Lea Salonga

“I seem to have a soft spot in my heart for Australia and Australian actors. After having worked with one in 'Cinderella' and a multitude of them in 'Cats,' I've wanted the opportunity to actually perform 'down under.'”

“I was 17 when I auditioned for 'Miss Saigon.' I really grew up doing that show. I pretty much knew, almost a year into 'Miss Saigon,' that I was going to be a performer, that I was going to be singing and acting.”

“Love your enemies... it's not always an easy tenet to live by... and I have more often than not been inclined to wish my enemies ill than well.”

“I don't think I would've been performing this long if I didn't love it sincerely to the degree that I do. It's not enough to like it. Dilettantes like things. Professionals love things and I consider myself a professional.”

“I can't be an ingenue forever, and I wouldn't want to be.”

“I took some voice lessons here and there as a teenager but nothing too serious. I started taking it more seriously when I was in Miss Saigon. I needed to improve my technique in order to survive doing that show as many time a week as I was doing it. It's not an easy show to sing, so I needed all the help I could get.”

“I think I will always be performing; I don't think I can take that away. Because I really just enjoy it. I like getting up to sing; I like the challenge of learning new material and singing it in front of an audience.”

“I just refuse to date actors. I've done that, and I don't want to do that anymore. It's just the stress of traveling and being away from each other so much.”

“I'm interested in just about anything that's right for my voice, and that's a good fit for my personality in the part as well. 'Evita' has always been a dream part for me, but it's really, really high to sing. I'd love to do Elphaba - heck, I'd even do Glinda. For me, I'd do anything to get into 'Wicked!'”

“It's in your DNA to be a Filipino; how can you just turn your back on it?”