Scoop on
Lea Salonga

In a dramatic ending that was not to be an ending at all, Lea Salonga reprised her Tony Award winning role of "Miss Saigon" on New Year's Eve, 2000 for an extraordinary 4 week extension of the 6th longest running show in Broadway History. On break from a run of Miss Saigon in Manila, Lea's riveting performance as Kim runs until closing, January 28, 2001.
My inside scoop is: At age 14, while visiting Los Angeles, Lea auditioned for me for the international kids choir of We Are the World. She made it, and sang alongside other up and coming singers like Martika, Shaniece, Rashaan Patterson, and kid actors, Drew Barrymore, Kim Fields and Alyssa Milano.

Lea took voice lessons with me in that summer of 1985. She had a joyful, free soprano voice. One day she asked me how she could sing differently, more like a pop star in the US? (She was already was a singing star in the Philippines.)

My answer to her was, " Don't change. Your voice is too beautiful to change a thing."

I heard in Lea a gift that was rare, fresh, and of a World Class. I encouraged her to develop the pure tone she was born with, and promised her that one day, she would be magic. And she is! I am so incredibly proud of her.

Lea Salonga (back left), Alyssa Milano (front center) at
rehearsals for Grammy Nominated 'We Are the World'.