Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipina singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplying the singing voices of two Disney Princesses (Jasmine and Mulan), and as a recording artist and television performer. Throughout her career, she has achieved numerous accolades and honors, becoming an internationally-recognized figure in music and entertainment. At age eighteen, Salonga rose to international recognition when she originated the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon in the West End and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She then reprised the role on Broadway, winning the Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and Theatre World Awards before making history as the first Asian actress to win a Tony Award and the second-youngest actress to win for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. Salonga was the first actress of Asian descent to play the roles of Éponine and Fantine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway. She also portrayed Éponine and Fantine in the musical's 10th and 25th anniversary concerts, respectively, in London. She provided the singing voices of two official Disney Princesses: Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (1992) and Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004). She was named a Disney Legend in 2011 for her work with The Walt Disney Company. Salonga starred as Wu Mei-Li in the 2002 Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song. From 2015 to 2016, she returned to Broadway to portray Kei Kimura in Allegiance, and from 2017 to 2019, she appeared as Erzulie in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island. Salonga was the first Filipino artist to sign with an international record label (Atlantic Records in 1993). In her career, she has performed for six Philippine presidents (Ferdinand Marcos, Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Benigno S. Aquino III), three American presidents (George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush), and for Diana, Princess of Wales and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She has toured widely as a concert artist and has played numerous theatre, film, and television roles in North America, Europe, and Asia. Aside from her career, Salonga is an active supporter of non-traditional casting, women's rights, reproductive rights, sex education, and LGBT