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Fantine at Javert's feet

Fantine (c. 1796-1823) is a character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.

Backstory[link]

"Fantine was one of those beings which are brought forth from the heart of the people... She was called Fantine because she had never been known by any other name..."

"All four were ravishingly beautiful. As to Fantine, she was joy itself. Her splendid teeth had evidently been endowed by God with one function - that of laughing. Her thick blond tresses, inclined to wave, and easily escaping from their confinement, obligated her to fasten them continually. Her rosy lips babbled with enchantment. The corners of her mouth, turned up voluptuously, seemed to encourage audacity; but her long, shadowy eyelashes were cast discreetly down towards the lower part of her face as if to check its festive tendencies. Her whole toilette was indescribably harmonious and enchanting. Fantine was beautiful, without being too conscious of it. She possessed two types of beauty - style and rhythm. Style is the force of the ideal, rhythm is its movement." (pg. 64, Hugo)

Fantine in the novel[link]

Tholomyès and Cosette[link]

Fantine is first introduced as one in a group of four enchanting girls: the others being Dahlia, Zéphine, and Favourite. Her parents and origins are unknown. Hugo describes her as having "gold and pearls for her dowry; but the gold was on her head and the pearls in her mouth."

Fantine was passionately in love with a man named Félix Tholomyès. His friends Listolier, Fameuil and Blachevelle were also paired with Dahlia, Zéphine and Favourite. One day, the four men invite the three other women on an outing. They finish the day at a restaurant, only for the women to be abandoned by the men with a goodbye note. While the four girls take it in good humor and laugh it off, Fantine later feels heartbroken. Tholomyès had fathered their illegitimate daughter Cosette, and Fantine is left to care for her alone.

The Thénardiers[link]

By the time Cosette is approximately three, Fantine arrives at Montfermeil and meets the Thénardiers who are owners of an inn. She asks them to care for Cosette when she sees their daughters Éponine and Azelma playing outside. They agree to do so as long as she sends them money to provide for her. Fantine's only will to live is keeping Cosette alive. She becomes a worker in Mayor Madeleine's (a.k.a. Jean Valjean's) factory in Montreuil-sur-Mer, and has a public letter-writer compose her letters to the Thénardiers for her because she is illiterate. However, she is unaware that the Thénardiers severely abuse Cosette and have forced her to be a slave for their inn. She is also unaware that the letters they send to her requesting financial help for Cosette are their own fraudulent way to extort money from her for themselves.

Job Termination[link]

Fantine is fired by a meddlesome supervisor, Madame Victurnien, when she finds out that Fantine is an unwed mother, without the knowledge of the mayor. Fantine begins to work at home, earning twelve sous a day while Cosette’s lodging costs ten. Her overworking causes her to become sick with a cough and fever. She also does not go out due to fearing the disgrace she would face of the town.

The Thénardiers then send a letter stating they need ten francs so they can "buy" a woolen skirt for Cosette. To buy the skirt herself, Fantine has her hair cut off and sold. She then says to herself "My child is no longer cold, I have clothed her with my hair." However, she soon begins to despise the mayor for her misfortunes. She later takes on a lover, only for him to beat her and then abandon her.

The Thénardiers send another letter saying they need forty francs to buy medicine for Cosette who has become "ill." Desperate for the money, Fantine has her two front teeth removed and sells them.

Prostitution[link]

Meanwhile, Fantine’s health and her own lodging debts worsen while the Thénardiers’ letters continue to grow and their financial demands become more costly. In order to continue to earn money for Cosette, Fantine becomes a prostitute. During a January evening, a dandy called Bamatabois heckles her and shoves snow down her dress when she ignores him. Fantine ferociously attacks him. Javert, the town's police inspector, immediately arrests her while Bamatabois sneaks away. She begs to be let go, but Javert sentences her to six months in prison. Valjean arrives to help Fantine, but upon seeing him she spits in his face. Dismissing the act, Valjean orders Javert to free Fantine, which he reluctantly does. Valjean comes to find out the reasons Fantine became a prostitute and why she attacked Bamatabois. He feels sorry for the innocent Fantine and Cosette, and tells her that he will retrieve Cosette for her. He sends Fantine to the hospital, as she is suffering from tuberculosis.

