At 42, OPM Icon Lea Salonga says she has never felt so good– and honestly speaking, she has never looked better either.
“I feel like I’m 31 or 32 . I feel much better, healthier and stronger than, maybe 10 years ago. I feel healthier, more mentally alert and fitter, and physically stronger. Even my Doctor has been asking me what I’ve been doing, even to my voice because I haven’t been under medication for almost a year and as a singer you’re always prone to catching something.”
“I guess its because my family is eating healthier now. We eat a lot of red meat– lots of grass fed red meat, organic everything– it even goes beyond organic…My husband was an asthma sufferer so he is very conscious with what he puts on his body and it kinda rubs on everybody.”
Her advice? “Eat healthy, exercise, get a lot of sleep, drink lots of water, moisturize and stay out of the sun!
When you are talking to perhaps one of the most intelligent and talented Filipino artists such as Lea, the topics can easily sway from showbiz, her career, family, health and in our case– Disney.
After her press conference for her upcoming concert titled Playlist; TheBlogAlmighty and OrangeMagazineTV were able to corner “The Voice of the Philippines” judge for some candid questions presumably about one of her favorite topics.
OrangeMagazine asked “Given the chance would you like to play a villain in Disney movie?
All of a sudden her face lit up as she took a deep breath and answered. “That would be Fun! You, know I should have brought my notebook,” she began.
“When I was in Disneyland for my daughter’s sembreak, I saw these hardbound–and beautifully made notebooks and some are like Alice, Minnie, and then I saw one with the Disney Villains on it! You can flip it and there on one cover, it’s the queens …then on the other side are all the villains– Captain Hook, Maleficent, Big Bad Wolf, Ursula… I was like ‘I want that notebook!’ So I bought 1 for myself…then I noticed attached to the spiral–was the apple from Snow White on a chain! and I said to myself, I need to get more or maybe wipe out their supply! …I should show you that notebook! Best notebook…Best notebook ever!”
“My favorite villain is Maleficent because she is not the typical one. She is drop dead gorgeous, which makes it more scary because she is beautiful…She is physically arresting but evil.. Also I love Cruella De Vil, Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, Jafar because he is just so elegant… there are so many Disney villains and they cut such striking figures on screen that they are so unforgettable!
“But to play somebody… oooh Maleficent is really, really tall and only Angelina Jolie could play her. I really don’t know… I think I actually have to sit down and have some thought… all of them are just so tempting to play.”
Since Playlist is a celebration of her 35 years in the industry, I then asked her about the 3 most influential people in her life and the 5 people she wanted to work with.
“I guess the most influential would be my Mom because she is pretty much done everything throughout my career– from cheerleader, hairdresser, makeup artist, and costume designer at points in my life– and now she is helping to produce this concert so she has always been involved.”
“Two more… hmmm… that’s a really tough one,” before pausing for thought..
“There’ s Cameron (Mackintosh) and all the directors I’ve worked with and there’s a lot so I cant really name them all. The musical directors I’ve worked with like Ryan (Cayabyab) who’s passion and joy is infectious and he is just so much fun working with him. Claude-Michel Schönberg– just getting to work how with them…they are pushing my music, my voice and their stuff are just a good fit which is kind a nice.”
“And the third I think will be the group of musicians and lyricists that I’ve worked with.”
As for the five people she wants to work with;
“I want to work with Barbra Streisand–just because she is Barbra Streisand. I would have put Michael Jackson on the list, but he has passed away, but that would have been an awesome bucket list to work with him… I find him to be the most supreme artist to work. I’d also like to work with Aga Muhlach again, then all the coaches from The Voice, and lastly, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid.
Lea talks about her favorite Disney Characters video from (OrangeMagazineTV)
On her weightloss and children’s book:
Lea Salonga marks 35 years of music, performance, and artistry with the year’s most anticipated concert – PLAYLIST.
In PLAYLIST, Lea lets us into her own personal favorite list of songs. “We are hoping the fans get a little surprised when they hear all the songs I really enjoy listening to. In my last concert, we let the fans put in their requests. This time, I am hoping they get to know me a little bit better as I let them into my musical tastes,” says Lea.
“Lea is actually into all kinds of music. Sometimes she even surprises me,” pipes in Gerard Salonga, musical director for PLAYLIST which will also feature the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra.
Joining Lea is the Philippine grand champion of THE VOICE, Mitoy. Lea has often referred to Mitoy as a force of nature with his unforgettable, distinct voice. For the first time, Lea shares the concert stage with Rachelle Ann Go, singer, TV host, concert artist and Philippine theater’s newest leading lady.
“I am so excited to be sharing the stage with my guests. I am so proud to be featuring Mitoy on a big concert stage after his victory in The Voice. And Rachelle Ann is one of the best voices our industry has seen,” says Lea.
GERARD SALONGA
As a music director and conductor, Gerard Salonga has achieved a lot in the past 14 years of his career; he has led the Manila productions of Carousel, Baby, They’re Playing Our Song, Dreamgirls, West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, and Little Women.
While serving as the music director of FILharmoniKA for six years, he has conducted all the major orchestras in the Philippines, and is a frequent guest conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. One of the more memorable collaborations with the HKPO was the AK100, a special event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.
Gerard also arranged a special musical number performed by Coco Lee and the HKPO for the gala performance celebrating the 15th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China.
He has also conducted the opening ceremonies of the Rotary International Convention with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, performing the works of Faure, Tchaikovsky, and Ravel, as well as popular music with singer Tata Young, for an audience of 20,000 people.
This November, Gerard will be making his debut with the Shanghai Opera Orchestra and Chorus in a concert celebrating the music of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon creators Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg entitled “Do You Hear The People Sing” featuring Lea Salonga and Michael Ball.
Gerard always looks forward to working with his sister and is very excited to share the music on Lea’s PLAYLIST.
The orchestra reaches out to the general public through its “Educational Outreach” programs. Each program is designed to cater to certain age groups with the goal of sparking interests in symphonic music and teaching audiences more about the orchestra as a musical ensemble.
The orchestra mounts off-season, affordably-priced or free concerts and cultivates a significant presence on TV, Film and the Internet in order to make orchestral music more accessible to a wider audience.
The orchestra also supports the creation of new works by Filipinos and aims to preserve both popular and rarely-heard OPM classics.
PLAYLIST runs at the PICC Plenary Hall on December 6 and 7. For tickets, call Ticketworld at 891-9999.
