Siam Pinoy wishes to pay tribute to Miss Lea Salonga for being a remarkable artist, for despite her being unwell (she was hospitalized the night before her concert on September 12), she still went through with the concert. We thank her for doing it, and we love her more for her professionalism and huge faith. There were people in the audience who flew in from neighboring countries and from the Philippines to watch Lea perform at the Queen Sirikit Convention Center, with Gerard, her brother, conducting the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.
To satisfy the many fans Lea has among the members of the Pinoy community in Thailand, we asked her some questions related to her concert, her earlier challenges when she started Miss Saigon in London, and how her being a wife and a mom, have made an impact on her performances at present.
SP: What made you decide to push through with the concert, despite your being unwell?
LS: I never like canceling performances, especially one that both Gerard (my brother) and I were really looking forward to. My last time in Bangkok for the limited run of Cinderella left me with so many beautiful memories. I knew that I would someday return to this city, this time for my own show. We decided to push through once we knew that aggressive medical intervention would indeed enable me to continue, despite the laryngitis and tonsillitis that my doctor found. Since I knew I'd be well enough to perform, why not?
(Lea was almost normal a few days after the concert, and was confident she would be back to normal a few more days thereafter.)
SP: A member of the audience made a comment that in your shows, she could not remember you having gone for guest singers, was your concert in Bangkok a first, when you allowed members of the audience, and a friend to sing with you on stage?
LS: In my concerts in Manila I always have guests, and it gives me a break. However, when I tour, I don't always have one. In Bangkok, circumstances necessitated my asking for a little help, and I was fortunate that my friend Pat (Suthasinee Buddhinan) was in town, and willing to sing with me. It was a huge, huge favor. I am only too grateful for it. As for the other young men that sang with me, that actually began as an experiment: in Carnegie Hall, I asked a member of the audience to sing A Whole New World with me. A young theater student named Daniel came up and gamely performed. So now when I have A Whole New World available, I ask someone to sing it with me. It's fun! I've had solo singers, as well as an entire audience sing, but never 4 guys! I was one lucky girl that night!
SP: Now that you are a mother and a wife, if you were to do Miss Saigon again, which song/s would be most significant for you to perform and why?
LS: It would definitely have to be I'd Give My Life for You. That's the one song I could most relate to now that I'm a wife and mother... especially a mother. Only with the birth of my daughter did I truly understand that a parent would kill for her child without hesitation, without thinking. It was something unfathomable when I was 18; it only made sense once I became a mommy.
SP: When you were auditioning for Miss Saigon, did you have have an idea of where your career was going to take you once you get the role of Kim?
LS: Absolutely not. I wasn't so sure that I should have even been auditioning! I had set my sights on school. So, Miss Saigon kind of derailed my plans... in a good way.
Once I got the role of Kim, I thought that it would be a year out of my life, and then I'd return to the safety of college and the company of my friends. No, that didn't happen, not that I mind! I did miss my college buddies though while I was away. I wrote quite a few cards and letters during my time away.
SP: You mentioned last Saturday that despite people's discouraging words, one should always go for one's dreams, in what ways were you discouraged by others, when you were just beginning in your career as an actor?
LS: I would feel discouraged and disheartened by a bad review or an unflattering opinion when it came out in the papers. Those things can be really hurtful when you're younger, and I've found myself wishing death on a few of those journalists (heh heh heh). However, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so I just strove to get better at what I do, not so much to satisfy public opinion, but because it's what an artist is supposed to do.
SP: When you were preparing for the opening of Miss Saigon in London, what were your apprehensions, if any?
LS: Well, there was my weight...I still had a lot of baby fat stuck on me, so that was one source of anxiety, as well as the sheer amount of music I had to sing. I was also not exactly confident in the acting department, so more than half the time I felt like I had no idea what I was doing, except when I was singing. Only then did I feel like I had a good grip on what I needed to do.
SP: What difficulties did you face in London, while doing the role of Kim in Miss Saigon?
