Lea Salonga's Audition for Miss Saigon 

I can remember my English teacher in High School boasting Lea Salonga as one of her exceptional students and how far she went with her talent.

She doesn’t even look a bit nervous. Just wow

She sound's like a disney princess

Did anyone notice that she had him sign Les Miz? Who coulda known she would one day become the definitive Eponine.

Anyone else feels so blessed to be living in the same lifetime where Lea Salonga exists

Corona can’t stop me from watching Lea

We are a witness to her actual genius as she flits and scans the notes of a song she had never practiced before. She could read and identify notes in a single moment with precision and perfect pitch. Her talent goes beyond just the art of singing, and into the art of music itself. She is an underrated treasure.

Would it be wrong to say I am so glad she didn't pursue her pre-med studies when she got the role of Kim? Because hell yeah I am. This voice deserves to be heard by the world.

If I had a voice like her I don't think I could ever stop singing, absolutely beautiful! I cried..

the voice that put the Philippines on the global stage! what a heavenly voice! thanks, Lea!

Raw, no auto-tune, young voice of a girl with a huge dream. She's such an inspiration ❤️

Now i know why lea salonga is a legend. She's not singing with her vocals, she's singing with her emotions. And her emotions are able to connect the listeners to the story inscribed in the song

She is 18 years old here. She barely looks 16

Admit it, you did not searched for this. I just saw this in my recommendations too, lol :)

This is what Lani M and Regine V have said before, what separates Lea from them is that, Lea could read a note without hearing it first. Such an icon.

This is the moment musical theater changed forever. I cannot explain the monumental impact Lea has had on the industry. No matter what she sings, she sings it angellically. A star truly is born in this clip.

I dont think that she only has that amazing voice but she had to memorize that lyrics on the spot infront of judges which if it was me id already forgotten the first word.

she had a mistake but damn when she opened her mouth and started singing i suddenly felt like i'm in heaven.

Fun fact, this is the call back after the audition. They didn't film the actual audition. She is absolutely incredible!

recommended 14 years?

What this video cuts out is how the creators searched high and low for their Kim - the US, UK, Thailand, Vietnam, before landing in the Philippines and finding a spectacular young woman named Lea. Their reaction here speaks volumes. It's like they knew immediately in that instant that a star had been born.

2020 here?

One of the things I love on Lea's voice is her Vibrato. It's so angelic and soothing to the ears. Omg I wish I have natural vibrato 😥

youtube is really messed up sometimes... after 14 years, they're just gonne put this in your recommendations... 2021

If I could sing like that I would give up college too! She was on her way to being a pre-med student, but played Kim in Miss Saigon instead. And then went on to sing in every concieveable musical in all the world! She was the best Eponine in Les Miz. Her voice is always pitch perfect!! How can she do that in every performance?!!?! Talent from heaven is the only explanation.

whoever reading this i hope you are having a good day, and be safe always

You know it's exceptional when a simple audition video gets 10 million views.

Such a high stakes audition. They were not only watching her perform. They were also watching how well she took direction. Scrutiny on two different levels!

Here are some remarks from the people behind Miss Saigon after Lea auditioned and got the part of Kim. “We all welled up with emotion because we knew, for the first time in a long audition process, that Miss Saigon could be done. She unlocked the door to the show.” - Vincent Liff, one of the show’s casting directors “Until we went to Manila and heard Lea sing our songs, we never thought that we would find Kim. She is the most amazing and intuitive professional of her age that I have ever met.” - Alain Boublil To familiarize Lea with a song(just not sure which particular song), Schönberg played it 3 times. There were alterations in each version. Lea: “Which version do you want me to sing?” Mackintosh: “She remembered all 3 versions! That’s uncanny! I’ve never come across it in a performer before. It’s a gift!”

She must be able to read music very well if that is her first look at it

She even speaks beautifully. At the end you can see how excited the team is...

Damn... Her voice so pure. So magical and mythical voice! No wonder why most of her songs are Disney's.

