Lea Salonga is 'Cinderella'

The timeless, magical tale of Cinderella is one of the most beloved and most popular fairy tales. The story dates back to the early 9th Century China. Cinderella’s glass slipper  perfectly fits Lea Salonga who’s playing the role on this Broadway Asia Entertainment (BAE) production that goes onstage at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Main Theater from July 29 to August 24, 2008. Award-winning Filipino director Bobby Garcia leads the powerhouse production team of this timeless and magical tale, with Australian actor Peter Saide playing The Prince.

Producer Marc Routh of BAE said the musical will cost about US $2 million on its Manila production. Cinderella will be staged for several weeks in the Philippines before it moves to other Asian countries like Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea.

Lea said that the timing is just right for her to do the role of Cinderella onstage. “I really set aside my time to do this and my daughter Beverly Nicole also had something to do with it. Cinderella has something good that I want to pass on to my daughter and for her to watch,” said the award-winning theater performer who did the role of Kim in “Miss Saigon.”

Doing Cinderella is another kind of musical experience from Lea, having conquered Broadway and the West End. According to her, the challenge in doing Cinderella is how to make her a human being, not a fairy tale. She’s playing a character that is well-loved and known because of the many reincarnations of the Disney movie. She became acquainted with the character of Cinderella when she was five. Now that she’s doing the role onstage, the challenge is to keep it fresh every time the audience comes in.

What sets this Cinderella apart from the movie version is the music. And there’s a lot of humor for the character. The Disney movie is for children while this musical will cater to the older audience. Lea said that she just wants everybody to have a fun time with another interpretation of the rags-to-riches story.

Cinderella also remains true to its Disney story. It’s about a lady who seeks refuge in her own little corner of the house as she is maltreated by her stepmother and stepsisters Portia and Joy. She dreams of having a better life. That begins when the King and Queen put up a ball for their son Prince to find his true love. In one magical night, Cinderella and The Prince cross paths. The search for true love takes off from there. A glass slipper reunites them and seals a happy-ever-after ending.

Lea is also celebrating her 30th year in the entertainment business this year. According to her, some of the highlights of her career are doing Miss Saigon and Les Miz and winning a Tony award. The awards are welcome blessings but the people she has met through the years are the ones she will treasure more.

Although performing gives her a different high, it’s her daughter whom Lea considers as her “greatest joy.” She said that she can drop everything for her daughter. She can also talk endlessly about her. She said Nicole sings very well and this early is already showing signs of inclination to the arts or performing.

Lea said she hopes to raise Nicole here in the Philippines, not in the United States, because of the culture. “Here kasi, the kid tends to stay a kid a little bit longer, unlike in the States where a child grows old faster,” said the doting mother.