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Other Theatrical Credits:
Witch in Into the Woods - Singapore Repertory Theatre (1994)
Eponine in Les Miserables - Royal Albert Hall, London (1995)
Sonia Walsk in They're Playing Our Song - Singapore Repertory Theatre (1999)
Mei-Li in Flower Drum Song - Virigina Theatre, New York City (2002)
Lizzie in Baby - Meralco Theare, Manila Philippines (2004)
Fantine in Les Miserables - Broadhurst Theatre, New York (2007)
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Lea dropped out of her pre-med course in Ateneo de Manila University in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines in 1989. She initially wanted to become a dermatologist.
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Lea is among the Philippines' Best Selling Female Artist of All-Time with sales amounting to 19 million.
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Lea's father is Feliciano Genuino Salonga. Her mother is Ligaya Alcantara Imutan.
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Before Lea hit the international stage in 1989, she was part of several local productions in Manila. The list includes: The King and I, Annie, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Fiddler on the Roof, The Rose Tattoo, The Sound Of Music, The Goodbye Girl, Paper Moon, The Fantasticks, and Flower Drum Song.
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Lea won the Best Vocal Performance of the Year Duo/Group Award in 1999 with Ariel Rivera.
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Lea won the Best Female Pop Vocal Album of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Album of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Awards in 1993.
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Lea won the Best Female R&B Vocal Album of the Year Award in 1986.
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Lea uses the name "Manang", which means old lady in Filipino, as her Internet chat code name.
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Lea was the first full-blooded Filipina to have won the Olivier, in 1990, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards, in 1991, for Best Actress in a Musical for her work in "Miss Saigon."
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Lea became the first Filipina ever to win the prestigious Tony Award for her role as Kim Miss Saigon.
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Lea won Broadway's 1991 Tony Award as Best Actress for a Musical for Miss Saigon.
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Lea had a dream role to be Eva PerĂ³n in the musical Evita.
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Lea bought herself a white Lexus IS300 E-Shift Sedan on her birthday in 2002.
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Lea's brother, Gerard, is a multi-talented musician and also a symphony orchestra conductor. She also has an adopted sister, Sheila.
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Lea was chosen by People Magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world in 1991.
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Lea is five foot, two and a half inches tall.
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Lea married Robert Charles Chien on January 10, 2004. Their daughter Nicole Beverly was born May 16, 2006.
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Lea started her first U.S. tour in late February of 2005.