Tony Award Winner Sings Theater and Disney Classics
Lea Salonga, beloved in the theater world and known around the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch, will be featured in ARTS by George, an annual benefit to raise scholarships and awareness for George Mason’s Visual College. will be the headliner this year. & performing arts.
Since its inception in 2016, ARTS by George! has raised more than $4.1 million. This year’s event will be held on September 28th from 5pm to 11pm. The event will include performances by George Mason students, a buffet dinner and a captivating performance by Salonga, followed by a dessert reception and champagne toast on stage with the singers.
Salonga is the first Asian actor to win a Tony Award for her role as Kim in Miss Saigon, and has appeared on Broadway and as Eponine and Fantine in Les Misérables and Erzulie in Once on This. He left a lasting impression on London. island. ”
In film, the Filipino actress lent her singing voice to two classic Disney animated films, playing Princess Jasmine in Aladdin and Fa Mulan in Mulan and Mulan II.
Her performances have been touring across America for some time.
“There’s a little bit of a Sondheim vibe, there’s definitely a lot of musical theater, and of course there’s Disney,” Salonga said. “We incorporate Filipino songs in the middle of the program and include all kinds of songs that I enjoy singing. They are not all the same genre, but they are the ones that I get into when doing the program. It’s a song.”
Thankfully, Ms. Salonga’s schedule was adjusted to accommodate this charity event, as she loves performing to help young people in the arts.
“Being able to do a concert like this at a university gives access to young people who are thinking, ‘Maybe I can do this,’ and confirms that the arts are something they should be a part of.” “It becomes,” she said. . “It also sparks an interest in the arts for students who may not have the opportunity to see a show.”
Last year, Salonga teamed up with the legendary Bernadette Peters for the Cameron Mackintosh-produced Stephen Sondheim tribute Old Friends, which became a must-see in London.
“It went really well, and everyone had a really great time. We were singing Sondheim eight shows a week, so it was just fun,” she said. “Being with the people who got to work directly with him, not just Bernadette, but his closest collaborator across the pond, Julia McKenzie. It was just a great company of people. ”
In 2025, Salonga and Peters will bring the show to the United States, with stops in LA and Broadway.
Salonga also plans to release a new holiday album, Sounding Joy, in late 2024, which will be her first Christmas-themed recording in more than a decade.
“The price drops on Nov. 1, but there are tons of songs,” Salonga said. “‘The River’ was one of the things that came up that I really wanted to do. You really get a taste of Joni Mitchell’s storytelling and it’s probably my favorite song on the album.”
One of the other songs is a duet of “Angels We Have Heard (Glory Be)” with American Idol Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken. There are also classic Christmas songs and original holiday songs.
“My brother, who is the producer and music director, put a lot of jazz-influenced arrangements into the album, and it took about four years to make,” Salonga said. “I was about halfway done when lockdown happened, but then other things happened and I didn’t find the time to finish it until this year.”
Another great thing in her life is the addition of her wax figure to the Music Zone at Madame Tussauds in Singapore. She attended the premiere in September and is preparing to appear in “Request Sa Rajo” in Manila, Philippines in October.
She will then perform a holiday concert, and rehearsals for “Old Friends” will begin in January.
“It’s a very busy time, but I have no complaints,” she said. “I love looking forward to shows and concerts. I’m so happy to be able to do what I love, create art, and collaborate with amazing people.”
For tickets and more information about ARTS by George!, visit cvpa.gmu.