Death[link]

After Valjean reveals his true identity at Champmathieu’s trial, he goes back to see Fantine at the hospital. She asks about Cosette, and the doctor lies to her saying that Cosette is at the hospital but cannot see Fantine until her health improves. She is appeased by this, and even mistakenly thinks that she hears Cosette laughing and singing. Suddenly, she and Valjean see Javert at the door. Valjean tries to privately ask Javert for three days to obtain Cosette, but he loudly refuses. Fantine realizes that Cosette was never retrieved and frantically asks where she is. Javert impatiently yells at Fantine to be silent, and additionally, tells her Valjean’s true identity. Shocked by these revelations, she suffers a severe fit of trembling, falls back on her bed and dies. Valjean then walks to Fantine, whispers to her and kisses her hand. After Valjean is taken into custody, Fantine’s body is later crudely thrown in a public grave.

Fantine in the musical[link]

In the stage musical based on the novel of the same name, Fantine is one of the central characters.

Differences in the musical[link]

• Rather than being fired for being an unwed mother, a fellow female worker steals her letter from the Thénardiers claiming another need for money; the worker presumes that she is a prostitute to cover her debts with the low wages. Valjean sees this, but leaves this to his foreman; the foreman, his advances having been rejected by Fantine, fires her.
• Fantine also does not appear to be illiterate as when the foreman hands her the letter from the Thénardiers she is able to read it just as well as anyone else.
• Fantine dies peacefully in hospital with Valjean at her side after entrusting him with Cosette; Javert never reveals Valjean's true identity to her, as he arrives after her death.

Songs[link]

Fantine is featured in the following songs in the musical:

At the End of the Day

Fantine, who works in Jean Valjean's (a.k.a. M. Madeleine's) factory, is exposed by a spiteful coworker as having a secret daughter after receiving a letter from Thénardier. She is deemed a prostitute, using her daughter to pick up extra wages. The factory's foreman, from whom she had rejected advances, sacks her.

I Dreamed a Dream

Fantine's solo song. Fantine is abandoned, singing of dreams gone by and the man whom she once loved (Cosette's mysterious father) who abandoned her and her daughter.

Lovely Ladies

Fantine finds herself among prostitutes and proceeds to sell her locket to an old woman, her hair to a crone and ultimately herself. As she must lower herself to the life of a prostitute, she begins to grow ill.

Fantine's Arrest

One man, Bamatabois, wants to buy Fantine's services, but she rejects him. After he toys with her, she hits him. When Javert arrives, Bamatabois tells him that he "was crossing from the park" when she "attacked" him. Javert arrests her for "disturbing the peace," but Valjean intervenes. After hearing Fantine's story, he sees that she visits a doctor instead of going to jail, to the horror and objections of Javert.

Come to Me (Fantine's Death)

The dying Fantine hallucinates that Cosette is indeed there in the sickroom with her. Valjean comes in and vows to protect and take care of her daughter, Cosette. Fantine dies beside him shortly after.

The Confrontation (silent)

Valjean and Javert confront each other by Fantine’s bedside. Valjean then walks to Fantine’s body and promises her that Cosette "will live within (his) care" and that he "will raise her to the light."

Valjean's Death

Fantine returns as a ghost and escorts the dying Valjean to Heaven, praising him for having raised her daughter to adulthood.

Adaptations[link]

Musical[link]

• Rose Laurens, 1980 Original French Cast
• Patti LuPone, 1985 London Musical
• Randy Graff, 1987 Broadway Musical
• Louise Pitre, 1989 Original Canadian Cast and 1991 Paris Revival
• Gemma Castaño, 1992 Original Spanish Cast
• Ruthie Henshall, 1992 London Replacement Cast and 10th Anniversary Concert
• Alessandra Maestrini, 2001 Original Brazilian Cast
• Kare Kauks, 2001 Original Estonian Cast
• Kerry Ellis, 2005 London Production
• Daphne Rubin-Vega, 2006 Broadway Revival
• Lea Salonga, 2006 Broadway Revival (joined in March 2007) and 25th Anniversary Concert
• Judy Kuhn, 2006 Broadway Revival (joined in October 2007)
• Geneviève Charest, 2008 Québec City Production
• Melora Hardin, 2008 Hollywood Bowl Concert
• Betsy Morgan, Current 25 Anniversary US Tour 2011
• Virginia Carmona, Current Spanish 25th Anniversary Production Cast

Film and television[link]

