Lea Salonga is arguably one of the most adored Broadway and Disney stars, in my opinion. She’s best known for originating the role of Kim in Miss Saigon on Broadway, and she’s provided the singing voice for two Disney princesses: Jasmine and Mulan.
She won a Tony Award in 1991 for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Miss Saigon making her the first Asian American woman to win a Tony for performance, and she’s one of the youngest actors to win a Tony Award in that leading category.
Currently, Lea has returned to Broadway in the production of Here Lies Love, which tells the story of former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos’s rise to power (and subsequent fall) at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution.
Lea is playing Aurora Aquino in the musical from July 11 through Aug. 13 as the production looks to highlight various guest actors from the Philippines in various roles.
Here Lies Love is also known for its unique seating style inside the Broadway theater. Fans can either sit in the mezzanine, gallery, or club lounge, or elect to purchase standing tickets so they can be immersed within the action on the dance floor.
While the production allows fans to be up close and personal with the performers, proper etiquette is still a must. While most people are no doubt respectful of this Broadway experience, Lea recently had a, frankly, bizarre scenario happen that required her to address respecting people’s boundaries.
After a recent performance of Here Lies Love, a group of people reportedly snuck backstage in an attempt to meet Lea.
In a video posted by NBC New York, you can see people come to Lea’s dressing room and say they are fans who want to meet her. Lea, very politely, tells the group, “Unless you are on the guest list, we cannot have you back here. So you’ll have to go to the door. I’m sorry because if I allow this now, then other people are going to take advantage.”
Then, you can hear one of the people claim that their friend is “a co-producer” of Here Lies Love. Lea tells the group they aren’t on the guest list, apologizes again, and she offers to meet them by the exit door, and tells them to “please, don’t do this again.”
After the incident, Lea took to social media to address what happened, namely calling out people’s lack of etiquette and how they felt “entitled” to be in her dressing room and get a photo with her.
“The money you pay for a theater/concert ticket does not mean all-access,” Lea tweeted in response to a fan who called out how the group kept saying how much they paid for their tickets. “You pay for that performer’s art, and that’s where it stops.”
Lea even added that she checked in with Here Lies Love producer Giselle Töngi, whom the group claimed to have known, and she “had no idea who they were.”
Also, Lea revealed that the same group that came to her dressing room “rushed” to her on the dance floor after the show and “security had to surround [her] at that point because they got scared.”
In another tweet, Lea said, “When one of our lead producers and our dance captain saw the video and learned about what happened, they said, ‘You were still very nice, if that were me I would’ve cussed at them and kicked them out.’ I’m not the type to cuss people out, but I will protect my territory and my boundaries. If I lose fans as a result, so be it.”
“Boundaries exist for every human being,” she tweeted. “And once they’re crossed there will be consequences.”
Lea also made sure to give props to the fans who follow proper Broadway show etiquette, namely waiting patiently outside the stage door for performers to come and sign Playbills, take photos, etc.
“I gotta say, the folks at the stage door have been so incredibly kind, which only makes us (well, me) enthusiastic to say hello and spend the time to talk to them,” she tweeted.
This Broadway incident also comes after a string of concerts where performances like Bebe Rexha, Kelsea Ballerini, Harry Styles, and more have been hit by objects people have thrown at them on stage.
I can’t believe I even have to say this, but whether it’s a concert, a Broadway show, or ANY live event, the performers deserve to be respected.