Lea Salonga takes center stage at Carnegie Hall

Lea Salonga makes her Carnegie Hall debut in New York on Monday, November 7th, 2005 at 7PM.

Lea Salonga, the Tony Award winning star of Miss Saigon, makes her Carnegie Hall debut in the Isaac Stern Auditorium, in New York on Monday, November 7th, 2005 at 7PM.

Excited about her first solo concert at Carnegie Hall, she comments: "It has always been my dream to take my turn at the most respected concert hall in the world. As enormous as that is for me, I still plan on making it an intimate show, singing the songs I love to sing and making some good music with a band of musicians the good old fashioned way."

Her performance as Kim in the London production of Miss Saigon, garnered her the Laurence Olivier Award in 1989. When the show opened on Broadway, she received the Tony Award, the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for "Outstanding Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical," in 1991. In 1993, she became the first Asian actor to portray Eponine in Les Miserables on Broadway and reprised the same role in London, Hawaii and the "all-star" tenth anniversary concert production atthe Royal Albert Hall in London.

Salonga has performed in international concert halls in London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Phuket, Manila and recently, Munich, in a Leonard Bernstein Tribute as Maria in West Side Story. In the fall of 2002, she returned to Broadway as the star of David Henry Hwang new prudction of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song. Her theater credits on the international stage include lead roles of Catherine in David Auburn's Proof, The Witch in Into the Woods, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Sonia Walsk in They're Playing Our Song, Sandy Dumbrowski in Grease, the title role in Annie, and recently, Lizzie in Baby. On television, she guest starred on E.R., and re-created the role of Lien Hughes for CBS's As the World Turns. She is also the singing voice behind two Disney favorites: the heroine Mulan and Princess Jasmine in Aladdin. In Aladdin, she recorded the Academy Award winning song, A Whole New World, with Brad Kane.

Richard Jay-Alexander, best known for directing and producing Bernadette Peters's Carnegie Hall concerts Live at Carnegie Hall and Loves Rodgers and Hammerstein, and the concert tours of Bette Midler's Kiss My Brass and Barbra Streisand's Timeless Farewell, will direct Salonga's Carnegie Hall debut.

A portion of the proceeds from the concert will benefit Diverse City Theater Company, an independent, not-for-profit theater organization based in New York City. Formed in 2003, Diverse City Theater promotes diversity in the theater arts by developing and producing original works that explore and examine diversity issues-social, cultural, gender and demographic-in our national culture. Its mission is to bring multicultural issues to theater audiences and advocate non-traditional casting of actors.

"Lea's artistic achievements and pioneering efforts paved way for many artists and producers today. She is proof that diversity in the theater works. We are grateful for her support and a proud partner in presenting her Carnegie Hall debut," said Victor Lirio, Artistic & Producing Director.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 212-247-7800 or online at www.carnegiehall.org. Ticket prices range from $45.00/$65.00/$85.00/$100.00. VIP Tickets can be purchased by calling Liz Casasola at 212-309-9018 or via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Individual VIP tickets are $350 which includes a post-performance VIP reception.