Broadway star and multi-awardee Lea Salonga participated in the online fund raising project aimed at supporting frontliners, Bayanihan Musikahan.
The project was initiated by National Artist musician Ryan Cayabyab and composer Trina Belamide.
On the Tony Award-winning Broadway show, Once on this island, Lea shares she was cast as a Filipino nurse.
This role, she shares, is the fruit of the genius of producers because the play was about African Americans and they found a way to cast a Filipino actor in the show.
The experience of the viewer was that of a front seat to a Broadway show, as Lea performed at par with her live performances.
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But her candid remarks in between her hour-long “turn” in the fund-raising project were endearing.
Some of the comments posted include, “You give hope to Hopia,” “Bakit ako naiiyak,” “Oh, if your voices could wipe the virus away.”
Among her viewers are people from many parts of Asia, the country, including Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center.
She would read some of the comments, including at the start of the show, telling one viewer that she can’t take requests. However, she adds, she may have to do another segment in the near future.
Salonga’s production set up was simple, compared to large scale productions she is used to, revealing that was just using an iPhone propped up on a tripod on a stand.
A special treat for viewers is a song, a special request from Salonga’s doctor, from the show Les Miserables that she never performed in public.
She performed the song entitled, “Bring him home,” that she described as “a prayer that seems most appropriate, of an older doctor in behalf of a younger one. Especially the younger ones who are currently on the frontlines serving in ERs everywhere.”
“May this prayer be also my prayer for you, that you would be safe after all this craziness is over,” said Salonga.
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On Salonga’s version of the song, one netizen commented, “Heavenly version of Bring him home…. God I’m literally crying…”
Salonga also acknowledged that “a certain handsome man” was also watching her livestream. She was referring to actor Aga Muhlach with whom she made two movies with. In between singing the two theme songs for the said movies, Salonga remarked “Kinikilig ako!”
In one hour, Salonga was able to raise one million pesos.
By the end of one hour, with about 26,000 people watching, donations reached Php1,828, 257 for frontliners who are fighting COVID-19 from spreading.
The 5 p.m. total, Salonga announced has reached P22 million.
One netizen, who seems to be a frontliner herself, says “ This is keeping us stronger …. Thank you, Miss Lea.”
Salonga started the hour with Cayabyab’s “Nais Ko,” and ended with “Paraiso”
The Filipina artist also promised to do another set in the future.
Here’s Lea’s video:
