Lea Salonga compares professionalism of teen stars then and now: "It just seems to be a different culture, it just seems to be a very different showbiz..."

Rommel R. Llanes

Saturday, February 11, 2012 @ 02:41PM | 43228 views

Filipina actress and international Broadway star Lea Salonga remembers working hard on production numbers with her co-That's Entertainment members. "It was competition, it was friendly camaraderie," she says, but observes that it's different these days. "Now, it's either your manager or your publicist jockeying for position as to who gets the most... Paistaran, e."

Photo By: Rommel R. Llanes

Para kay Lea Salonga, isang paghamon ang ginawang pagpili sa kanya ng R&B and Soul legend na si James Ingram para maging guest sa concert nito.

Magkakaroon ng dalawang gabing concert ang American singer na nagpasikat ng awiting "Just Once," sa Smart Araneta Coliseum sa Pebrero 17 at sa Waterfront Hotel sa Cebu sa Pebrero 18.

Naisipan ng producer ng concert na si Joed Serrano na bigyan ng local guest artist si Ingram, at si Lea nga ang agad na pinili ng black singer, mula sa listahan ng mahuhusay na local artists na ibinigay ni Joed.

Sa contract signing presscon na ibinigay ni Joed para kay Lea sa Shangri-La Edsa Hotel nung Miyerkules, Pebrero 8, tinanong ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) ang international Broadway actress kung ano ang pakiramdam na siya agad ang pinili ng Grammy-award winning singer.

"I'm thinking that maybe Patti Austin put in a good word for me," natatawang sagot ng singer-actress kaharap ang PEP at iba pang miyembro ng press.

"Maybe, 'no? Kasi naging ka-back-to-back ko na rin si Ms. Patti dun sa States."

Sina Ingram at Patti Austin ang mga boses sa classic R&B duets na "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" at "Baby, Come To Me."

"Back to Mr. Ingram, it feels good. Flattery will get you somewhere," pagpapatuloy ng 40-year-old former Miss Saigon star.

"And it makes me feel good na, here's an artist na napakataas ng respeto ko sa kanya, na mismong pumili sa akin from a list of performers to guest with him in his concert here in the Philippines.

"Siyempre, pag merong artist na talagang nirerespeto ko, who considers me a colleague or a peer or as worthy, I guess, to share the stage with them, it makes me feel good.

"But it's also challenging. Kasi I can be very competitive and I'm not the type of artist na luluhod sa paanan ng kahit na sino.

"I'm the type na, 'Ok... you picked me, I will show you why you made the right decision.'

"I'm that kind of performer. I can be feisty but not bitchy feisty. Just feisty," nakangiting sabi pa ni Lea.

Papatunayan daw ni Lea sa concerts na gagawin nila ni Ingram sa Araneta at sa Waterfront na hindi ito nagkamali sa pagpili sa kanya bilang guest.

Pero kung matatapos na raw ang spot niya sa concert ng R&B singer, mas gugustuhin niya raw na manood at i-enjoy na lang ang pakikinig sa mga awitin nito.

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39 Comments Show / Hide Comments

39

portal1124

02/15/2012 | 10:01 AM

i feel sorry for you, lea salonga, because you're NOW GETTING OLDER AND YOU ARE HEAVY ,you have something to say about anne curtis,she never claimed she is a singer,i have no idea why such a remark from you for someone like anne curtis who just want to have fun and make people happpy. WHY ARe U SO INSECURE, YOU CANT STAND PEOPLE BEING SUCCESSFUL, SAME WAY YOU DID CHARISE PEMPENGCO!!! YOU SHOULD BE A ROLE MODEL, BUT U CAN NEVER GAIN RESPECT ACTING LIKE A JERK!! YOU SUPPOSE TO REPRESENT FILIPINO ARTISTS BUT INSTEAD U R A DISSAPPOINTMENT

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kakosa

02/15/2012 | 04:52 AM

I agree with what she said about teen stars. Missed those days.. saka walang netwrok war as intense as what we are having now.