• Marie Ventura, 1913 Adaptation
• Gretchen Hartman (as Sonia Markova), 1917 Adaptation
• Sandra Milowanoff, 1925 Adaptation
• Florelle, 1934 Adaptation
• Florence Eldridge, 1935 Adaptation
• Valentina Cortese, 1948 Adaptation
• Sylvia Sidney, 1952 Adaptation
• Danièle Delorme, 1958 Adaptation
• Giulia Lazzarini, 1964 Adaptation
• Anne-Marie Coffinet, 1972 Adaptation
• Blanca Sánchez, 1973 Adaptation
• Angela Pleasence, 1978 Adaptation
• Évelyne Bouix, 1982 Adaptation
• Uma Thurman, 1998 Adaptation
• Charlotte Gainsbourg, 2000 Adaption
• Anne Hathaway, 2012 Adaptation

External links[link]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Les Misérables

• French text of Les Misérables
• Les Misérables at Project Gutenberg – English translation.
• Fantine at the Internet Movie Database
• Search for Fantine at the Internet Broadway Database

Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967), better known as Ruthie Henshall, is an English singer, dancer, and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Henshall attended the Laine Theatre Arts school in Epsom, Surrey before making her first professional appearance on stage in 1986. Her appearance in the 1987 production of Cats marked her West End debut.

Personal life[link]

Henshall was born in Bromley, South East London, England. Her father David was a journalist, later the editor of the East Anglian Daily Times, a Suffolk morning newspaper. Ruthie Henshall's early ambition was to be a ballet dancer, but she lacked the necessary physique. Her sister, Noel, died in 2007 of a drugs overdose while living in San Francisco, California.^[1]

Henshall dated Prince Edward "solidly" for two years, but "on and off for five years",^[2] before becoming engaged to actor John Gordon Sinclair. After she took the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago on Broadway, New York, they broke up, after which Henshall admitted going through a process of excessive drinking and considering suicide.^[3]

She then met Tim Howar, theatre actor and lead singer of the band Van Tramp, and her male co-star lead in the West End production of Peggy Sue Got Married. The couple married in 2004 and have two children together, Lily Amalia (born 16 February 2003) and Dolly Olivia (born 14 January 2005)^[4] They lived close to her parents on the Essex/Suffolk border.^[5]

The couple announced their split in August 2009, with Henshall stating that she remains "good friends" with Howar.^[6] They divorced in January 2010.^[7]

Career[link]

Prior to making her stage debut at the age of 19, Ruthie Henshall trained at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey.^[8] Her debut performance was in the Cascade Revue at the West Cliff Theatre in Clacton-on-Sea. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she took part in a touring production of A Chorus Line as Maggie. Her West End Theatre debut came shortly thereafter when she was cast in Cats, making appearances as Jemima, Demeter, Griddlebone and Grizabella.^[9]

In 1988, at the age of 21, she was cast in Miss Saigon as Ellen, showing at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She then went on to originate the role of Aphra in Children of Eden at the Prince Edward Theatre. The summer of 1989 saw her at the Chichester Festival Theatre performing in plays by Shakespeare, Molière as well as a role in the musical Valentine's Day, based on You Can Never Tell by George Bernard Shaw.^[8]

In 1992, at the age of 25, she was cast as Fantine in Les Misérables. Her first starring role came in the 1993 trans-Atlantic transfer of the Broadway smash Crazy for You which opened at the Prince Edward Theatre. Her performance earned her the first of four Olivier Award nominations.^[8] In 1995, Henshall starred in She Loves Me, winning the Olivier as Best Actress in a Musical.^[10] That same year, she performed a concert of Gershwin songs at London's Royal Festival Hall. Later, in October, she recreated her role of Fantine for the 10th Anniversary Concert performance of Les Misérables at the Royal Albert Hall. In 1996, she took on the role of Nancy in producer Cameron Mackintosh's hit revival of Oliver! at the famed London Palladium. In 1997, Henshall originated the role of Roxie Hart in the West End transfer of the successful Broadway revival of Chicago. For this role, she received an her second Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, which went to her co-star Ute Lemper.

Henshall was cast in the title role of the stage musical adaptation of the Francis Ford Coppola film Peggy Sue Got Married,^[11] which opened in London in August 2001 to mixed reviews. Although it closed after a run of just eight weeks, she was once again nominated for an Olivier for her performance.^[12]

Henshall has also appeared at the Chichester Festival Theatre, has toured Britain in the revue The Magnificent Musicals, and has performed in Hey, Mr. Producer, a celebration of the works of Cameron Mackintosh.^[13][14] Her solo recordings include The Ruthie Henshall Album, Pilgrim, and Love Is Here to Stay, a collection of Gershwin tunes.^[15] She succeeded the role of Marian Halcombe from Maria Freidman in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White, from July 2005 until February 2006. She was also cast in the title role in Marguerite, a new musical from the pens of Michel Legrand, Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. The show opened on 7 May 2008 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, but closed early on 13 September 2008.^[16]

