Lea Salonga

Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga, OL (/ˈleɪə səˈlɒŋɡə/ LAY-ə sa-LONG-ə; born February 22, 1971) is a Filipina singer and actress. Primarily known for her work in theatre, she has starred in musicals on West End and Broadway. Her accolades include a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, in addition to nominations for two Grammy Awards. She was conferred with the Presidential Medal of Merit in 1990 and the Order of Lakandula in 2007, and was honored as a Disney Legend in 2011.

Salonga began her career as a child in Philippine musical theatre productions and rose to international recognition in 1989 for playing the lead role of Kim in the original West End and Broadway productions of Miss Saigon. For her performance, she gained five awards—the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Theatre World Award, and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Her further roles include Éponine in the Broadway and West End productions of Les Misérables, Wu Mei-Li in the 2002 Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song, Fantine in the 2006 Broadway revival of Les Misérables, Kei Kimura in the original Broadway production of Allegiance, Erzulie in the 2017 Broadway revival of Once on This Island, and Aurora Aquino in the original Broadway production of Here Lies Love. In 2023 and 2024, she starred in the West End production of the musical revue Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends.

As a recording artist, Salonga began her music career at age ten and released her first album, Small Voice, in 1981. In 1993, she signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records and released her self-titled album that year. On screen, she provided the singing voices for Jasmine in Aladdin (1992) and the titular character in Mulan (1998). She also served as a coach on The Voice of the Philippines and its spin-off series, The Voice Kids and The Voice Teens.