Fil-Am Ali Ewoldt on Broadway success, inspiration from Lea Salonga

From the suburbs of Westchester County to the grand stages of New York, Filipino-American Ali Ewoldt is an established musical actor whose theater resume is comprised of coveted roles.

While she graduated cum laude with a BA in Psychology from Yale, Ewoldt chose to continue with the performances she took on since her school days.

"Growing up I just was a fan of musicals, singing and dancing," said Ewoldt.

Her work began in Disneyland and Tokyo Disney, where she performed as Princess Jasmine and a variety of roles before she was cast for the ensemble of "Les Misérables."

She then received the role of Cosette in the musical's 2006 revival before starring as Maria in the 50th anniversary international tour of "West Side Story" from 2009 to 2011.

Her operatic version of "My Lord and My Master" in a 2012 tour of The King and I earned rave reviews, and her voice only continued to receive praise when she became the first Asian-American to play Christine for Broadway version of The Phantom of the Opera.

Ewoldt also admitted to being inspired by noted Filipina singer and theater actress Lea Salonga.

Watch Ewoldt talk about her passion in this video by GMA Pinoy TV. —KBK, GMA News