The Epic Elaine Paige Being Epic (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Earlier today, I found myself singing Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody after one of my best friends, Cristyl, posted a graphic sequence of line visualisations of the song using internet meme drawings.

Yeah.  That's the one on the right.  Just view it in a new tab for a full view, otherwise, don't even bother trying to read it because it's futile.  Some of the text is way too small.

Anyway, following about ten minutes of singing "Galileo, Galileo..." in a high-pitched countertenor, I decided to Wiki it up to read about the song.  It's fascinating to note that it actually doesn't have a chorus and that, as a whole, the lyrics tells a story.  It's one of the few non-theatrical story-telling songs that have survived time even in its original version.

So, back to Wiki, I clicked on the link that said Cover versions and found out that the epic Elaine Paige actually performed the song.  Where did I jump to next?  You guessed it!  The mother of all video sites: YouTube!  I was literally stomping my feet, clasping the edge of my chair, and doing fist pumps while watching this video.  Yes, all by myself!  Isn't that just crazy?

Elaine is one of a few artists who have such an effect on me.  I couldn't get over how utterly amazing this woman is.  From musical theatre to opera to pop to hard rock, she can do everything!  Despite her short stature, she oozes in epic awesomeness each time she's on stage opening her mouth to sing.

Lea Salonga - Send in the Clowns

Here we see the great Lea Salonga sing-speak a very emotional song from Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music."

What choice does an artist have?  Everyone knows it's very hard to maintain composure when you're crying that hard and the difficulty is magnified for her because she has to sing.

Watch this video.  Listen to the song and allow every single repression you have to flow away with her voice.  Allow your emotions to soar.  When your chest starts to hurt and your eyes start to moisten, don't hold back.  Just let it go.  Let it all go!

They Had Sex

My folks were honest to me about how I came to be.  The moment I asked them how babies were made, they sat me down and dutifully explained how it all happens.  I think I was around 6 or 7, then.  I couldn't remember exactly how old.  However, I never forgot that they took time to painstakingly lay it all down in a way a child could comprehend.

For me, there were no tales of storks delivering babies on doorsteps.  For that matter, even Santa Claus, closet monsters, or the Bogeyman weren't spoke of in our household.

Some parents purposely scare their children into thinking that mysterious human-devouring creatures rest under their beds and in their closets at 9PM just so they wouldn't jump off after bedtime strikes.  And it doesn't stop there.  The list goes on.

I'm thankful my parents never used any of those scare tactics on me.  I wasn't necessarily an obedient child.  I've always had a mind of my own, but they still chose to take the parenting route of awesomeness.  Yep!  I have cool parents.  They may not have the style that Morticia and Gomez Addams have, but they're as awesome as parents could ever get!

Guess What They're For

Aida
My Strongest Suit



Hairspray
You Can't Stop the Beat



The Rocky Horror Show
Sweet Transvestite



I've been stressing so much these past several days, swimming through dozens and dozens of musical theatre songs.  Finally, the deputy producer has decided to use these three.  The latter two are my suggestions.

I love these songs!  Upbeat and danceable!

Kristina Farrah on Steve Jobs

Writer and technology blogger for SiliconANGLE.com, Kristina Farrah, talks about her hero, Steve Jobs, in this eye-irritating multi-coloured video.

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What if these THINGS ever manage to make their way inside of you?

Can you blame me for having weird interests?  I'm eccentric, so deal with it.

I just  finished reading Cracked.com's article on the 5 most horrifying bugs in the world, which I'm going to share with you after I finish typing this entry to prevent your attention from getting diverted.  It's interesting.  Really!

The last bug they featured was the botfly.

It may look like your everyday housefly, but there is more to it than meets the eye.  There are several species - each named after a specific animal.  The one above is a rabbit botfly.  There are horse botflies and rat botflies among approximately 150 species worldwide.

So if you ask why they are named as such, I'm about to give you the answer so brace yourselves.  This one pictured above, for instance, isn't called a rabbit botfly because it looks like a rabbit.  No.  In fact, it doesn't even come close to looking like a rabbit.  It has its name because its larvae are physically designed to burrow inside living, breathing rabbits.  Each species is designated to be parasite to specific organisms.

This is where it gets gross and scary for us.  There are such things as HUMAN BOTFLIES.  Yes.  Living around the Americas -- from Mexico to Northern Argentina to Chile -- are these skin-burrowing, flesh-eating creepy crawlies.  How it goes is like this:  Female human botflies lay their eggs onto mosquitoes and other insects that are known to land on human skin.  When they do land on us, the eggs will hatch by our body temperature and the larvae will immediately burrow their way into our skins.

