A marquee gig for Disney heads at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall this month as the voice of Princess Jasmine AND Mulan will fill the auditorium! Lea Salonga, the voice in question, has serious musical theatre credentials to boot… and thanks to Carl Marsh, Buzz has an interview with her.
It’s not every day that I get to interview a Disney movie princess – but you’ve played two of them, across three films!
Yeah, I got pretty lucky. And for the rest of my life, and even beyond my earthly life. I think those two princesses will continue to live on and hopefully entertain; bring joy, and inspire some young women who aspire to great things, especially women of colour.
You know, as much as it’s a really sweet thing to play a Disney princess – let alone to get to play two of them – but because of their racial backgrounds and of who they are, there’s more to it than just getting to sing a pretty song. Or a couple of pretty songs, in this case. There is this representation that is also happening; there is character, and strength of character, in these two young women. And so it feels like a responsibility, as well, having played them.
“It’s a really sweet thing to play two Disney princesses – but because of their racial backgrounds, there’s more to it than just a pretty song”
Lea Salonga
And with this representation you mention, of the two roles, which one befits you more personally?
Probably Mulan – she’s the princess I look at and think, “oh wow, I kind of look like her and she kind of looks like me.” So having sung for her, and then watching the film and seeing this very heroic, young Asian woman doing all of these incredible things… it is a thing of beauty to behold.
With Mulan being so heroic, maybe you remembered how brave you had to be as a teenager when you auditioned for Miss Saigon, aged just 17 – and then performed the role a year later in London, thousands of miles away from home in the Philippines?
It was crazy. I was so young, and had this huge responsibility placed on my shoulders at that young age. And I think I was able to do it by trying to deal with everything with a steady head. And I’m thankful that my mom was there with me, and that I had a built-in support system – I didn’t feel like I was alone.
I was there with a lot of other young Filipino performers, but when you go home at night, it’s like, “oh, goodness!” – you know? It was great to not be all by myself when I was at home trying to get some rest and recuperate, and I needed somebody to help me become an adult in the midst of all of that.
Was the Miss Saigon audition process done in the UK or the Philippines?
Oh, they had to first come to Manila. That’s where I auditioned. Then final assessments happened a few weeks after that first audition in London – with me singing on stage at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane – which is, I believe, now home to Frozen. So Queen Elsa is now singing there eight times a week! [laughs] And I couldn’t be happier that there is a Disney queen… gosh, how serendipitous is that? I’m thrilled.
I’d like to go and see what the [Theatre Royal] renovations look like I think it was all redone. The last time I was there, three years ago, I walked past it… it was Covent Garden on a rainy day. I passed the theatre thinking, something big is going to happen. So now, I want to see how it’s changed – how different it is from when I was first over there.
Lea Salonga, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Tue 21 June. Tickets: £30.50-£88. Info: here
words CARL MARSH
Advertise with us.
We have a range of options across print and digital.
