Lea Salonga Pens Passionate Essay About New MISS SAIGON Star Eva Noblezada

Internationally celebrated stage star and vocalist Lea Salonga pens a passionate essay dedicated to the new leading lady of the West End 25th anniversary production of popular mega-musical MISS SAIGON, sharing her own impressions of the actress taking on the iconic title role which she herself originated as well as interviewing Noblezada.

Salonga writes of Eva Noblezada, "And it has happened again. Twenty-five years after the first worldwide search for Kim in 1989, for the original production of "Miss Saigon," another one was held to find another young lady to play that same role for the revival of that same show. The list of similarities between the two young ladies is eerie. To start with, they are the same height (5' 3") and share the same zodiac sign (Pisces) and a love for video games. The young lady in the original production is yours truly; the young lady in this new spectacular revival is Eva Noblezada. She is 18, ebullient, articulate, outgoing and intelligent, and currently wowing audiences in the West End as Kim in "Miss Saigon," playing at the Prince Edward Theatre."

Also, Noblezada shares with Salonga her insight into the character, "I did a lot of character analyses on Kim, which I used to color her personality, culture and background. I believe her religion was Caodaism, which is sort of a mixture of beliefs following Jesus Christ, Confucius, Buddha and Victor Hugo. Her favorite color was blue, and [as a child] she took long walks with her father. Little quirks like that helped me get in tune with her and make Kim 100 percent my own."

Additionally, Salonga writes, "With all the glowing reviews Eva has gotten for playing Kim, she is officially a West End star. She doesn't see herself that way, though, especially after interesting encounters with other stars in London."

Approvingly, Salonga concludes the essay, writing, "Attagirl."

Check out the original article on the matter here.