Broadway royalty Lea Salonga has reunited with her fellow Disney Legends virtually in the online concert series “Stars in the House” to raise funds for performers in the entertainment industry affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the live-streamed episode of “Stars in the House” on January 26, 2021, Drag Icon Nina West hosted a “Disney Legends Party” inviting special guests including legendary composer Alan Menken, Disney Legends Lea Salonga (singing voice of Disney’s Jasmine from Aladdin and Mulan), Jodi Benson (Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid), and Paige O’Hara (Belle In Disney’s Beauty and The Beast).
The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum guest host was thrilled to meet Tony winner Lea Salonga who was anointed as a Disney Legend in 2011 for her work in the Walt Disney films.
“Our next guest is a legend. I remember walking around my choir room singing Miss Saigon and having my choir director inform me that I should know and be well informed that the best alto in the world is Lea Salonga,” West said about the Filipina Broadway and West End star.
In the show, Salonga recalled her beginnings in Broadway’s “Miss Saigon” and how she ended up being the singing voice of Disney Princesses Jasmine in Aladdin and Mulan.
When asked by West about her favorite crowning achievement in a long string of accomplishments, Filipina singer Lea Salonga replied: “I don’t know. It’s difficult to name one thing,” and credits “On My Own” from the musical “Les Misérables” as the starting point of her international career.
“What for you is the greatest jewel in this really epic crown?” guest-host Nina West asked.
“Everything is kind of so closely connected to one another that it’s really hard to pick any one thing that stands out in my career, so I’d rather just not…every part is important, every jewel is important,” Lea Salonga said.
The Disney Legends’ reunion episode ended with a live performance from legendary Disney/Broadway composer and singer/songwriter Alan Menken, who performed his Disney hits “King of New York”, “Under the Sea”, “Go the Distance”, “Tale as Old as Time”, and “Be Our Guest”, among others.
“Stars in the House” is a daily live-streamed series created by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic to promote support for The Actors Fund and its services, a charity that provides a safety net for entertainment professionals who have lost their jobs due to the Covid health crisis.
Filipino pride icon Lea Salonga’s new song “Dream Again” earlier raised funds for global efforts to address the impact of COVID-19, including the non-profit The Actors Fund.
Lea Salonga also led Original Pilipino Music (OPM) icons in the virtual concert “Awit Para sa Mga Bata” to support children who have been struggling to learn from home amid the global covid-19 pandemic.
“Yellow Rose”, the musical drama film starring Broadway stars Lea Salonga, Eva Noblezada and, Filipino actress Princess Punzalan is finally screening in the Philippines after making the rounds of festivals and theaters around the world.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to Broadway and West End royalty Lea Salonga for reuniting with Disney Legends to raise funds for The Actors Fund charity. WATCH the “Stars in the House” Disney Legends episode here.
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