Lea Salonga, Tabernacle Choir expected to repeat viral performance at choir’s 1st Philippine concert

MANILA, Philippines — Following a successful and viral performance with The Tabernacle Choir in December 2022, acclaimed Filipina Broadway singer and actress Lea Salonga reunites with the internationally-renowned choir for its first ever concert in the country, the second stop for the group’s “Hope” world tour.

“Lea Salonga is a friend that we value very much,” choir president Michael Leavitt said in a press conference in Conrad Hotel Manila yesterday. 

“We performed together at Christmastime of 2022. I think that performance was well-received in the Philippines, so we’re very excited repeating the experience,” Leavitt said of the choir’s performance videos with Salonga that reaped millions of views on YouTube.

“When the choir presented their invitation to perform with them in their concert in the Philippines as part of their world tour, it’s an invitation we said yes to pretty immediately after the experience working with Mack (the choir’s music director Mack Wilberg) and everyone two Christmases ago,” Lea said at the presser.

“It was memorable not only from personal standpoint. I remember feeling, this is something I really, really can’t forget. And I don’t know if there are many artists to have performed one time with the choir. So this is a big bonus to be able to do it again, and to be able to do it in our country, is also special… I’m very excited to be doing this again.”

Apart from "incredible" Manila traffic, Lea hoped the choir would be able to adjust to Philippine weather.

“I hope the choir would adjust to the humidity very quickly, and the heat. But I think definitely, the warmth (of the Filipino) people would be felt by everyone (in the choir),” she assured. 

Besides Lea, Filipina YouTube sensation Ysabelle Cuevas will also join the choir as guest artist in two performances in Mall of Asia Arena on February 27 and 28, which are in total expected to draw around 18,000 spectators. 

Although the choir’s first ever live shows in the country are exclusively by-invitation only, the performances would be streamed on YouTube and other platforms days after the concerts.

“Being here with the Tabernacle Choir, having listened to them my entire life is