ARTICLE: A whole new world for Lea Salonga
Scooby
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/jan/13/yehey/life/20060113lif1.html
Friday, January 13, 2006
A whole new world for Lea Salonga
By Ayn Veronica L. de Jesus
Lea Salonga is quitting show business. Even if the lady practically grew up
before our very eyes. We watched her struggle from a gawky teenager,
awkwardly trying to fit into the local and very mass-based show-biz culture.
But with her crystal-clear voice and perfect pitch, she won the much-coveted
role of Miss Saigon and garnered international awards for it. In the next
few years, she essayed plum roles in Broadway classics, did voices of lead
female characters in Walt Disney movie productions.
And now she is leaving all that behind to embrace a whole new
world‹motherhood. This, she believes, is the greatest role that an actress,
nay a woman, can face.
łIąm prepared to take a nice, long break to spend time with my baby,˛ Lea
said on Tuesday at a media conference. She is five months pregnant today,
but once the baby comes in some time in mid-May, łeverything takes a back
seat.˛
Although she has set no timetable for the furlough‹łit could be six months,
one year, two years˛‹ Lea is sure she wants to do it. łIf I never have to
sing again, or do another concert again, it will be all worth it for me.
łAs everybody knows, my mother was a stay-at-home mom. Iąm not the strong
or the type A mother like her,˛ she is quick to add with hearty laughter.
łBut itąs the only way I know.˛
łIąm not going away [from show biz] forever. But I donąt ever want to look
back and see that I was never there [for my baby.ą Until then, people just
have to stay tuned and wait.˛
Lea plans to deliver her baby here łbecause all the tita and other relatives
are here. But weąll travel back and forth because the other set of
grandparents are in the United States.˛
Last performance
While waiting to give birth, Lea has no plans of slowing down. łBut while I
still can, I plan to travel, sing, see friends and family, and perform.˛
On January 25 Lea will perform with Filipino tenor Otoniel Gonzaga and the
Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Australia-based
conductor Julian Quirit.
Gonzaga is based in Europe where he has sung as a member of the Frankfurt
Opera and other German opera companies, and guest artist of opera houses in
Vienna, Brussels, Barcelona, Basel, Glasgow, Graz, Salsburg and Zurich. He
has also sung in numerous venues in the United States, and winding up
performances in Canada.
Guest soprano is Rachelle Gerodias, a product of the University of Santo
Tomás, was a scholar at the Eastman School of Music in New York where she
received her Music Degree in Voice Performance and Literature. Guest
baritone Noel Azcona, also from UST, earned credits as a soloist in the 2004
Pasig Summer Music Festival.
Far-fetched
While the combination of classical and Broadway may be far-fetched, it is
not the first time such a thing has been done. The world-renowned Italian
tenor Luciano Pavarotti has recorded songs with rock artists such as Bryan
Adams, Sting and U2ąs Bono to raise funds for childrenąs charities, and
top-billed łPavarotti and Friends˛ with popular artists such as Boyzone,
Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, Jon Bon Jovi, Ricky Martin and
Lionel Richie, the Spice Girls and Vanessa Williams.
For this show, all performers say that audiences should łkeep an open mind.˛
Rolando Gonzaga, who represented father Otoniel during the media event, said
that the show łis not a celebration of opera. It is not a celebration of
Broadway. It is a celebration of music. We should be proud of what the
Filipino has to offer.˛
Conductor Quirit likens his role in the show to that of a driver. łI
normally drive a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Maseratti, even the calesa. But if
given the chance to drive a Ferrari, I would do it.˛
He has worked with opera greats such as Pavarotti, the Spanish tenor Jose
Carreras, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Dame Joan Sutherland; distinguished ballet
companies such as the Bolshoi Ballet; and other illustrious classical
artists.
Salonga admits that there will be vocal adjustments to be made, such as in
the use of microphones to pump up her singing volume łbecause Otonieląs
voice is really big. But if we put the right material together and the right
people together to do a certain task, the differences donąt matter. So I
advise those with doubts to keep an open mind.˛
The program will open with Giuseppe Verdiąs La Forza del Destino Overture,
followed by Gonzaga singing łMy Friendąs Life Is Really Worth Living.˛
Salonga follows with łOn My Own˛ from Les Misérables. Both artists will
close the program with łThe Prayer,˛ a song originally performed by Celine
Dion for the animation movie The Magic Sword.
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Show starts at 8 p.m. at the CCP Main Theater. For tickets, call 901-7156
or (0910) 885-1136 or the CCP Box Office at 832-3704.
Lara
"Scooby" <teas...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:BFEBFBE0.2A44%teas...@yahoo.com...
>
> http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/jan/13/yehey/life/20060113lif1.html
Well I don't think that I would say "Lea is quitting show biz" when really
she just plans to take a long sabatical!
Thanks Scooby for the link!
Lara.
SYS Producer
http://www.standyesteady.com/Via_dolorosa_vid_high_4.html singing Via
Dolorosa.
Thanks. Great article.
Doug Coppi
Executive Producer