Lea Salonga to Replace Daphne Rubin-Vega in Les Miserables

Lea Salonga, the Tony Award-winning star of Miss Saigon, will return to Broadway as Fantine in the current revival of Les Miserables beginning March 6, replacing Daphne Rubin-Vega, who will leave the production on February 18 to star in the LAByrinth Theatre Company's production of Jack Goes Boating. Salonga played Eponine in the original Broadway production of Les Miz in 1993, after her departure from Miss Saigon.

An announcement from the office of Les Miz producer Cameron Macintosh stated that Salonga will continue in the production "through at least the summer of 2007... the entire period" of a previously announced extension of the revival at the Broadhurst Theatre. Previous reports had indicated that Rubin-Vega would return in mid-April, after her off-Broadway play closed. Ensemble member Nikki Renée Daniels will perform the role of Fantine from February 20 through March 4.

At age 17, Philippines native Salonga catapulted to international stage stardom when she was chosen to star as Kim in the 1989 London world premiere of Boublil and Schonberg's Miss Saigon, produced by Mackintosh. She won an Olivier Award for Best Actress and went on to win a Tony when she reprised her performance on Broadway. Salonga returned to Miss Saigon twice during the show's near decade-long run. She became the first Asian actress ever to play Eponine on Broadway in Les Miserables, reprising that performance in the London production, in Hawaii, and in the legendary 10th Anniversary Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Salonga returned to Broadway in 2002, starring in the revival of Flower Drum Song. In 2005, she played her first U.S concert tour, culminating with a sold-out evening at Carnegie Hall. She has released several albums and served as the singing voice of the title character in Disney's Mulan and as Jasmine in Disney's Aladdin. Her U.S television appearances include Redwood Curtain with Jeff Daniels, a guest-starring role on ER and a recurring role on As the World Turns in 2002-03.