LS: My weight would fluctuate. A Vietnamese bar girl can't be too healthy, so that was always something that stressed me out, and my voice actually started to suffer. For someone who hardly ever had hoarseness in Manila, being in London doing this show eight times a week was taking its toll. However, after discovering salads and eating a little healthier, walking a little more, seeing a good voice doctor and going to a great voice teacher, I found my stride and happiness in doing the role. The longer the run went, the more confident and happier I became. It took time getting to where I needed to be, but I got there.
SP: Now that you have already achieved so much in your career, do you still have apprehensions when you are about to go onstage?
LS: After last Saturday in Bangkok, not as much!!! Amazing what a night like that can do for your confidence!!! (Lea was referring to her concert at Queen Sirikit Convention Center on September 12, where she was well applauded by the audience).
But more seriously, I find myself getting nervous when I have to sing material that I haven't sung in a while, or have never sung before. When I have lyrics running through my head like crazy, then I get a little apprehensive. When I totally have a show down under my belt that I can sing the stuff in my sleep, then I can relax a little bit, but not too much.
SP: Do you have any rituals, before your shows?
LS: I have a light meal, warm up, and pray.
SP: How do you nowadays maintain balance between your career, motherhood, marriage and family in the Philippines?
LS: It's because I'm in the Philippines that I'm able to do this all. I have a great nanny that helps me with my daughter, plus household help and a driver, and my family is never that far away. I also have time to relax, which is also very important.
SP: On a light note, you love "adobo" (pork cooked in vinegar), Ilonggo style, what then is the Thai dish you love most?
LS: Oh I love EVERYTHING, as long as it isn't too spicy. I love prawn salads with pomelo (very refreshing), pad thai, massaman curry, either lamb or chicken bagoong rice, and the sticky rice for dessert. I can't eat mangoes though... my throat gets itchy.
SP: You mentioned that Bangkok is a beautiful city, and obviously, you have made good friends here. What is it about Bangkok that you love the most? And of its people, what do you admire the most?
LS: Bangkok actually reminds me a lot of Manila, so I guess my love for it is because it feels like home. As for the people, there is a respectability, regality and dignity that everyone carries. A tremendous pride in being who they are. That is something we could all learn from. I don't notice much insecurity.
SP: What message would you like to leave your young fans and admirers with, especially those who wish to follow the achievements you have made in your career as an actor?
LS: Only to listen to your heart... it will help you discern your gifts and where your talents truly lie. It won't always be in the arts -- it could be in business, finance or public service -- but allow yourself a quiet mind to figure out what your unique gifts are, and use them to the best of your ability. Make an impact in the best way you know how. And be the best at it.
SP: To the members of the Filipino community in Bangkok, who made up a big part of your audience last Saturday, what message would you like to leave them with?
LS: Just a huge, huge THANK YOU for your incredible love and support at my concert!!! I could really feel it while singing up there. I hope to return and perform for you all again... this time with a better, stronger voice. And no hospital stay!
SP: To all your fans and admirers all over the globe, what words would you like to send them through this interview?
LS: Only thank you that you have found me... I can only continue what I do because of your support.
SP: And to Siam Pinoy, an online publication which aims to promote what is great among Filipinos in Thailand, as well as in other parts of the world, what message would you leave us with, as we wait for your next show in Bangkok?
LS: Just my sincerest and deepest thanks for the hospitality you've shown me and my family during my visit, and that I hope to see you all very soon!!! Maraming Salamat!
It is our fervent hope in Siam Pinoy, that Lea Salonga's words of inspiration, through Siam Pinoy, will reach the Many Pinoys who applaud and are proud of the success she has achieved for herself, and have given our country and our people as a whole.
To Lea - Mabuhay ka! And we look forward to your return.
Siam Pinoy wishes to pay tribute to Miss Lea Salonga for being a remarkable artist, for despite her being unwell (she was hospitalized the night before her concert on September 12), she still went through with the concert. We thank her for doing it, and we love her more for her professionalism and huge faith. There were people in the audience who flew in from neighboring countries and from the Philippines to watch Lea perform at the Queen Sirikit Convention Center, with Gerard, her brother, conducting the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. 
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