She was 18 years old here? Omg she looks like 15..but her voice so sweet

Her calmness and confidence is incredible. I thought she is with Mr Schonberg but as the video panned to other, there were 3 other guys staring at her. How could she able to sing that piece without getting intimidated is something to admire. Could the Philippine government make her a national artist?

Lea was so young when she auditioned but her voice was already crystal clear back then. Such an amazingly talented human being.

How was she possibly this amazing at such a young age? This is a score that is not intuitive and takes so much wisdom and personal growth. What an amazing performer.

Her accent is so pretty at the beginning. Nearly English but not wholly so.

A lot of people seem to be (pleasantly) surprised with her accent. Prior to being cast in Miss Saigon, Lea had been performing with Repertory Philippines since she was 7. It's the country's premiere Theatre Company that do mostly American and British plays and musicals. I've watched quite a number of their performances and when it's a British play, they use British accent. The same goes when it's American. So it comes as to no surprise that a lot of Filipino theatre actors can easily adapt to different accents.

Omg her voice is beautiful, it's so musical and the way she immediately corrects her mistakes!

It is wonderful to hear Lea at a younger age and how she already had developed such a beautiful singing voice.

Sun and moon is a hard song to sing at first because you just want to go higher but the song just keeps going lower and it messes with my head lol

Dear God what a GIFT - her voice, her smile. She's the total package. How the panel kept from bursting into tears or jumping up and down I'll never know. They were thinking "SIGN THAT GIRL UP! WE FOUND HER!" Breathtakingly beautiful - false starts, errors and all - pitch perfect :)

I love her voice. She definitely suits being a Disney princess!

How old was she in this...nailing that bottom note?!?!?! I've been a fan since the early 90's, and this video is just another example of how amazing she has _always_ been.

yeah.. shes on the book since i was young... shes a part of the great history of the philippines!!! we so proud!!!

With their search for Kim worldwide and a few hundreds or maybe thousands had auditioned, their last place to land was the Philippines. Although, maybe they didn't intend to search / go in the Philippines (they did anyway) luckily, they found the right petite girl who is fit for broadway. Truly amazing young girl with a lot of talents at tender age. I guess original Kim is incomparable. Miss you Miss Lea. She looks very simple here, just maybe a Johnson's baby powder on her face.

I watch this clip every now and again because it fills my soul with happiness

Every year or so this song creeps into my head and I have to go down the RU-vid rabbit hole listening to all things Lea Salonga. Nothing compares to her early years. What a uniquely delicate yet powerful voice. I could listen forever.

The shift of the guy's mood from 1:03 to 3:03. That's how angelic Lea's voice is. ♡♡♡

TITLE: SUN AND MOON Audition lyrics: You are sunlight and I, moon Joined by the gods of fortune Midnight and high noon Sharing the sky We have been blessed You and I You are sunlight and I, moon Joined here brightening the sky With the flame of love Made of sunlight, moonlight. 2:00

깨끗하고 깔끔하다 맑고 순수하다 더할것도 뺄것도 없다 그저 빠져든다 이제 이런목소리는 다시는 찾을수 없을것 같다

I know that Lea may be offended by me saying this, but I have always thought that this recording was the best rendition of this song that I have ever heard her perform. I don't think that any future performance (from anyone including Lea) ever captured the innocence and vulnerability. Sometimes the first take steels it. Such an incredible artist. I hope we can see her in the Bay Area one day.

Gifted, just gifted! Sight reading and what a musical ear! Her brother,Gerard Salonga also graduated Summa Cum Laude at the prestigious Boston College of Music. I read an article once about Miss Saigon, way back then. They were having a rehearsal, and everybody started singing, the orchestra started playing. But everybody was surprised that Lea started at a different note. It turned out that, everybody was wrong including the orchestra, who started at the wrong note. It was only Lea, who was correct. So talented and amazing!

Her voice is crystal clear!

She's one of million with an exceptional talent

Lea Salonga didn't just raise the bar for singing Miss Saigon, she shattered it.

Crazy to think that in this audition she meets the incredible composer of Les Mis - and neither knows that in the future she would be both Eponine and Fantine, giving some of the most amazing renditions of On My Own and I Dreamed a Dream.

Lea is the best thing in the world.

