Lea Salonga. Image: Instagram/@msleasalonga
Lea Salonga is set to make her Broadway comeback as a cast member and production staff of the musical “Here Lies Love,” which tells the story of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
The singer-actress made the announcement on her personal social media platforms, as well as the official handles of the musical on Tuesday, Feb. 28. She is set to take on the role of Aurora Aquino, the mother of the late senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. from July 11 to August 13 of this year.
“Hey everyone, Lea Salonga here. I am so excited to announce that I will be part of ‘Here Lies Love’ opening on Broadway this summer for a limited guest engagement,” she said.
Salonga revealed that her upcoming participation in the musical is “special” for her as a Filipina artist, since audiences will witness its “importance” on the stage where she made her Broadway debut as Kim in “Miss Saigon” in 1991.
“And it’s very special to me for a few reasons. Number one: As a Filipina artist, I’m incredibly excited that audiences will finally see on Broadway this beautiful, impactful, and important musical. Two: I get to go back to Broadway theater, which is where I made my Broadway debut over 30 years ago, which is wild for me to think about,” she said.
The Tony award-winning actress also gushed about reuniting with Filipino-American actors Jose Llana and Conrad Ricamora, which she is “incredibly excited” about.
Per a report from U.S.-based entertainment platform Deadline, Salonga was also tapped to be a producer for the musical and is set to perform the ballad, “Just Ask The Flowers.” The musical is said to be holding an international casting search for the remaining 20 actors, as of this writing.
“Lea Salonga has singularly secured a place for Filipinos on the Broadway stage. That she joins us as both performer and producer, where she creates a pipeline for Filipina actresses, is profoundly historic. Lea continues to be a beacon of light and source of pride for the Philippines,” producer and costume designer Clint Ramos said in the report.
According to its official Instagram page, the musical revolves around the lives of the Marcoses during the height of their “corruption and power in the 1980s, when Imelda and her family were forced to flee the Philippines by the EDSA Revolution.”
Salonga is best known for several roles that she played in musical theater including Kim in “Miss Saigon” in 1991, as well as Eponine and Fantine in “Les Miserables” in 1993 and 2006, respectively. In 2011, she was also awarded as a Disney Legend for her work in the films “Mulan” and “Aladdin.” EDV