You may not recognize Lea Salonga’s name, but you would definitely recognize her angelic voice.
The Filipina actress and singer is the voice behind not just one, but two Disney princesses. Lea is the voice behind Jasmine in Aladdin and Mulan in Mulan. She also originated the starring role of Kim in Miss Saigon and played Eponine in the 10th anniversary of Les Misérables and Fantine in the 25th.
Lea also happens to be the first Asian woman to ever win a Tony Award.
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In addition to her work on stage and screen, Lea also travels the world giving concerts. One popular segment of her touring show involves asking for a male volunteer in the crowd to join her on stage to sing “A Whole New World” from Aladdin.
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Lea said she’s been doing this impromptu duet for many years, and sometimes it goes great… other times, “not so great.” At one particular show at the De Jong Concert Hall at Brigham Young University’s College of Fine Arts and Communications in Utah, Lea asked for an audience volunteer and got way more than she bargained for.
Aspiring singer Jared Young was quick to run up onto the stage next to Lea.
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“When she asked the audience for a volunteer… I managed to start screaming ‘LEA, PICK ME!!’ She chose me and I ran onstage out of breath and still a bit shocked at what was about to happen. We bantered a bit about my excitement then she handed me a lyric sheet and we began,” Jared later explained.
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The audience and Lea were both pleasantly surprised to find that Jared has a beautiful voice and was perfectly suited to the role of Aladdin. He completely nailed it, and Lea, of course, sounded perfect.
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Believe it or not, Jared is a United States Army brat who got his start singing and dancing with his seven older siblings. By the time he was sixteen, he was touring Europe as the lead singer of a pop band. No wonder he looked so comfortable up there on stage!
When video of Jared singing with Lea hit the web, it quickly went viral and helped launch Jared’s own theatrical career.
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As for Lea, she was beyond thrilled to have found a random audience member who could hold his own next to her incredible soprano. “It’s always wonderful when the guy who comes up here to do it is really, really good, so thank you, Jared!” she said.
Watch Jared joining Disney and Broadway legend Lea Salonga in the video below, and please share to inspire everyone to take every opportunity life presents them with. You just never know when it might lead to your big break!
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