Naaksidente ang Filipino international star na si Lea Salonga nang gawin nito ang technical and dress rehearsal para sa Philippine premiere ng musical na CATS: Now and Forever sa Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo Theater sa Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

Noong nakaraang Thursday, July 22, natapilok at na-sprain ang ankle ni Lea habang papasok pa lang ito sa entablado. Ang dahilan ng kanyang pagkatapilok ay nang maapakan niya ang ilang cables na nakatakip sa stage.

Mabigat ang suot na costume ni Lea bilang si Grizabella. Suot pa niya ay sapatos na may mataas na heels kaya hindi niya naiwasan na ma-off balance at ma-twist ang kanyang ankle.

Kaya noong press preview ng CATS noong Friday, July 23 sa CCP ay inaalalayan si Lea ng isa sa kasama niya sa musical habang papalabas siya ng stage.

LIMITED MOVEMENTS. Nang awitin niya ang hit song ng musical na "Memory" ay halos hindi makagalaw si Lea at nakatayo lang siya imbes na ginagawa niya ang dapat na stage movement ng kanyang character.

Nakangiting ikinuwento ni Lea sa press ang nangyari pagkatapos ng press preview.

"I stepped on the covered cables then twisted my ankle, and I fell. So our 'vet' [physiotherapist Bronwyn Claassen] looked at it with an ultrasound and taped it secure.

"It was taped before the evening technical run. There would have been no way to tape it earlier. That unitard is very difficult to take off once it's on and you're sweating!"

Ang unitard ay isang skintight na one-piece garment na may mahahabang manggas at leggings. Sinusuot nga ito ng mga acrobats, gymnasts, dancers and circus performers. Ang buong cast ng CATS ay may suot na unitard sa ilalim ng kanilang fur costumes.

In-assure naman ni Lea na hindi niya bibiguin ang mga manonood ng CATS dahil naniniwala siya sa kasabihan na "the show must go on."

"As long as I can sing, I'll be in the show," nakangiting sinabi ni Lea.

Ayon naman sa producers ng show, pinatingnan na nila si Lea sa kanilang mga naka-standby na doctors and they will continue having her checked on as well as the rest of the cast for the duration of the show to make sure that they are in tip-top condition.

Hindi lang naman daw si Lea ang nakaranas na ng aksidente sa stage. Ilang miyembro na rin ng cast ay nakaranas ng iba't ibang aksidente at yung iba raw ay itinakbo pa sa ospital.

"The musical has so many movements and the set is enormous. If you lose your balance in any of the numbers, you can get hurt. You might hit a prop or one of the casts during a performance.

"Accidents always happen on the theater stage and no one wants it to actually happen during performance night. But that's life on the stage and we always have to be careful and be aware of what's around us and what's on the ground," diin ni Lea.