Conflict in schedule has prevented Broadway icon, Lea Salonga, from performing in the opening ceremony of this year’s Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) on November 30, the singer announced on Twitter, Monday.
In a Twitter post, Lea Salonga told her fans that she would not be able to appear in the opening ceremony of the SEA Games, hosted by the Philippines this year, because she will be leaving for Singapore for an earlier engagement.
Salonga wrote that she would be flying to Singapore on Thursday to perform in her latest play, the adaptation of Sweeney Todd. The 14-show performance in the Asian country will prevent her from appearing to the opening ceremony because she will only be back in the Philippines after they finish all show schedules, Salonga said.
“Leaving on a jet plane for Singapore tomorrow and will begin our 14-show Sweeney run on Thursday night,” Salonga said.
“This means I will not be performing at the SEA Games opening ceremonies on Saturday. I won’t be back home till after Sweeney is done,” she added.
Lea Salonga sang the theme song of this year’s SEA Games entitled, “We Will Win.” She is expected to perform the song on Saturday during the formal opening ceremony, which will be held in the country’s biggest indoor arena, the Philippine Arena.
A Broadway star, Lea Salonga is a Filipino singer who made her mark in the world stage for her performances in iconic plays and musicals like Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Once in an Island, and many more. She has been awarded multiple Tony awards for her unforgettable performances on stage.
Salonga is also hailed as one of the best singers around the world, giving voices to several Disney characters like Mulan and Jasmine, where sang the songs “Reflection” and “A Whole New World.”
The Philippines stunt as the organizing nations of the SEA Games this year has been riddled with controversy in the past few weeks. The organizing committee has been repeatedly bashed by netizens and other personalities for several questionable decisions they made.
One of the most popular among the issues thrown at PHISGOC, the organization tasked to oversee the SEA Games 2019, is the price of the SEA Games Cauldron that reaches to Php 55 Million ($1 million). The organization defended the high price tag by saying that it was created by a national artist.
As delegates from other southeast Asian countries arrive, they have made comments on how unprepared the organizing committee is with records to a lot of things. The delegation from East Timor complained that they had to wait for hours in the airport before they were fetched and was eventually driven to the wrong hotel.
The organization also drew flak after photos of the unfinished venue, unhealthy meals, and lackluster signage started to circulate around the internet.