The autograph request gets me every time. I wonder if it ever even occurred to her that she might be cast in Les Mis one day

The weird thing in this comment section is the heart reaction of uploader to the recent comments, the fact that this was uploaded 14 years ago

Voice of an angel.

So today my grandma told me that she has seen Lea on Broadway several times. WHY DID SHE JUST TELL ME THIS NOW?!?!?

one of the best of the best filipina performer. I remember she sang during the closing ceremony of 2006 asian games in qatar

Cant help but shed a tear while listening to Lea sing. That was absolutely beautiful.

2:00 is the real life equivalent to Christine’s “Think of Me” moment from Phantom of the Opera. You can see a star being born and she captures the music and takes over the whole song!

2020 anyone? Lea indeed has a voice of an angel ❤️

I WASN'T YET BORN WHEN THIS WAS POSTED, WHAT time flies so fast

I love that they film the auditions I wish they showed the actual first time that she walked into a room but she was just so perfect as soon as you saw her and then when you heard her oh my goodness

How they found her is just amazing. It was meant to be. They searched for a longggg time to find someone to play Kim. They went to different countries. Thousands auditioned. Then they visited Philippines and Lea was in the last batch of girls they saw. It was as if faith and destiny waited for her to arrive. She was more than perfect for the role.

2:26 that low note, wow. Piano player has an nice voice too.

Leah Salonga is one of my favorite singers. She has such a beautiful, powerful voice.

the tenderness and clarity in her voice touch so many hearts.... 💜💜💜

2019? Why am i even here lol

I would be paralyzed in awe if I sat next to Michel and Shonberg. You can see it in her eyes when she's looks at him singing like, "Omg, no focus.....omg.....crap, pay attention!'

Lea Salonga really gives me chills when she's singing

OMG the gate of heaven is open now because of her beautiful voice.❤️❤️❤️

This never gets old. I can watch this over and over again. Not only do I love hearing her sing the high notes but the low notes as well from "we have been blessed you and I." Oh to be blessed with such a crystal clear angelic voice. Her tone is just the prettiest out there.

Oh my god her voice is literally perfection.

So obvious why she got given that very coveted role!!! Voice of an Angel!!

omg! i'm SHOOK! i'm really speechless. She's FANTASTIC!

She was destined to be Miss Saigon ;)

Lea's voice has this amazing quality about it that always makes it feel very real, very tender, and very emotional. She always sounds like she's singing from the heart, and like she's singing right to you. There are plenty of "great singers" whose voices are technically perfect but are boring and easy to tune out, but when I hear Lea's voice, I drop everything. It's a voice that could stop me on the street. It always makes me emotional. I love her.

Breathtaking then and always will be. She's a legend.

I have been following this thread for many years and I'm glad to see how it has progressed. Not only is it well preserved, but it should be archived for future auditions

I love their reaction at the end. They're probably thinking, "Damn. This is the one. The one we've been looking for."

I like how everyone is so stoic but after they're all grins and giggles

One of the Artists that walk and cross the barriers not just for Filipinos but also for Asian talents as well. Kudos Ms.Leah!

2021, anyone? This was juet recommended.

The three gentlemen reactions say it all. Beautiful. Beautiful.

3:04 Good Lord, our search for Kim has ended

I’ve watched this so many times and I still get chills every single time. When she opens her mouth to sing her voice is UNREAL!!!! Ugh she is AMAZING

I have watched this video for about 12 years and still cry. Her voice is a diamond. Also, how special this moment is.

Her voice is the epitome of PERFECTION

Agh even when she was young she was so good and she still is :)

I still remeber my mom and sister cried when lea nailed the song.

2021 who's here? I always come back every month

This brought tears to my eyes. Gosh, she is outstanding. Such clarity in her voice.

I'm such a dork I could listen to this a million times. She sounds so beautiful and soothing.

An audition that sounded like a recording. Man...she's awesome..

I will remember this video performance for all of my life! It shares beautifully the sheer innocence , range and depth of Lea's incredible voice in a way that is hypnotic to the ears. At 1.33 a musical legend is launched to what would become a world stage!