Make no mistake, this concert is not on Broadway, it is of Broadway. The concert is actually performed in Manila, The Philippines. Is the country really called "The Philippines"? So do I separate the city from the country with a comma, or should I say "Manila in the Philippines"?
Regardless of how you punctuate it, Lea Salonga: The Broadway Concert shows off its star as a true talent with a lovely, versatile singing voice. Ms. Salonga is a native Filipino (or do you say Filipina, like Latina?), and comes home to perform a dozen Broadway songs with the San Miguel Philharmonic under the baton of her brother, Gerard Salonga.
Known mostly for her sensational debut in Miss Saigon, Salonga has perhaps not found a good follow-up vehicle for her talent. Apart from a six-month run in a highly-tauted, but ultimately disappointing revival of Flower Drum Song, Ms. Salonga's other Broadway credits are as replacements in Les Miz.
Don't let the sketchy production values of this filmed concert deter you. The camera angles are sometimes awkward, the sound levels at times waiver, and the stage set-up is completely boring while still being annoyingly distracting. All the more reason to appreciate how watchable and listenable is Ms. Salonga. Wending her way through Broadway standards and rarities ranging from Gershwin to Jekyll & Hyde, each song proves Ms. Salonga is a capable songstress, able to reach into the upper register without strain or distortion, and enliven its presentation with character. Make no mistake, there is nothing remotely operatic about her singing, except some good legato, and she is in chest voice more than head voice. I would catergorize her as a soubrette, for her winning style.
The Gershwin standard "Someone to Watch Over Me" is particularly good, owing to it's understated arrangement for guitar. It's a nice change of pace from the thickly orchestrated Broadway anthems that surround it. The song shows that Ms. Salonga could have a career strickly as a cabaret performer, if she chose.
Has she ever played the Rainbow Room or Joe's or one of those venues?
Lea Salonga: The Broadway Concert
Filmed live in Manila in 2002, released on DVD in 2007
Cast: Lea Salonga
Regardless of how you punctuate it, Lea Salonga: The Broadway Concert shows off its star as a true talent with a lovely, versatile singing voice. Ms. Salonga is a native Filipino (or do you say Filipina, like Latina?), and comes home to perform a dozen Broadway songs with the San Miguel Philharmonic under the baton of her brother, Gerard Salonga.
Known mostly for her sensational debut in Miss Saigon, Salonga has perhaps not found a good follow-up vehicle for her talent. Apart from a six-month run in a highly-tauted, but ultimately disappointing revival of Flower Drum Song, Ms. Salonga's other Broadway credits are as replacements in Les Miz.
Don't let the sketchy production values of this filmed concert deter you. The camera angles are sometimes awkward, the sound levels at times waiver, and the stage set-up is completely boring while still being annoyingly distracting. All the more reason to appreciate how watchable and listenable is Ms. Salonga. Wending her way through Broadway standards and rarities ranging from Gershwin to Jekyll & Hyde, each song proves Ms. Salonga is a capable songstress, able to reach into the upper register without strain or distortion, and enliven its presentation with character. Make no mistake, there is nothing remotely operatic about her singing, except some good legato, and she is in chest voice more than head voice. I would catergorize her as a soubrette, for her winning style.
The Gershwin standard "Someone to Watch Over Me" is particularly good, owing to it's understated arrangement for guitar. It's a nice change of pace from the thickly orchestrated Broadway anthems that surround it. The song shows that Ms. Salonga could have a career strickly as a cabaret performer, if she chose.
Has she ever played the Rainbow Room or Joe's or one of those venues?
Lea Salonga: The Broadway Concert
Filmed live in Manila in 2002, released on DVD in 2007
Cast: Lea Salonga
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