Lea Salonga’s 'Your Songs Concert' slated Dec. 12 at PICC

MANILA, Nov. 22 (PNA) –- International singer Lea Salonga is scheduled to have her concert dubbed "Your Songs" at 8 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2009 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

Salonga said in a press statement it is her way to thank her fans who have shown unwavering support throughout her over 30 years of performing and music-making career.

The tickets are pegged at P5,000 -- VIP/Level 1 Center; P4,000 -- Level 2 Left/Center/Right; P3,500 -- Orchestra Left/Right; P2,000 -- Level 2 Far Left/Right; P1,800 -- Level 3 Left/Cente/Right; P1,000 -- Level 3 Far Left/Right; and P750 –- Balcony.

Salonga has just come from a charity concert from the United States where she raised funds of more than P9.299 million for the victims of typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng and Santi.

Salonga is best known for her musical role in Miss Saigon. In the field of musical theater, she is recognized for having won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and Theater World Awards, the first to win various international awards for a single role.

She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway.

Salonga is the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin in 1992 and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II in 1998 and in 2004, respectively.

On July 3, 2008, she started writing as columnist in Philippine Daily Inquirer - "Backstory" (Entertainment section), "Introducing: Lea Salonga, writer."

She performed in "Global Pop" at the Music Center on July 11, 2008. It was presented by The Blue Ribbon, a group founded by Dorothy Chandler in 1968.

Backed by an orchestra of 19 musicians, Lea Salonga received a standing ovation for her historic solo concert at Frank Gehry’s masterpiece on July 11 at Los Angeles’ iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Salonga also performed part of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “There’s Music in You,” as preview of her coming show “Cinderella,” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on July 29, 2010.

According to Billboard.com, the acclaimed singing actress is scheduled to offer concerts in Nevada, Washington, California, Indiana, New York, Hawaii and more in 2009 and was also asked to dance novelty Filipino dances "Ocho-ocho" and "Spaghetti."

In July 2009, Salonga was selected to become a new ambassador for Avon's line of anti-aging skin care products Anew Rejuvenate.

Also in the same month, Salonga was invited to sing at the 95th Anniversary Special of Iglesia Ni Cristo. She was given a standing ovation after her first song, which was an original Iglesia Ni Cristo composition and arranged by Ryan Cayabyab.

On August 5, 2009, at the final requiem mass for President Corazon Aquino, Salonga sang Bayan Ko as the final song right before Aquino's cortege was brought out from the Manila Cathedral.

Salonga will play the pivotal role of Grizabella in Lunchbox Theatrical Productions’ staging of “Cats” in Manila. It will run for four weeks starting in July 2010, with a gala night and weekend matinees, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Salonga is the eldest child of Feliciano Genuino Salonga and Ligaya Alcantara Imutan and spent the first six years of her childhood in Angeles City before moving to Manila.

She is the sister of composer Gerard Salonga. Contrary to popular belief, she is not related to former Senator Jovito Salonga.

On Jan. 10, 2004, Salonga married Robert Charles Chien, a Chinese-Japanese managing director of an entertainment software company in Los Angeles, California, whom she met while doing Flower Drum Song.