Lea Salonga

An international star of the musical stage, Lea Salonga was born in Manila, the Philippines in 1971. Her remarkably resonant singing voice was evident practically from infancy, and Salonga went professional with her pursuits in 1978 when she joined the Repertory Philippines' production of "The King and I." By 1981, Salonga was releasing her first album, and by 1986, she was starring in feature films like "Tropang bulilit" (1986) and "Ninja Kids" (1986). Her fame reached new heights when she won the lead role of Kim in the debut London production of "Miss Saigon" in 1989, and grew greater still when she provided the singing voice for the character Jasmine in Disney's "Aladdin" (1992).

She would go on to play still more iconic roles on Broadway, memorably playing Eponine in "Les Miserables," and took her recording career to international audiences soon after with her self-titled album in 1993. Salonga would release more albums including Lea...In Love and By Heart, and starred in a Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Flower Drum Song" in 2002. She would also star in the original production of "Allegiance" at the Old Globe in San Diego, later following the hit play to Broadway as well. In 2013, Salonga switched gears to focus on television, becoming a judge on "The Voice of the Philippines" (ABS-CBN, 2013-). She could not stay away from Broadway for long however, starring in a revival of "Once on This Island" in 2017.