In this clip from the Season 11 premiere of PBS’s “Finding Your Roots,” Tony-winner Lea Salonga reflects on the pivotal decision to take the lead role in the original production of Miss Saigon. She reveals her concerns about how the conservative audiences in the Philippines might perceive her shift from a wholesome performer to a role that challenges societal norms.
Lea shares her fear of being branded as a “bold star” and grappling with the stark divide between being a wholesome or non-wholesome performer in her home country. She explained that she observed a different approach to acting in the West, where a “gray area” allowed for greater creative freedom.
Lea Salonga is best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Theater World Awards, Time100 Impact Award from Time Magazine, and the Gold Legend Award from Gold House. Most recently, Lea starred in the West End production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical revue, Old Friends, and as Aurora in Here Lies Love on Broadway, which she also produced. She will soon appear in the Broadway transfer of Old Friends, beginning March 25.
In the new season of the Emmy® nominated series FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR., Lea Salonga and eighteen other celebrity guests sit down with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to dive into their ancestral history and solve mysteries that have plagued their families when the series returns Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 7 PM ET on PBS.