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prettyboy25

02/14/2012 | 11:14 PM

Lea Salonga is Lea Salonga. I think she has proven her worth and has the right to say her piece on some issues. This is a democracy.

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pepfanatic

02/14/2012 | 08:31 PM

Kaya ang mga baguhang singers ngayon si REGINE ang bukambibig kasi matulungin na humble pa. Hindi katulad ni Lea na akala mo kung sino eh bilang sa daliri naman ang sumikat na kanta. Teka may napasikat nga ba? lol

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jphilipg

02/14/2012 | 01:57 PM

yeah i agree. judging from her feedbacks her i agree with her. she's someone whom i can take credence for giving opinion on those issues, and anyone who would disagree might have not actually experienced pinoy entertainment back then. as far as contemporary filipino performers are concerned, leah is the most successful. she really exhibits this very high level of professionalism that she honed from constant practice and hard work. that's something i wish the teens of this generation would emulate. so mga haters, you have every right to be so, but it won't change the sad reality of the current show business industry.

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Syete

02/14/2012 | 05:44 AM

oh puh-lease people, she has all the right to say what she wants, after all, what she said is true, and importantly nobody was stepped on or hurt by it.. so leave her be.

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septembersapphire

02/14/2012 | 05:42 AM

There was a time na nag joke si Lea referring to ASAP stage as "marketplace" kasi nga magulo ang yung caliber ng show. that was the time she was active in broadway. That was a joke syempre..but minsan sa kinakain na nya yung own jokes nya like she started to appear sa ASAP productions kasi wala na syang projects or exposure. She has her own forte AND she had her share of limelight. So sana she will be gracious enough to accept na nag eevolve ang showbiz and that hindi habang buhay she'll look at herself as superior among others. Napapansin naman ng lahat yung attitude ni Lea na ganyan, yung she wants to project na american bred sya etc. but really..she is a good artist but meron lang konting superiority complex na nahulog sa pagka bitter..

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septembersapphire

02/14/2012 | 05:41 AM

There was a time na nag joke si Lea referring to ASAP stage as "marketplace" kasi nga magulo ang yung caliber ng show. that was the time she was active in broadway. That was a joke syempre..but minsan sa kinakain na nya yung own jokes nya like she started to appear sa ASAP productions kasi wala na syang projects or exposure. She has her own forte AND she had her share of limelight. So sana she will be gracious enough to accept na nag eevolve ang showbiz and that hindi habang buhay she'll look at herself as superior among others. Napapansin naman ng lahat yung attitude ni Lea na ganyan, yung she wants to project na american bred sya etc. but really..she is a good artist but meron lang konting superiority complex na nahulog sa pagka bitter

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slickchick02

02/14/2012 | 03:32 AM

i'd rather na someone else ang mag excel at makilala sa buong mundo kesa sa iba na may accomplishments nga pangit, arrogant naman ang ugali, nvm nalang. charice, arnel, apl would never be mayabang sa pagsagot.

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boloboy1000_diva

02/14/2012 | 02:28 AM

hay, pilipino nga nmn...d kau mapg tanto, ngasasabi ln ng totoo yun tao at please ni s konti bagay wag kaung mapanghusga dahil yn tao n sinasabihan nyon concieted ang naglagay ng pangalan ng pilipinas s larangan ng pagkanta s buong mundo...Mga kapamilya bat d nyo n ln pagtuungan ng pansin yun sintunado nyo n singer n c ANNE n feeling nyo she has all the right to sing. What a shame!!!!

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philippineeagle

02/13/2012 | 11:55 PM

Do you think I would buy a piece of your records? Nevaah!

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philippineeagle

02/13/2012 | 11:53 PM

Naku Lea, time evolves and life without transition isn't healthy. Seems you are too conceited on the way you delivered your lines.Please don't condescend others. Kung pang-broadway ka, well that's fine. Ineng, you don't own all the stages and your voice doesn't fit all types of music. Kung magaling ka, ok sa broadway, but I never dig the type of music you had.

