Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Wildcard
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/21/06
#1Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 12:47pm
It seems that Lea's next role will be Helen in Fun Home… in the Manila staging.
http://entertainment.inquirer.net/183745/tony-winning-play-is-coming-to-manila
What are the chances she could someday play the role on Broadway as well? And how does Manila get all these productions before the rest of the world does? We probably won't see it here in LA till 2017
Updated On: 11/18/15 at 12:47 PM
#2Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 1:01pm
I have always admired Salonga's commitment to performing in her home country, especially now that she is U.S.-based. She has been a great advocate for theater in the Philippines. Helen should fit her like a glove.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
Hamilton22
Broadway Star Joined: 7/18/15
#4Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 1:10pm
Wildcard said: "We probably won't see it here in LA till 2017"
That reminds me. Is the tour starting in Chicago or is it only announced for Chicago?
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/fun-home-national-tour-will-play-chicago-366964
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#5Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 1:35pm
It is a 100% going on tour in the next touring season 2016-2017. http://www.thebookinggroup.com/
#7Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 1:55pm
This is excellent. Excited to hear about the rest of the cast.
#8Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 1:57pm
So am I! Auditions are this weekend:
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
BroadwayConcierge
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/24/15
#9Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 1:58pm
This sounds wonderful, but also kind of the most random casting news ever.
#10Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 1:59pm
How so?
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
Lilly7
Stand-by Joined: 7/7/15
#11Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 2:05pm
First Judy Kuhn, now Lea Salonga, I hope this means a trend of only Disney princesses playing the role. 
#12Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 2:36pm
Lilly7 said: "First Judy Kuhn, now Lea Salonga, I hope this means a trend of only Disney princesses playing the role.
I was thinking Schonberg-Boublil leading ladies, but that works, too.
bwaylyric
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/22/03
#13Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 2:37pm
Lilly7 said: "First Judy Kuhn, now Lea Salonga, I hope this means a trend of only Disney princesses playing the role.
"
Yes! Anika Noni Rose next!
#14Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 3:24pm
I don't know if this will be considered by them, but when I thought of Fun Home in the Philippines, I immediately thought of Charice Pempengco who came out as a lesbian and has the perfect short hair for Alison. She can sing really well, has the look and would bring in a lot of people to see it. I don't know how well she is an actress though. Her appearance on Glee doesn't really tell us anything about her acting.
Alessio2
Broadway Star Joined: 11/15/13
#15Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 4:01pm
Charice would be great as medium Alison, she is far too young to play older Alison.
#16Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 4:15pm
Lilly7 said: "First Judy Kuhn, now Lea Salonga, I hope this means a trend of only Disney princesses playing the role."
That would make me so happy.
I think this casting is terrific, although she doesn't read middle-aged to me, which I feel the character should. Still, I'm sure she'll be wonderful in the role and I'd be all for the casting of the show on Broadway to represent different ethnicities. I think that would be a very cool thing for the show to do, though it may be difficult to change the entire cast at once.
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
#17Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 4:45pm
What does mean about allegiance?
In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound.
Signed,
Theater Workers for a Ceasefire
https://theaterworkersforaceasefire.com/statement
Wildcard
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/21/06
#18Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 4:57pm
It could mean that either her contract with Allegiance will be over by then and the role will be taken over by a new person (if the show is still open) or she will take a month or two off to do Fun Home.
#19Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 5:05pm
Lea Salonga stated that her contract with Allegiance us up in June 2016, if the show lasts that long.
"Mostly, I loved the size of these people's emotions. Nobody has emotions this size anymore. Outsized emotions. Operatic emotions. Kushemski and Vanda are like Tristan and Isolde, they're Paolo and Francesca. Nobody's in total thrall like this anymore. Nobody's overcome by passion like this, or goes through this kind of rage." Thomas, Venus in Fur
#20Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 5:55pm
I agree that this was quite a surprise. Honestly, when I first read the announcement, I thought she was gonna be Alison herself and it would have really been something new for her, character-wise. Lol...
http://puccinischronicles.wordpress.com
#21Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 6:39pm
Ado Annie D'Ysquith said: "I agree that this was quite a surprise. Honestly, when I first read the announcement, I thought she was gonna be Alison herself and it would have really been something new for her, character-wise. Lol...
I thought that they were referring to 'Big Alison' too lol. I was picturing Lea as a butch lesbian cartoonist before I read that she would be playing the mother.
"Mostly, I loved the size of these people's emotions. Nobody has emotions this size anymore. Outsized emotions. Operatic emotions. Kushemski and Vanda are like Tristan and Isolde, they're Paolo and Francesca. Nobody's in total thrall like this anymore. Nobody's overcome by passion like this, or goes through this kind of rage." Thomas, Venus in Fur
ebontoyan
Broadway Star Joined: 9/22/14
#22Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/18/15 at 7:00pm
So excited for Lea!!! I have not been in a rush to see Fun Home on Broadway and the only song that appealed to me in the cast recording is Helen's "Days and Days" So I'm glad Lea will take on that role in the Manila production. I wish I can see her in this!
With Rachelle Ann Go (currently Fantine in West End's Les Miz) going to be Fantine in the Manila production in 2016 and with Lea's news, it will surely be fun times in the Philippines theater scene next year!
Updated On: 11/18/15 at 07:00 PM
Daniel A. Hidalgo
Swing Joined: 9/29/11
#23Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 11/30/15 at 8:40am
I am also completely onboard with Charice as Medium Alice! I'd love to see her take on the role.
mcsquared
Featured Actor Joined: 3/2/11
#24Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 1/8/16 at 7:59pm
So I assume this means Lea won't be touring with Allegiance? It seems like she and Takei were main draw so definitely wanted to see her...
Cupid Boy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/5/13
#25Lea Salonga in Fun Home
Posted: 1/8/16 at 8:51pm
mcsquared said: "So I assume this means Lea won't be touring with Allegiance? It seems like she and Takei were main draw so definitely wanted to see her..."
Did Allegiance even announce a tour? It seems extremely unlikely that one would happen.
