Lea Salonga says her Madame Tussauds wax figure was a 'manifestation' of mom Ligaya

Lea Salonga shared that having her own Madame Tussauds wax figure is a wild yet favorite memory in her decades-long career.

In an exclusive interview with GMA News Online after the unveiling of her wax figure at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Paranaque City, Lea said that this felt like a full-circle moment for her given this special story.

The theater star said that she first visited a Madame Tussauds museum in London with her mom, Ligaya, when she was 12 years old.

“As we were looking at the different wax figures, she said, ‘Malay mo anak, this might happen to you,’” Lea said with a smile.

“So, now that it's here, it's amazing, that to actually now see it,” she said.

“And it's like the realization of a 41 year old manifestation. It’s now the realization of something that was just an offhand remark. So, this is very special,” Lea added.

Lea also agreed that this moment just shows that anything can happen.

“So many things are possible. And I never thought, I mean, sure maybe one day this would happen. Never thought that it actually would,” she said. “So, to have it be real, it's very special."

Lea's fans can visit her wax figure starting September 20, at the Music Zone of Madame Tussauds Singapore, along with other international personalities such as Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and more.

Lea’s wax figure was announced in June. She joins fellow Filipino celebrities Manny Pacquiao, Pia Wurtzbach, and Catriona Gray who have also had their Madame Tussauds wax figures. Anne Curtis is also set to have her own.

Lea rose to stardom after starring as the original Kim in the musical “Miss Saigon.” Kim is a teenage Vietnamese girl who was orphaned and forced to work in the brothel Dreamland before the end of the Vietnam War. She was the first Filipino to win a Tony and Laurence Olivier Award for her role in the production.

In 2021, Lea joined the cast of “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.”

In 2023, she made her Broadway comeback in the musical “Here Lies Love” as Aurora Aquino, former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino’s mother. Lea starred in “Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends” in the West End that same year.

This October, Lea is playing the lead role in the wordless play, “Request sa Radyo.” She will alternate with Dolly De Leon.

In November, she will release her Christmas album, “Sounding Joy.” Lea is also bringing her Stage, Screen & Everything in Between tour to Manila that same month.

Aside from her work in theater, Lea is also famous for being the singing voice of Disney Princesses Jasmine from “Aladdin” and "Mulan."

Lea Salonga’s mother reacts to her wax figure by Madame Tussauds Singapore ????@gmanews @gmanewsbreaking#LEAgendaryMTSG #MadameTussaudsSG pic.twitter.com/7VeFfDFwsp

— Nika Roque (@rqNIKA) September 13, 2024

— CDC, GMA Integrated News