Henshall's Broadway credits include Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together, Chicago (as both Velma and Roxie), and The Vagina Monologues. In 2000 she guest-starred in an episode of Law & Order titled "Panic"; she played an author named P.K. Todd. Her first feature film, a musical version of A Christmas Carol with Kelsey Grammer, aired on NBC in the United States in November 2004 and was released as a commercial attraction to theatres in the UK and Europe.^[9] In January 2006 she appeared in the four-part BBC Television series The Sound of Musicals.

In 2008 and 2009, Henshall appeared as an Ice Judge on the ITV1 show Dancing On Ice. Her appointment to the panel caused some controversy as she is the only judge with no experience in ice skating.^[17] Henshall said on Angela and Friends the Sky1 TV program that she was glad that she was away from Dancing On Ice. Her replacement for the 2010 series was "Baby Spice" Emma Bunton.

Henshall performed two evening concerts with Kim Criswell entitled From Broadway to Hollywood at London's Cadogan Hall in the summer of 2009.^[18]

She returned to the role of Roxie in Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre, London, on 14 December 2009 and completed her run on 24 April 2010. This was the second time Henshall played the role in London having created it in 1997. She stated in an interview that she felt more comfortable in the part the second time around, being in her forties. She has stated that, "Anyone who plays the role of Roxie should be in their forties, as they have lived and learned". She has also recently played Roxie in the Broadway company of Chicago.

In March 2011, Henshall took the role of Elvira in the classic play Blithe Spirit in the West End, after playing the role in several regional theatre engagements.^[19][20][21]

In 2011 she also appeared as a theater actor in an episode of the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm that aired August 14, as well as a lawyer in The Case, a 5-part legal drama that aired from October 31 to November 4 on BBC One.^[22][23]

In February 2012 it was announced that Henshall will headline a concert of Side By Side By Sondheim in Australia. Henshall is set to appear in an episode of Doctor Who in the upcoming autumn run of the 7th series of the programme.

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

Theatre credits[link]

• A Chorus Line (UK Tour, 1987)...as Maggie
• Cats (London Cast, 1987-1989)...as Jemima, Demeter, Jellyorum, Griddlebone, Grizabella
• Bernadette (Concept Album, 1989)...Performer
• Miss Saigon (Original London Cast, 1989-1990)...as Bar Girl, Ellen
• Children of Eden (Original London Cast, 1991)...as Aphra
• Henry VIII (Chichester Festival Theater, 1991)...Lady in Waiting
• The Sisterhood (Chichester Cast, 1991)...as Martine
• Valentine's Day (Chichester Cast, 1991)...as Mabel
• Follow the Star (Chichester Fesival Theater, 1991-1992)...as Mary
• Les Misérables (London Cast, 1992)...as Fantine
• Godspell (Studio Cast, 1993)...Performer
• Crazy for You (Original London Cast, 1993-1994)...as Polly Baker
• She Loves Me (London Revival Cast, 1994)...as Amalia Balash
• Annie (Studio Cast, 1995)...Performer
• Miss Saigon (Studio Cast, 1995)...as Ellen
• Les Misérables (London Concert Cast, 1995)...as Fantine
• Crazy for You (Toronto Cast)...as Polly Baker
• Oliver! (London Cast, 1996)...as Nancy
• Divorce Me, Darling! (Chichester Festival Cast, 1997)...as Polly Brockhurst
• Chicago (London and Broadway Revival Cast, 1998,1999, 2010)...as Roxie Hart
• Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 (New York Concert Cast, 1999)...Roles originated by Gertrude Niesen
• Chicago (Broadway Cast, 1999)...as Velma Kelly
• Putting It Together (Broadway Revival, 1999)...as The Younger Woman
• The Vagina Monologues (Original Off-Broadway Production, 2000)...Performer
• Miss Saigon (Broadway Cast),(Broadway Cast replacement, December 31-2000-January 28, 2001)...as Ellen
• Peggy Sue Got Married (Original London Production, 2001)...as Peggy Sue
• The Vagina Monologues (London Cast, 2001-2002)...Performer
• The Boy from Oz (New York Workshop, 2002)...as Liza Minnelli
• Chicago (London Cast, 2003)...Velma Kelly
• Fosse (UK Tour, 2003)
• The Woman in White (Original London Production, 2004-2005)...as Marian
• The Other Woman (Ensemble Studio Theater, New York, 2006)...as Emma
• Stairway to Paradise (City Center, New York, 2007)
• Marguerite (Original London Production, 2008)...as Marguerite
• Chicago (Cambridge Theatre, 2009)...as Roxie Hart
• Blithe Spirit (Apollo Theatre, 2011)...as Elvira