Like this:

No, that's not an oversized acne.  That's a human botfly maggot thriving underneath a living, breathing human being's skin.  And just to make it absolutely clear to everyone: THAT's NOT ME!  I just borrowed this photo from someone else's website.  Credits below.

Here's an HD YouTube video by AB93552 of three of those things being removed from a man's elbow.  ENJOY!

Photos borrowed from:

http://beetlesinthebush.wordpress.com

http://connect.in.com

And here's that Cracked.com article I was talking about:

http://www.cracked.com/article_15816_the-5-most-horrifying-bugs-in-world.html

Titli's Busy Kitchen

"As-Salāmu `Alaykum and welcome to Titli's Busy Kitchen with me, Titli Nihaan."


To the fun-loving foodies out there, the line above might be quite familiar.  If you're one and you haven't heard of her, well, you haven't lived yet.  You will hear it uttered in every episode of Titli's Busy Kitchen, a cooking channel on YouTube hosted by one Titli Nihaan, a Muslim British foodie who has, in my opinion, revolutionized simple Halal cooking.  You don't even need to be Muslim to enjoy viewing her channel and trying her recipes out.

I discovered her about a month ago while browsing YouTube for simple recipes.  In abidance with the Food Revolution movement initiated by Jamie Oliver, MBE, I took the liberty of finding a convenient way to make my own quick meals.  It was then that I had stumbled upon this amazing woman's channel.

I was so amazed that I ended up watching all her food videos in one sitting.  I'm talking about hours and hours from midnight to beyond sunrise of watching Titli-Titli-Titli.  What can I say?  I'm not Muslim, but I found another role model in her.

She's amazing, isn't she?  She's got her own brand of humour and sarcasm that gets you laughing your head off.  If you're not one for the laughs, you may get the gist by playing a video only once.  However, if you're like me, you'd be needing two or three runs--or until you manage to compose yourself to stop laughing.  I don't know about you, but as much as I admire her sheer sensibility, I also find her utterly hilarious.

If you want to know what I mean, here's a video she made that parodies many celebrity chefs.  This was inspired by comments made by YouTube users saying that she should become a TV Megachef.  In this, she shows us how to soft-boil an egg.

Well, that's about it for now.  I've tried some of her recipes.  They're awesome!  You should try them, too.

"So, join me next time in Titli's Busy Kitchen with me, Titli Nihaan.  Until next time, Khuda Hafiz!"

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Try and Sing That Which Dwells Within, Farrah

___________________________________

This song reveals the unsung emotion that dwells within, as you have very poetically put it.


I have no idea what it is.


We have been friends for seven years, but that does not afford me the privilege to say I know you well enough.  You have not truly opened the book of your life for humanity to enjoy--albeit feast on.  You continue to dwell in the shell of your convenient comfort zone, safely tucked away from the adventures of life.


You are never predictable, yet always fully transparent.  You hold the potential power to create wars among nations or peace among the tech giants of the world.


Life has unfolded itself upon you in such that faith has been shattered in so many places in your heart and in your mind.  You have begun to crawl in Divine Discontent--seeking answers that convention could never satisfy.  All that will change soon enough.


You are an unyielding secret keeper (in sobriety), a bitch in one way or another (but never a whore), a genius in the dynamic world of digital intelligence, an adept of the pen as a weapon, and a freakishly awesome friend!


More than all that, you also happen to be an UNOFFICIAL EMO GIRL!

___________________________________

I Smile at Your Unrelenting Passion to Find Yourself, Bienna

___________________________________

Why did I choose this song?


I chose this song because, Bienna, it very closely represents a conversation you would have with yourself.


You have seen the world.  You have traversed both land and ocean.  You have conquered vast jungles and met some of the holiest people in existence.


You have been lured into happiness, submitting with full loyalty - only to have your heart shattered. You have always been faithful, yet past lives' karma has purposely allowed you to taste the sweetness of love and the bitterness of betrayal.


You know so much about your Earthly home, yet so little about yourself.  It is apparent that you have tried very hard and intently to create a bond between Bienna and Bienna, but realization of its difficulty has struck you down time and time again.


I smile seeing you as you are - beautifully imperfect, seasoned, and armed with passion in your quest to face the world in search of who Bienna truly is.


I admire your unrelenting drive to seek truth in a world overwhelmingly filled with lies and misdirections.


Your wishes are my wishes, too.

___________________________________

You're A Beautiful Mess, Brenda

This song speaks a lot about the kind of person you are.


I believe you could find resonance in this.


You're as beautiful as you are complex.


For a man, quite a formidable challenge is to be faced before gaining the ability and privilege of being able to comprehend the hidden mazes within the facade of beauty that you mask sheer intellect with.