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kewl

02/12/2012 | 05:36 PM

ganun talaga mag-joke ang mga american, wala naman nakaka offend dun e, she meant it in a funny joking way. kasi nga naman kung marunong kumanta si linda larkin hindi niya makukuha yung part na singing voice ni princess jasmine. huwag mo na din siya i-compare kay charice kasi magkaiba naman talaga sila ng genre at style. at least si lea napatunayan niya na she can penetrate ang broadway and she already proved herself at nanalo na siya ng award thru tony awards. dun naman talaga ang strength niya e at yun ang forte niya

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manangdi

02/12/2012 | 02:49 PM

sus, intelligent sya, kasi magaling mag english, opinionated sya, puro lang sya opinyon, eh di, magtayo sya ng Lea Salonga school of REALLY TALENTED artists, puro lang opinyon wala naman naitutulong sa industrya! if she has a choice, she would have stayed here in the US, kasi nga American wannabe sya since birth, eh, di naman nagtake off career nya dito sa US, but she doesn't want to stoop down daw to the level of she thinks lower level ng Filipino artists.

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hooney

02/12/2012 | 02:29 PM

hay naku Leah may talent ka pero bawat artist may kanya kanyang panahon, at kahit noong That's days ay may mga latak din na artists, huwag mo sabihin n aang mga artists ngayon ay hindi kasing galing noon, nagbabago lang talaga ang panahon, tingnan mo sina madonna at michael jackson nag adapt bakit naman naaapreciate ng ibat ibang ages katulad ko, nasa late 20's na sila ng isilang ako pero na appreciate ko sila, dapat ganun ka din

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slickchick02

02/12/2012 | 01:10 PM

wala na kasi syang exposure, kaya she sometimes settles on ASAP show, halata namang ayaw nya magperform don, buti di sya lagi pinipilit. i dont think she'd have another chance in the US like i said she got old and got too picky. i think she inhaled flattery too much lol

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slickchick02

02/12/2012 | 01:09 PM

21 ..lol of course ppl would laugh, alangan namang umalma sila eh its an event. was it ok na pahiyain nya ung linda tapos to add insult to injury, she thanked her for not knowing how to sing, dahil kung hindi don, she wouldnt get the singing part ng aladdin. youtube nyo nalang. pangit ata na example yon sa young adults, kahit ung mga talagang sikat, di sasabihin yon. disney event pa naman yon. she should have kept it to herself nalang.

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kokuryu

02/12/2012 | 12:24 PM

o puhleeze palengkera. she likes to perform on asap because she likes to share the stage with those artist that she thinks that have talents. she likes gary, sarah, and jed. and she watches asap regularly and she tweets everytime she sees a great production on asap.

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palengkera

02/12/2012 | 11:44 AM

Number16, jeez, lea's comment about Linda Larkin at the Disney Princess event was made in jest. even Tom Bergeron laughed. So lighten up. But I agree that her star value lessens every time she appears on local shows such as that variety show on abscbn, where she has to share a single musical number with performers who are not of her caliber or stature. She is better off performing on the Philippine stage and on specials, and just concentrate on getting a second wind in her career in America.

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septembersapphire

02/12/2012 | 11:33 AM

well.. she is intelligent...yes... talented... but she i conceited as well. I guess because she got a lot of citations sa broadway. But her strength is talagang doon lang. even sa concerts nya , she doesn't really shine. She is opinionated and nothing wrong with that..it's just that she is conceited and parang demands respect from her colleagues in showbiz kasi nga at her prime sya ang sikat, international star etc... i think she still struggles within herself to show na sya pa rin or kanya pa rin yung throne na sikat at international star.. but i guess it won't her hurt her sana to admit na marami na nakakalamang sa kanya. Ganyan ang buhay...para di sya aappear na bitter

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