Lea Salonga is the first actress of Asian descent to play the roles of Éponine and Fantine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway. She is also known for being the singing voice of two classic Disney princesses: Jasmine and Hua Mulan. 

At 18, she stepped into the shoes of Kim, the lead of Miss Saigon in the West End. The singer also starred as Mei-li in the 2002 Broadway version of Flower Drum Song. 

In an interview with Tatler Philippines last March 2021, Salonga explains why a fantastic performance seems to parallel good storytelling:

“What I always try to stress is the importance of telling a good story while singing because that’s what a song is: a good story set to a really effective melody,” she says.

“There’s a very unique sort of interaction and conversation that happens with a [live] audience. I enjoy being in a room where it feels like all of the heartbeats of everybody in that theatre synchronise, and you’re having this common experience with, say, 800, 1,000 or maybe even 3,000 people,” she adds.

See also: Cover Story: Lea Salonga On The State Of Philippine Arts And Culture

Rachelle Ann Go jumpstarted her singing career by joining several competitions in the Philippines, including the noon-time program Eat Bulaga!. She was also seen in the reality talent show Search for A Star, where she emerged as Grand Champion.

Before entering broadway, Go had already earned several awards for her songs From The Start and Isang Lahi. She has also headlined local and international concerts and even recorded seven albums.

In 2011, she played Ariel in The Little Mermaid musical, for which she bagged the Best Actress award from Broadway World Philippines. She also starred as Jane Porter in the 2013 musical Tarzan.

Her theatre career grew further when in 2014, she was cast as Gigi Van Tranh in the hit musical Miss Saigon. 

Related: Pinoy Pride: Filipino-Americans Take Over Grammys 2022—Olivia Rodrigo, H.E.R., and More

Joan Almedilla has always been passionate about performing. In 1993, she moved to the United States to pursue a degree related to singing. Her first role was Kim in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon, which ran between 1995 and 1997.

From 1999 to 2000, and 2005 to 2006, the singer stepped into the shoes of Fantine on the Third National Tour of Les Misérables. She is regarded as the first Filipina to play the role. 

Eva Noblezada has arguably one of the most powerful voices and stage performances among artists of her time. She made her Broadway debut at 21 years old as Kim in a revival of Miss Saigon. She has also played the role of Eurydice in Hadestown on Broadway, a performance for which she received her second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Musical Role.

The singer has also played the titular character Rose in the 2020 film Yellow Rose.

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