Lea Salonga: “‘The Journey So Far’ is a chronicling in song of some of the more wonderful moments of my life”

Lea Salonga begins on Tuesday, March 9 a three-week engagement at the Café Carlyle. She will make her New York Cabaret debut with ‘The Journey So Far’, which features songs that cross the genres of Filipino music, musical theater and the Great American Songbook. Performances will play through Saturday, March 27.

Lea Salonga began her career as a child star in the Philippines, making her professional debut at the age of seven in the musical THE KING AND I. She achieved worldwide fame when she was selected to play Kim in the megahit musical MISS SAIGON in 1989. For her performance as Kim, Salonga won the Olivier, and the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle awards when the show moved to Broadway. Salonga´s other theatre credits in Broadway include LES MISERABLES (first as Eponine and several years later as Fantine in the 2006 revival of the show)  and FLOWER DRUM SONG.

In addition to performing in musical theater, Lea Salonga has an extensive recording career and she is the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from ALADDIN and Fa Mulan for MULAN and MULAN II. In 2005, Salonga played her first US concert tour.

On this interview, Lea Salonga talks about ‘The Journey So Far’ and about her professional career.

YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE YOUR NEW YORK CABARET DEBUT WITH  ‘THE JOURNEY SO FAR’ AT CAFÉ CARLYLE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU PERFORMING AT CAFÉ CARLYLE IN THIS THREE-WEEK ENGAGEMENT?
The Carlyle is a beautiful room that has seen so many incredible performers come and go.  People like Eartha Kitt, Christine Ebersole, Woody Allen, Barbara Cook, Ute Lemper.  Right now, Barb Jungr is performing there, and I got to see her.  Her voice is so moving, and her interpretation of songs just hones in on what’s really going on, unobstructed.  It’s so awesome and lovely watching her.  It means so much to now be one of the many performers that have sung at the Café Carlyle.

COULD YOU EXPLAIN HOW WILL YOUR PERFORMANCES AT CAFÉ CARLYLE BE? HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘THE JOURNEY SO FAR’?
The title kind of explains it all.  It’s a chronicling in song of some of the more wonderful moments of my life.  My family actually does take center stage in parts, which should be fun for me to talk about, and hopefully fun for the audience to watch.

HOW DID YOU MAKE THE SELECTION OF THE SONGS THAT CAN BE HEARD IN ‘THE JOURNEY SO FAR’?
It was a collaborative decision made with my team (Dan Kutner, Diana Basmajian and Larry Yurman).  There was a long list of songs, and then stuff would be approved or vetoed.  They say it takes a village to raise a child?  Well, it takes a team to create a song list for something like this.

‘THE JOURNEY SO FAR’ WILL BE DIRECTED BY DANIEL KUTNER, AND LARRY YURMAN WILL BE MUSICAL DIRECTOR. HOW IS IT WORKING WITH THEM?
Working with them has been so much fun!  We’re all pisceans (this was coincidental, I didn’t choose them based on their zodiac signs), so it’s been a really laid back working environment.  I don’t like hot tempers exploding… I work better when everyone’s calm and cool, and that’s how everyone is.

YOU ACHIEVED INTERNATIONAL FAME WITH THE ROLE OF KIM IN `MISS SAIGON´. FOR YOUR WORK IN THIS SHOW YOU WON THE OLIVIER, TONY, DRAMA DESK, OUTER CRITICS AWARDS. COULD YOU COMMENT ON YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SHOW? WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU KEEP OF THAT TIME?
Oh I have some great (as well as not-so-great) memories of the show… I think anyone that has done a show of that kind would say the same thing.  I loved the friends I made and the experience of performing in the West End as well as on Broadway.  It was tough getting used to doing a huge show like that every week… but I left the show with much more experience, and a passion for performing that I never felt prior to getting cast in the show.

YOU ALSO PLAYED THE ROLE OF EPONINE IN ‘LES MISÉRABLES’ ON BROADWAY, AND SEVERAL YEARS LATER YOU PLAYED THE ROLE OF FANTINE IN THE NEW YORK REVIVAL OF THE SHOW. WHICH ROLE DID YOU ENJOYED THE MOST?
I enjoyed the role that I was doing at the time, because each role came at the time of my life that I needed it most.  I couldn’t possibly play Eponine now, but it felt right at the time.  There was no way I could have played Fantine back then, but it was perfect when I did get to play her.  So, I can’t way which one I enjoyed more, but Fantine is much closer to me right now.

Lea Salonga as Fantine in LES MISÉRABLES

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE MUSICAL THEATRE INDUSTRY IN YOUR COUNTRY AND IN ASIA? THE WAY OF WORKING AND DOING MUSICALS IN ASIA IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY THEY DO IT IN LONDON OR NEW YORK?
The one thing that I do appreciate about doing musicals in Manila or Singapore is that typecasting according to one’s race or ethnic background doesn’t exist.  An actor is cast based on what they bring to a role, and I really do love that.  I’ve played a witch, a Cockney flower girl, and a Jewish songwriter.  And no one ever thinks twice about it!
Blind casting hasn’t yet arrived at the point that it takes place across the board with no one batting an eyelash, but I’m hoping that it will.  Of course I’ll acknowledge that there are certain shows that are so race-specific that it requires a certain type for it to work (case in point: Memphis) but for shows like LES MIZ, it shouldn’t matter.

DO YOU THINK THERE ARE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ASIAN, EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN AUDIENCES?
I think an audience is an audience, and wherever I’ve performed, the crowds have been incredibly supportive and appreciative.  Of course my favorite audiences are the ones at home, because it’s home.

BESIDES ACTING ON MUSICAL SHOWS, YOU HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED AN EXTENSIVE RECORDING CAREER WITH SEVERAL SOLO ALBUMS AND YOU ALSO PERFORM SOLO CONCERTS THROUGH THE WORLD. WHAT DIFFERENT THINGS BRING TO YOU EACH ONE OF THESE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF YOUR CAREER?
I just try to enjoy everything that I do, and I’m thankful that I get to do all sorts of wonderful things in my career.  All I try to bring to each one is a lot of heart.  That’s really it.

COULD YOU COMMENT ON YOUR NEXT PROJECTS?
After the Carlyle, I have concerts with Patti Austin in April (which I’m so looking forward to because I’m a fan of hers), and CATS in Manila (which I’m also looking forward to because I love doing musical theater).  I haven’t started rehearsals yet for either project, but can’t wait to start!