Lea Salonga to Star as Mrs. Lovett in Manila Staging of Sweeney Todd

Tony winner Lea Salonga will attend the tale in Manila. The recent Once On This Island player will take on the role of Mrs. Lovett in an upcoming production of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's iconic musical Sweeney Todd in her native Philippines. Bobby Garcia will direct the production, slated to begin performances in October 2019 at The Theatre at Solarie.

Salonga told Broadway.com, "This was the hardest secret to sit on! I knew about my casting for many months, even while I was playing Erzulie. When Bobby Garcia asked me if I wanted to play Mrs. Lovett, I was instantly exhilarated and petrified. Doing any Sondheim musical is intimidating, and Mrs. Lovett's opening salvo ('Worst Pies in London') is complicated and difficult. But this musical is one of my favorites. And working with Bobby is always a good time, so any opportunity I get to do it makes me very happy."

Salonga earned a Tony Award for her turn as Kim in the original production of Miss Saigon. In addition to her turn as Erzulie in Once On This Island, Salonga's Broadway credits include Allegiance, Les Misérables and Flower Drum Song. She was also seen in a 2016 Manila production of Fun Home.

Joining Salonga in Sweeney Todd will be Jett Pangan in the title role, with additional casting to come.