▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁Cel este ▁Leg as pi ▁( nick named ▁Mar ic elle ) ▁is ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁five ▁children ▁of ▁National ▁Art ist ▁Ces ar ▁Leg as pi ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁who ▁once ▁class ified ▁as ▁color atura . ▁Cel este ▁started ▁singing ▁during ▁her ▁kind erg arten ▁years . ▁By ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁she ▁started ▁singing ▁profession ally ▁with ▁The ▁Amb ivalent ▁Crow d , ▁ear ning ▁ <0xE2> <0x82> <0xB1> 2 5 ▁per ▁performance . ▁ ▁While ▁in ▁college , ▁she ▁appeared ▁in ▁Show ▁Bo at ▁as ▁Magn olia ▁followed ▁by ▁her ▁performance ▁as ▁Nancy ▁in ▁the ▁Philipp ine ▁presentation ▁of ▁Oliver !. ▁But ▁she ▁later ▁conf essed ▁that ▁her ▁performance ▁in ▁Show ▁Bo at ▁sc ared ▁her . ▁" There ▁I ▁was , ▁crack ing ▁every ▁night , ▁unable ▁to ▁be ▁heard ▁from ▁the ▁musical ▁accompan iment , ▁with ▁M ama ▁holding ▁on ▁to ▁my ▁sister ▁D iana ' s ▁hand . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁I ▁was ▁dis ill usion ed ▁with ▁my ▁singing ▁and ▁with ▁my ▁course ▁then -- n urs ing ," ▁Leg as pi ▁told ▁in ▁an ▁interview . ▁ ▁But ▁the ▁then ▁ 1 6 - year - old ▁Cel este ▁Leg as pi ▁didn ' t ▁give ▁up ▁her ▁singing . ▁Her ▁singing ▁career ▁fl our ished ▁upon ▁sh ifting ▁her ▁course ▁to ▁Communic ation ▁Arts ▁at ▁Mary kn oll ▁College ▁( now ▁Mi ri am ▁College ). ▁She ▁joined ▁The ▁Amb ivalent ▁Crow d , ▁became ▁a ▁college ▁gradu