^[14][24]

Solo Albums[link]

• "The Ruthie Henshall Album"
• "Pilgrim"
• "Ruthie Henshall Sings Gershwin"

Guest Vocals & Compilations[link]

• "I Love Musicals"
• "Sondheim-The Stephen Sondheim Album"
• "Showstoppers: Dudu Fisher"
• "Brent Barrett: The Kander and Ebb Album

Cast Recordings[link]

• 1991: Children of Eden (Original London Cast)
• 1993: Crazy For You (Original London Cast)
• 1994: She Loves Me (1994 London Revival Cast)
• 1995: Miss Saigon (1995 Studio Cast)
• 1995: Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Concert^[15][25]
• 1997: Godspell (1993 London Studio Cast)
• 1998: She Loves Me (1994 London Cast)
• 1998: Divorce Me, Darling! (1997 Chichester Cast)
• 1998: Annie (London Studio Cast)
• 1998: Chicago - The Musical (1998 London Cast)
• 1998: Hey, Mr. Producer!
• 1999: Miss Saigon (1995 Studio Cast - Highlights)
• 2001: Ziegfeld Follies of 1936
• 2004: A Christmas Carol (Original Soundtrack from the Hallmark TV Production)
• 2008: Marguerite (Original London Cast Recording)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ruthie Henshall's Official Website
• Ruthie Henshall at the Internet Movie Database
• Ruthie Henshall at the Internet Broadway Database

Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga performing at Makati City
Background information
Birth name	Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga[1]
Also known as	Lea Salonga-Chien
Born	(1971-02-22) February 22, 1971 (age 41)
Origin	Angeles City, Philippines
Genres	Pop, OPM, R&B
Occupations	Singer, actress
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Atlantic, Arista , Capitol, EMI Philippines, Musiko, Sony Music Philippines, WEA, Walt Disney
Website	www.leasalonga.com

Lea Salonga-Chien^[1] (born February 22, 1971) is a mezzo-soprano singer, actress, and Disney Legend from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon,^[2] for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.^[2][3]

She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and Fantine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway.^[4] She also provided the singing voice of two official Disney Princesses: Jasmine in Aladdin (1992), and Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004).^[5] Salonga was named a Disney Legend in 2011 for her work with the company.^[6]

Career[link]

1978–1988[link]

Salonga made her professional debut in 1978 at the age of seven in the musical The King and I by Repertory Philippines.^[5] She became the lead star of Annie and joined other productions such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Fiddler on the Roof, The Rose Tattoo, The Sound of Music, The Goodbye Girl, Paper Moon and The Fantasticks.^[7]

She began her recording career at the age of ten with her first album, Small Voice, which received a gold certification.^[7][8] A song on the album, the duet "Happiness", marked her first recording collaboration with her younger brother Gerard Salonga, who would, years later, work with her as musical director or creative director in her concerts and recordings.^[9][10] Her second album, Lea, was released in 1988.^[11]

In addition to performing in musical theater and recordings, Salonga hosted her own musical television show, Love, Lea,^[7] and was a member of the cast of German Moreno's teen variety show That's Entertainment. She acted in films, which included the family-oriented Tropang Bulilit,^[12] Like Father, Like Son,^[13] Ninja Kids,^[14] Captain Barbell,^[15] and Pik Pak Boom.^[16] She also opened for international acts such as Menudo and Stevie Wonder in their concerts in Manila in 1985 and in 1988, respectively.^[8]

As a young performer, Lea Salonga received a Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) award nomination (the Philippine equivalent of an Oscar nomination) for Best Child Actress.^[17] and three wins from the Aliw (literally, "entertainment") Awards as Best Child Performer.^[7]

1989–1992[link]

