Back on the horse

The author

By the time you read this, I’ll be in Southern California trying to get over jet lag in preparation for my first concert tomorrow night at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.

My musical director, Larry Yurman, and my manager, Josh Pultz, will have just flown in from New York. My daughter Nicole is probably fighting to stay awake, or fall asleep, depending on the time of day.

This will be my first solo concert since breaking my leg. To be completely honest, I’m terrified. Despite having stood onstage for what seems like thousands of times to sing for audiences all over the world, this is sort of uncharted territory.

Sure, the brief guest appearance at Josh Groban’s concert two months ago got my toes wet, but that was just two songs. This is a full concert—and I have no idea how it’ll go.

Perhaps my anxiety stems from not being physically at 100 percent just yet. Although I’ve gotten the go-ahead from my doctor and received tons of advice from my physical therapists, a lot of what’s about to happen is all on me.

We’ve gone ahead and made a couple of adjustments (for example, no high heels and spending much of the concert seated rather than standing), and I’ll need to give myself time to get into position.

My singing technique will also be a bit of a mystery, but one we should solve quickly. I’ll still be using crutches to walk, so to our audiences over these next few weeks, please give me a few extra minutes. Thank you in advance.

However, whatever nervousness I feel is eclipsed by excitement. The forced “vacation” lasting a couple of months has given me a greater appreciation for what it is I do.

And thankfully, my first concert will be in the presence of family and friends, which should make that crowd far more friendly.

I will be on tour until May 25. By then, all assistive devices should be gone, and my gait closer to normal. Say a little prayer for me, please.

For tickets and more information on the Human Heart Tour, please visit LeaSalonga.com.