Celeste Legaspi recalls recognizing Lea Salonga’s extraordinary gift long before ‘Miss Saigon’

Long before Lea Salonga became an international theater icon, National Artist for Music Celeste Legaspi had already seen something exceptional in the young singer.

In a heartfelt social media post, Legaspi looked back on Salonga’s early years after the Broadway star recently watched a performance of “The Notebook” and took time to greet its cast.

“I am very proud of our Lea,” Legaspi wrote, recalling an encounter during an OPM Christmas party in the 1980s when she heard Salonga sing while they were recording together.

What stayed with Legaspi was not only the young performer’s “crystal clear tones,” but also her remarkable musical instinct. She remembered being impressed by how quickly Salonga could retain a melody after hearing it only once.

Those qualities would later come to mind when Legaspi was asked to suggest Filipino singers who could audition for the musical “Miss Saigon.”

According to Legaspi, Salonga seemed to possess the qualities the production needed: she was at the right age, already had theater experience, and had a voice capable of communicating the innocence required for the role.

“And those were what I was thinking of when I was asked to recommend OPM singers to audition for Ms Saigon,” Legaspi shared.

That opportunity ultimately became one of the defining chapters of Salonga’s career. Her portrayal of Kim in “Miss Saigon” propelled her onto the international stage and earned her major theater honors, including the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Decades later, Legaspi expressed pride at seeing just how far the Filipino performer she once recommended has traveled.

“And today she has her own star in Hollywood. Bravo Lea,” she wrote.

Legaspi also offered a playful teaser at the end of her post, revealing that SB19 members Stell and Pablo had also watched “The Notebook”—but hinted that their visit deserved a story of its own.