Lea Salonga is no stranger to the stage, but her role in Request sa Radyo departs from her norm. Here, she talks about getting out of her comfort zone, fully inhabiting a character, and the “strange, interesting dynamic” she shares with Dolly de Leon. Lea Salonga is looking forward to doing a show where she doesn’t have to sing.
It’s a break from the usual for the singer and actress, who, among many other honors over the years, won a Tony Award for singing her way through Miss Saigon in 1991, the first Asian performer to win for Best Actress in a Musical. “ Request sa Rady o is a show where I don’t have to sing or talk. In every show I’ve ever done, I’ve had to use my voice in one way or another,” says Lea.
“To be challenged into doing something where I don’t have to use my voice, I’ll really have to focus, and let the truth be on my face. “Both Dolly and I are terrified. But I believe challenge is good, getting pushed out of your comfort zone is good.
Learning different ways to act, that kind of thing is cool,” she says. “Whether I succeed or not we have yet to see. If I fall flat on my face, it’s fine.
At least I’ll know it’s not for me.” Lea said it took a while for her to wrap her head around what Request sa Radyo was about. “I had to have them explain what it was.
They sent over the deck, the synopsis of what was going to happen. “It wasn’t a script, because nothing is spoken. The tempo will be dictated by the music that’s pl.