Salonga was selected to play Kim in the musical Miss Saigon in 1989.^[2] Unable to find a strong enough East Asian actress/singer in the United Kingdom, the producers scoured many countries looking for the lead role of this major British production.^[18][19] For her audition, the 17-year-old Salonga chose to sing Boublil and Schönberg's "On My Own" from Les Misérables and was later asked to sing "Sun and Moon" to test the compatibility of her voice quality with the songs in the musical.^[20][21] The members of the panel were impressed with Salonga's rendition of the songs, noting that from Salonga's very first note, they already knew they had a potential Kim.^[20][21] Salonga competed with childhood friend and fellow Repertory Philippines performer Monique Wilson as they were tested with songs from the musical, which included "Too Much for One Heart", a number replaced by the duet "Please" just before the musical opened.^[20][21][22] Salonga was offered the lead role, with Wilson as her understudy (who was given the role of the bar girl named Mimi).^{[20][21][23][24]}

For her performance as Kim, Salonga won the Olivier for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical for the 1989–1990 season.^[25] From its original London home, Miss Saigon moved to Broadway in April 1991.^[26] Salonga subsequently won the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and the Theatre World Awards for the same role.^[2][25] Between 1993 and 1996, she was asked periodically to play Kim on Broadway to boost ticket sales.^[27] In 1999, she was invited back to London to close the musical, and in 2001, at the age of 29 and after doing the Manila run of the musical,^[28] Salonga returned to Broadway to close the Broadway production.^[29]

In 1990, Salonga performed in a homecoming concert in Manila entitled A Miss Called Lea.^[30] She also received a Presidential Award of Merit from Philippine president Corazon Aquino.^[3]

1993–1996[link]

In 1993, upon completion of her initial stint as Kim on Broadway, Salonga played the role of street waif Éponine in the Broadway production of Les Misérables,^[31][32] and later flew to Los Angeles to perform the song "A Whole New World" of Disney's Aladdin with Brad Kane at the 65th Annual Academy Awards,^[33] where the song won an Oscar.^[34] That same year, she released her self-titled international debut album with Atlantic Records, which had modest sales in the USA but went platinum in the Philippines and sold 3 million copies worldwide.^[35]

In 1994, Salonga played in various musical theater productions in the Philippines and Singapore.^[2][5] She starred as Sandy in Grease,^[36] as Sonia Walsk in They're Playing Our Song,^[37] and as The Witch in Into The Woods.^[38]

Back in the U.S. in 1995, Salonga played the role of Geri Riordan, an 18-year-old adopted Vietnamese American child in the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie Redwood Curtain, which starred John Lithgow and Jeff Daniels.^[39] She then flew back to the Philippines to star with Filipino matinée idol Aga Muhlach in the critically acclaimed film Sana Maulit Muli,^[40] which gave her a second Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) award nomination, this time for Best Actress.^[41] She accepted an invitation from Sir Cameron Mackintosh to play the role of Éponine in his 10th anniversary production called Les Miserables in Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. Salonga performed along with Colm Wilkinson, Michael Ball, Judy Kuhn, and Philip Quast.^[42][43]

In 1996, Salonga was in Les Misérables once again. She played Éponine in the London production of the musical, then continued on to do the role in the musical's U.S. national tour in Hawaii.^[2]

1997–2003[link]

From 1997 to 2000, Salonga did recordings and concerts in the Philippines and another engagement in London, in addition to her periodic returns to Miss Saigon in London and on Broadway. In 1997, she released I'd Like to Teach The World to Sing (recordings from her childhood days) to gold sales in the Philippines.^[44] That recording was followed by Lea... In Love in 1998^[45] and By Heart in 2000, with both albums reaching multiple platinum status in the Philippines.^[8] In addition to the release of these albums, she participated in the tribute concert to Sir Cameron Mackintosh in London called "Hey Mr. Producer: The Musical World of Cameron MacKintosh", where she did numbers from several of his musicals.^[46][47][48] She also performed in four concerts: The Homecoming Concert, The Millennium Concert, The Best of Manila and Songs from the Screen – the last two being benefit shows.^[30] Salonga returned to Manila in Miss Saigon, staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines at the end of 2000.^[49]

After Miss Saigon's closing on Broadway in 2001, Salonga recreated the role of Lien Hughes originally played by Ming-Na Wen in the soap opera As the World Turns. After completing her contract that year, she was asked to return to the role in 2003.^[50][51] She guested on Russell Watson's The Voice concert, narrated for the television special My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States, and appeared on the Christmas episode of the TV medical drama ER, playing the role of a patient with lymphoma.^[30][52]

