Lea Salonga sings "Your Songs" and gets a standing ovation

Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
"Oh, yeah!"
Updated: 12/12/2009
Views: 484
On December 11, world-renowned theater artist Lea Salonga sings Your Songs before a jampacked crowd at the Plenary Hall of Philippine International Convention Center(PICC), with FILharmoniKa, her brother Gerard, and some surprise guests.

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The long-awaited concert underscored Lea's versatility as a performer, and a repertoire that included ballad, RnB, pop, and rock songs—thus downplaying the Broadway tunes that made her famous on the international scene.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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The long lines to the
concert venue (top) and the eagerness of the seated audience (below) once again proved
Lea's crowd-drawing power.
Up to the last minute, some people were desperately looking for tickets.
One of them was singer-actress Ciara Sotto, who tweeted (published as is): "ok, my bad. Lea Salonga 's concert tix are sold out!
nang-away pa'ko, kashungahan ko pala! LOL."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Lea's first piece was Elton John's "Your Song," which aptly introduced the show's concept.
Her opening spiel: "All of tonight's songs are your songs. They may be your favorites, songs that you sing in the happy times, songs that get you through the hard times, songs that have sentimental value for you. Tonight, your songs are my songs..."
And as a sampler, she belted out Beyonce's "Halo."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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The next set was described by Lea as "power ballads"—"If You Leave Me Now" (Chicago),
"Making Love Out of Nothing at All" (Air Supply), "Now and Forever" (Air Supply), and "Open Arms" (Journey).
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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One lucky fan had the chance to sing with Lea.
Christopher
Yu (left) learned about the concert's sing-with-Lea gimmick through a friend's text message.
"Let's give it a go," he told himself. So, he sent a sample video, which was luckily chosen among a number of auditioners.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Christopher postponed his Hong Kong trip with his dad after getting a callback for Lea's concert.
When asked about how he felt standing beside his idol,
"Excited" was his answer, before letting out a loud exhale.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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The decision turned out to be a very good one.
That night, the glee club member rendered "A Whole New World" with
his idol, and got a thumbs up from Lea herself and the crowd.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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After a quick
modification of her costume onstage, Lea sang and danced Amy Winehouse's
award-winnning contemporary song "Rehab" with the dance group Philippine All-Stars.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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The first intermission featured hip-hop singer Q-York singing
the rap song "Mainit," a composition by the Philippine All-Stars.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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In act two, Lea
Salonga paid tribute to the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson, who—in Lea's own words—was the "greatest performer who ever lived."
She rendered "Gone Too Soon" beautifully.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Next portion was all about the Pinoy hits that "have risen above than being just music."
Almost sticking to the original arrangement, Lea sang Juan dela Cruz's "Ang Himig Natin," Eraserheads' "Ang Huling
El Bimbo"...
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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...and The Dawn's "Salamat," with Lea's "amazing rock star, theater actor, and good friend" Jett Pangan.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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After the powerful number, the former lead of the original Miss Saigon bowed to Jett, who said quite awkwardly, "Don't do that. It's actually my honor..."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Lea's next guest was Richard Poon.
Together, they sang OPM classics "Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal," "Mahal Kita Walang Iba," "Sana Maulit Muli, "I Don't Love You Anymore," and "Sometime, Somewhere."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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The crooner did the second intermission and sang Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Of course, the concert would not be complete without the Broadway favorites.
For the nth time, Lea wowed the audience with Les Miserables's "I Dreamed A Dream" and "On My Own," Cats's "Memory," Billy Elliot's "Electricity" and Wicked's "Defying Gravity."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Yup, that's the Comedy Queen Ai-Ai delas Alas!
In parody of Annie, she entered the stage wearing a dress similar to the popular musical's titular character.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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She also brought with her a balloon dog, which she called "Bantay," with "serial number 162."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Ai-Ai—who addressed the audience as "mga sosyal, mga mayayaman"—said she never had the chance to watch Lea before.
She added: "Para kang cell phone na walang signal."
Lea asked, "Why?"
Ai-Ai quipped, "kasi cannot be reached ka."
The crowd roared with laughter.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Just so she wouldn't feel inferior beside the concert's major star, who was wearing a pink Rajo Laurel gown, Ai-Ai changed into a sequined long gown right there on stage.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Ai-Ai commented that Lea is "masyadong sosyal." Her advice: "Dapat kumanta ka ng pang-masa."
In response, Lea sang tracks outside her comfort zone, like Akon's "Right Now Na Na Na" and Rihanna's "Umbrella."
Ai-Ai would then sing "jologs" versions of the songs, like Blank Tape's "Banana" and Miss Ganda's "Payong."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Ai-Ai belted out Aegis' "Basa sa Ulan," then challenged Lea to also sing a "pang-Japan na kanta."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Lea accepted the dare and finished the number by singing a duet of Aegis's "Halik" with the comedienne.
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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Lea admitted that her feet were sore, so she unshod her heeled shoes and sat down.
Tired feet didn't affect her rendtition of American Idol piece "No Boundaries."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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The finale, according to Lea, topped the list of requested songs.
"I cling to the belief that we will rise above tragedy," then she gave a rousing rendition of the Pinoy freedom anthem "Bayan Ko."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
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For the encore, Lea sang "Thank you For the Music" and "If Only."
Photography: Elyas Isabelo Salanga
