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| The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra At Temple Square performing inside the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City last June 18, 2023 (Image Source: The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Ladder-Day Saints/Tabernacle Choir At Temple Square) |
Acclaimed Broadway singer and actress Lea Salonga will be the featured guest artist on the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s tour to the Philippines which is the second stop on the Choir’s world tour of “Hope” following its successful debut in Mexico in 2023 and its first-time visit to the country.
Lea Salonga is a multiple award-winning actor and singer renowned across the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch. She is acclaimed for her Tony Award–winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to the Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards in the field of musical theatre. Many fans of all ages recognize Lea as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II. Lea served as a judge on the hit Philippine version of “The Voice" including the ratings juggernaut “The Voice Kids". An avid techie and gamer, Lea divides her time between Manila, Philippines with her family and the United States.
 Lea Salonga performing with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square during its Season Of Light Christmas concert last December 2022 (Image Source: Manila Standard/Tabernacle Choir At Temple Square) |
Under the direction of the Choir's music director Mack Wilberg and associate music director Ryan Murphy, the “Hope” concerts will be held on February 20–29, 2024 at the SM Mall Of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City and feature Salonga and the Choir performing a repertoire that reflects the musicality of the country. Filipinos are a nation of singing people whose choral tradition started centuries ago and continues today. Internationally, the Philippines has one of the highest viewerships of Music & the Spoken Word. Lea first performed with the Tabernacle Choir in December 2022 during the Season of Light: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square and Wilberg is looking forward to working with her again, saying, “It was a delight to have Lea Salonga share her extraordinary talents at our Christmas concert last year in Salt Lake City. It is an honor for the Choir to go to Lea’s home country to perform with her again and experience the kindness of the Filipino people."
Over the next four years, the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra will travel twice a year to different parts of the world. Choir president Michael O. Leavitt said, “Our goal is to magnify the Choir’s impact throughout the world by helping people feel God’s love for His children. Our performances will be free. Many will be live-streamed so local congregations in the regions we visit can invite their friends and communities to participate.” For more information on the Tabernacle Choir's "Hope" World Tour in the Philippines, visit the Choir's official website at www.thetabernaclechoir.org and its official Facebook and Instagram accounts.