In 2002, Salonga returned to Broadway to play the role of a Chinese immigrant in a reinterpretation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song opposite Jose Llana.^[32] This was after the reinvented musical had a run at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in 2001 with Salonga playing the lead role^[53][54][55] and with the show garnering multiple wins and nominations, including Lead Actress in a Musical for Salonga, from the Theatre Los Angeles Ovation Awards.^[56][57] The show, given a brand new libretto and considered one of the 10 best plays on Broadway in 2002 by Time magazine,^[58] garnered Tony Award nominations for Best Book, Best Costume Designer, and Best Choreographer,^[59] and earned nominations from the Outer Critics Circle,^[60] the Drama League,^[61] the Astaire Awards,^[62] and Broadway.com's Audience Awards and Broadwayworld.com's Fans' Choice Awards as well.^[63] The Salonga-led Broadway revival cast album was also a top contender at the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Musical Show Album.^[64] While Salonga's performance was received positively by theater critics such as Matthew Murray, Heather Cross, Patrick Purdon, and John Simon, among others, she was not nominated at the Tony Awards for her brief stint on Broadway that season, although she did get nominations for Distinguished Performance from the Drama League, for Favorite Lead Actress in a Broadway Musical from Broadway.com's Audience Awards, and for Best Lead Actress in a Musical from Broadwayworld.com's Fans' Choice Awards.^[63] Between the 2001 Los Angeles and 2002 Broadway productions of Flower Drum Song, she performed in a non-musical theatrical production for the first time, playing the role of Catherine in the stage play Proof in Manila.^[2] This was followed by a major concert, The Broadway Concert,^[65] at the Philippine International Convention Center. She also sang with Harry Connick, Peter Gallagher, and Michelle Lee in a tribute number for Richard Rodgers at the 56th Tony Awards.^[66]

In 2003, Salonga did her first "all-Filipino" concert in Manila called Songs from Home, which later won a second Aliw Award as Entertainer of the Year; she also won the previous year.^[67][68] Upon her return to the U.S., she performed in several shows at the Mohegan Sun in Montville, Connecticut. This was followed by a Christmas concert in the Philippines called Home for Christmas at the end of the year, which was nominated for the 18th Aliw Awards,^[69] and performances at the Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center in Marlton, New Jersey the following year, in 2004.^[70] Later that year, she played Lizzie in the Manila production of the musical Baby, which earned her another nomination from the Aliw Awards.^[69][71]

2004–2007[link]

In 2005, Salonga played her first US concert tour in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlantic City, and Chicago.^[72][73][74] Concert dates in Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Virginia followed.^[75] Later that year, Salonga performed with a 26-piece ensemble to a sold-out crowd at the Isaac Stern Hall in Carnegie Hall for the benefit of Diverse City Theater Company.^{[76][77][78][79][80]} Between her concerts, the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) bestowed her with the Golden Artist Award at the 53rd FAMAS Awards in honor of her international achievements.^[81][82] She performed during the grand opening of Hong Kong's Disneyland^[83] and recorded two songs on tenor Daniel Rodriguez's In the Presence CD.^[84] That same year, Salonga did voice work for Disney's English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro as Mrs. Kusakabe. Salonga's other Disney film credits include the singing voice of Princess Jasmine for Aladdin in 1992 and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II in 1998 and in 2004, respectively.^[5]

In 2006, at the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, Salonga concluded the closing ceremony with the song "Triumph of The One" before an audience of 50,000 people at the Khalifa Stadium.^[85][86][87]

In 2007, Salonga released her first studio album in seven years called Inspired, which has been certified platinum,^[88] and finished another stint in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway, this time as Fantine.^[89][90] She was scheduled to appear in a number of musical events scheduled in different countries until 2008.^{[91][92][93][94]}

Salonga received the Order of Lakandula Award from Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in recognition of her excellence in her craft and for using her talents to benefit Philippine society.^[95] It was also announced that she would return to Broadway in the musical Les Misérables, replacing Daphne Rubin-Vega as Fantine on March 6.^[89][96] Her tenure started, however, on March 2, four days earlier than planned.^[97][98] Her casting on the show has been credited with boosting the musical's ticket sales on Broadway.^[99][100] On September 27, 2007, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was in New York, watched Salonga in her new role in the musical, whose cast that night included Filipino Americans Adam Jacobs as Marius and Ali Ewoldt as Cosette.^[101][102] Her contract with the musical ended on October 21, 2007 and she was succeeded by Broadway's original Cosette Judy Kuhn.^[103][104] For her performances in this revival, Salonga received rave reviews and made it again to the short list of Broadway.com's Audience Award favorites—this time for Best Replacement for her new role as Fantine.^{[100][105][106]} During her stint on Broadway this season, she appeared on Broadway on Broadway 2007^[107] and Stars in the Alley 2007,^[108] spoke at the Broadway Artists Alliance Summer Intensives,^[109] guested on the Broadway musical 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,^[110] and participated in Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS' 12th Annual Nothing Like A Dame event to benefit the women's health initiative of The Actors Fund.^[106][111] Right after doing Les Misérables, she performed in two events: at the US Military Academy Band's concert in West Point where she sang four songs and an encore^[112] and in her own concert at the Tarrytown Music Hall in New York.^[113]

