Lea Salonga to Perform NYC Benefit for Typhoon Ondoy Victims
Mich
Lea Salonga to Perform NYC Benefit for Typhoon Ondoy Victims
By: Dan Bacalzo · Oct 2, 2009 · New York
Tony Award winner Lea Salonga will perform a benefit concert for the
victims of Typhoon Ondoy, to be held at The Philippine Center's
Kalayaan Hall (556 Fifth Avenue in New York City) on Monday, October
12 at 7:30 pm.
The typhoon, which struck on September 26, resulted in the country's
worst flooding disaster in over 40 years, with at least 246 deaths,
and over 450,000 people displaced, with 380,000 living in makeshift
shelters.
Salonga received the Tony, along with the Olivier Award, Drama Desk
Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award, for her portrayal of Kim in
Miss Saigon. She was also seen on Broadway in the revival of Flower
Drum Song, the original production and recent revival of Les
Miserables, and starred in the recent international tour of Rodgers &
Hammerstein's Cinderella. Salonga has also sung in the animated films
Mulan and Aladdin.
Tickets are $50 general admission, and $150 VIP, which includes a pre-
show cocktail reception. To rsvp, emai...@diversecitytheater.org,
and if you are unable to attend but would like make to make a
donation, visit www.af-usa.org. Go to "Donate Now" and select "AF-USA
Typhoon Relief Fund."
Mich
Lea Salonga sets New York concert for survivors
By Jun Medina, Special Correspondent
Saturday, 03 October 2009 00:00
NEW YORK City: Tony and Olivier award winner Lea Salonga, the
Philippines foremost singer-actress, will perform at a special concert
on October 12 at the Philippine Center’s Kalayaan Hall for the benefit
of the Typhoon Ondoy victims in the Philippines.
According to Consul General Cecilia Rebong, the concert by the highly
popular Salonga is part of the Filipino community’s frenetic fund-
raising activities to raise much needed resources for some 700,000
people forced into makeshift evacuation camps by the epic floods in
Metro Manila and surrounding provinces spawned by the tropical storm
over the weekend.
“The Filipinos have responded with overwhelming enthusiasm to the
calls for humanitarian aid,” said Rebong during an interview, adding
that the scheduled performance of Salonga, a long-time New Yorker, was
the most visible so far.
Victor Lirio, the co-producer of the special event, thanked the
Redwood City, California-based Ayala Foundation USA and the Philippine
Consulate General for making the concert possible.
“This was a very quick planning decision over a cell phone
conversation,” Lirio said. “Lea will be in town for a brief period of
time, and she altered her schedule to be able to do this.”
According to Lirio, Salonga is extremely delighted to do the concert
for the benefit of fellow Filipinos who are suffering and in dire need
of relief and assistance.
He said that very limited seats will be available for the concert that
starts at 7:30 p.m., and he advised those coming to the special
performance to confirm their attendance early via e-mail at
rs...@diversecitytheater.org This e-mail address is being protected
from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Donations of $50 for general admission and $150 for VIP patrons, which
includes a pre-show cocktail reception, will go entirely to a typhoon
relief fund.
In South San Francisco, California, meanwhile, Bay Area Filipino-
American artists performed on Thursday night at free concert at the
Intramuros Restaurant to bring together donors whose contribution will
go directly to the victims of Ondoy (international codename: Ketsana).
Dubbed as “Band Aid Pilipinas,” the concert featured Rudy Gelli Jazz
Quartet, Rendezvous, Fusion, Studio One, Young Once, Feelosphy, Beer
House Gypsies, Jeffrey Chin and Mixterious, plus some of the best disc
jockeys in the area.
In the greater Washington, D.C., area, a similar concert was scheduled
for October 25 at 6 p.m. at the Harmony Hall Regional Center for the
Arts in Fort Washington, Maryland.
The fundraiser will feature homegrown Filipino American talents from
Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., according to Fil-Am
journalist Bing Cardenas Branigin of Dunn Loring, Virginia.
Branigin, a former media coordinator at the defunct National Media
Production Center, said she was
heartened by the spontaneous support of the Filipino community for
their suffering compatriots back home.
She added that the Pinoys’ love for music “comes very handy in making
that extra effort to lend a helping hand.”
Consul General Rebong observed that the US-based Filipinos’ relief and
humanitarian efforts will continue for a while because they are aware
of the magnitude of the displaced flood victims’ needs.
“Actually, we look at these efforts as a continuing activity because
we want to raise as much resources as we can for the needs of the
typhoon victims,” she said. “The displaced victims are in survival
mode now. But the bigger task seems to be in the rebuilding efforts,
which we know will take much longer.”
Mich
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/133486-Tony_Winner_Salonga_to_Offer_Special_Performance_to_Benefit_Filipino_Typhoon_Victims
Tony Winner Salonga to Offer Special Performance to Benefit Filipino
Typhoon Victims
By Andrew Gans
02 Oct 2009
Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, seen in the title role of the recent
international tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, will lend
her vocals to help support the victims of the recent Typhoon Ondoy in
the Philippines.
The Ayala Foundation USA will present the benefit concert Oct. 12 at
The Philippine Center's Kalayaan Hall in Manhattan. Show time is 7:30
PM.
Victor Lirio, who is co-producing the event with Ayala Foundation USA,
said in a joint statement with Salonga, "This was a very quick
planning decision over a cell phone conversation last night. Lea will
be in town for a brief period of time. She altered her plans to do
this. Both Lea and I feel that we have a responsibility to help our
kababayans who are suffering and in dire need of relief and
assistance. We have to put in our share, no matter how small. Every
little bit counts, right?"
The Sept. 26 typhoon, which killed 246, also displaced over 450,000
people and left 380,000 living in makeshift shelters.
Salonga catapulted to international stage stardom when she was chosen
to star as Kim in the 1989 London world premiere of Boublil and
Schonberg's Miss Saigon, produced by Cameron Mackintosh. Only 17 at
the time, Philippines native Salonga received critical acclaim and
went on to win the Olivier Award as Best Actress in a Musical. In 1991
she reprised her performance on Broadway, again earning rave reviews
and winning the Tony Award as Best Actress in a Musical, along with
Best Actress honors from the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics' Circle.
Salonga returned to Broadway in 2002, starring in the revival of
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song. She also made her solo debut
at Carnegie Hall to a sold-out crowd and was most recently on Broadway
as Fantine in the revival of Les Misérables.
To RSVP, email rs...@diversecitytheater.org; donation: $50 general
admission; VIP donation: $150+ which includes a pre-show cocktail
reception. All proceeds will benefit the typhoon relief fund. Those
unable to attend who would like make to make a donation, visit www.af-usa.org
and go to "Donate Now" and select "AF-USA Typhoon Relief Fund."
The Philippine Center's Kalayaan Hall is located at 556 Fifth Avenue
in New York City.
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