As of November 2007,^{[dated info]} a number of performances were scheduled for the rest of the year and for 2008, including a Christmas presentation in Manila,^[91][114] concerts in other parts of the Philippines and in California, Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Guam^{[92][93][115][116][117][118][119][120]} and Broadway Asia Entertainment's international tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, where she plays the lead.^[94][121]

2008–present[link]

On 3 July 2008, Salonga became a columnist in the Philippine Daily Inquirer with her column "Backstory" (Entertainment section), "Introducing: Lea Salonga, writer".^[122] She performed in "Global Pop" at the Music Center on July 11, 2008. It was presented by The Blue Ribbon a group founded by Dorothy Chandler in 1968.^[123] Backed by an orchestra of 19 musicians, Salonga received a standing ovation for her solo concert on July 11 at Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall. Salonga also performed part of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "There's Music in You", as preview of her coming show Cinderella at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on July 29.^{[124][125][126]} That same year she received a special citation from Awit Awards, the Philippines' version of Grammys.

From late July 2008 to mid-2009, Salonga played the title role in the 30-week Asian tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, opening in Manila and continuing to China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. According to Billboard.com, Salonga was scheduled to perform in Nevada, Washington, California, Indiana, New York, Hawaii and more in 2009 and was also asked to dance the Filipino novelty dances "Ocho-ocho" and "Spaghetti".^[127]

In July 2009, Salonga agreed to advertise the Avon Products line of anti-aging skin care products Anew Rejuvenate in the Philippines.^[128]

Also in the same month, Salonga was invited to sing at the 95th Anniversary Special of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC). She was given a standing ovation after her first song, which was an original composition by the Church arranged by Ryan Cayabyab.^[129]

At the Requiem Mass for former President Corazon Aquino on 5 August 2009, Salonga sang the patriotic Bayan Ko as the recessional before Aquino's casket was brought out of Manila Cathedral.^[130]

Salonga celebrated 20 years of Miss Saigon by performing in a concert called "Lea Salonga...Your Songs", at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Plenary Hall on December 11 and 12, 2009. She conducted an online poll via www.LEAyoursongs.com where fans could request songs they wanted to hear. The concert had crooner Richard Poon, the award-winning dance group Philippine All Stars and Concert Comedy Queen Ai-Ai de las Alas as special guests. "Lea Salonga...Your Songs" was under the musical direction of her brother, Gerard Salonga along with the FILharmoniKA.

From 23 July to 22 August 2010, Salonga played the role of Grizabella in the Manila run of the Asia-Pacific tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. She returned to Les Misérables on October 3 in the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables as Fantine, fifteen years after appearing in the 10th Anniversary as Eponine.^[131][132]

In 2010, Salonga joined forces with Avon as a celebrity judge for Avon Voices,^[133] Avon's first ever global, online singing talent search for women and songwriting competition for men and women. Instantly, she become part of Miss Universe history because of her winning final question which won by Miss Angola Leila Lopes.

Salonga was honoured as a Disney Legend on 19 August 2011.^[134]

She was chosen to serve as one of the judges in the 60th Miss Universe 2011 Beauty Pageant in São Paulo, Brazil on 12 September 2011. ^[135]

Salonga will star in the Broadway-bound musical, Allegiance, at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego from 6 September – 20 October 2012.^[136]

Education and personal life[link]

Lea Salonga is the daughter of Feliciano Genuino Salonga and Ligaya Alcantara Imutan and spent the first six years of her childhood in Angeles City before moving to Manila.^[7]. She is not related to former Senator Jovito Salonga. She has a brother named Gerard Salonga who is an orchestral conductor.

She studied and finished her secondary education in 1988 at the O. B. Montessori Center in Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila,^[137] where she was a Bergamo 1 Student and an active participant in school productions. She also attended the University of the Philippines College of Music's extension program aimed at training musically talented children in music and stage movement. A college freshman at the Ateneo de Manila University when she auditioned for Miss Saigon,^[138] she later took two courses at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus while in between jobs in New York.