You are much more than the things that you appear to deliver.

Zach Wahls on Being Raised by a Lesbian Couple

Way to go, Zach!


Having consumed more than half a pack of peppermint and chocolate-flavored candy, I found it hard to sleep yet again.  I don't know.  Maybe that sugar overload eating spree was my way of celebrating the Lunar New Year.

Anyway, five in the morning came and I found myself browsing through Facebook feeds until I stumbled upon an article reposting by the It Gets Better Project.  It screamed:

Straight Kid With Gay Parents Testifies At Hearing In Iowa During Debate Over Banning Gay Marriage

"Now, this is interesting," I thought to myself.

I didn't know if the straight kid in subject was pro or against the cause, but it was something I felt the need to watch, nonetheless.  And...  Sure enough, I did not regret it.  It was such an awesome and poignant speech detailing how the definition of the American family is truly as subjective as the interpretation of the Bible.  It was a bronze-bristled brush rubbed hard against the faces of those who, with antediluvian perspectives, are so violently trying to ban gay marriage for plain selfish and fundamentalist view-fuelled reasons.  In other words, it was metal facial for the bigots.

Let me reiterate something from old posts of mine:  Acceptance, Understanding, and Love are the strongest paths towards peace.

Alright, here's the video...

A Companion to the Forgotten

It isn't like me to follow an entry immediately with a new one, but this just can't wait!

I made a new Facebook friend today named Letecia.  She clicked "like" on my profile photo.  Yes, the same one two entries down.  I added her as a friend because, in principle, anyone who appreciates efforts for peace is a friend/brother/sister to me.  When I asked her if she was with URI, it turned out she was actually part of the organizing group.  In other words, she's a key figure in URI's existence.  Wow!  It's such an honor for me to call her a friend--even if it's just on Facebook.

So, anyway, a feed of a video she shared popped up in my main window.  It had the caption, "This video blew me away."  It was something I couldn't allow the night to pass without watching.

And true to its caption...  I was blown away, too.  Even more than that, I was reduced to tears.  Narayanan Krishnan, the man in subject, is truly one for the masses to emulate.  We should stop saying that we need more people like him to come into the picture.  We should be the ones follow the same path and fulfill a greater purpose!  Whatever little things we're capable of doing to help, they matter.

Saying that he's a good man, saying that he's a benevolent force, and praising his work would be for naught if the one saying it has no contribution of his/her own for the good of the Earth.

I really feel the need to share this video with everyone.

Weeping for Sufism

Sufism is the inner esoteric dimension of Islam.  This is how peaceful Sūfī are.

Yesterday, I got a very disturbing piece of news from a fellow URI Peace Advocate.  Dave of Global Healing informed us that Sufi Shrines are being attacked in Pakistan by fundamentalist conservative Islam extremists.  He shared a video documentation by the New York Times and I literally wept through it.

What is happening to the world?  Killing has absolutely nothing to do with Islam.  It's supposed to be a peaceful religion, but why are those people doing what they're doing?  Political interests?  Dreams of global control?  World domination?  Terrorism?  Why?  Why??  Why???

I'm very emotional right now and I have the right to be.  Everyone in the world should start giving a damn.  The people who are capable of doing something should start doing something about this!  I can't bear the sight of my Sufi brothers and sisters being slaughtered simply because their beliefs are viewed as threatening to their fellow Muslims.  Take note:  fellow Muslims, of all people.  When is this going to stop?

Let us all direct our energy towards the less-fortunate parts of our world and project healing thoughts for all beings affected.  Let us all do what we can to help.

Hi URI Friends:

The following is a link to a New York Times video on how Sufism is under attack by Islamic militants because they don't believe the right way according to these Muslims.

Also today Foreign Policy magazine identified Pakistan to be the world's greatest terrorist threat, a much great threat than Iran, Afghanistan, or any other nation.

The reason for Pakistan's dubious designation is it's culture of religiously motivated violence that supports blasphemy laws.   

A Governor was just assassinated for opposing the blasphemy laws that are generally used against people of other religions.

We see however that these same people are using their thinking to justify killing other Muslims of the Sufi tradition for not practicing Islam the way they think it should be.

Without a strong enforcement of human rights a culture of religiously motivated violence will be allowed to continue to thrive.

Be Well,

Dave

Duniya Mein Hum Aaye Hain

The title is Hindi for "We Have Come To The World."

When I heard the song for the first time, of course, I didn't know what it meant, but I was deeply moved by the woman's behavior in the video so I viewed it with great appreciation.  From the time the song starts--with the vision of a woman sweating while manually plowing a field--to the meal she prepares food for her children, to the time when the crops grow, it was such a treat to watch.

I can resonate with the children in the video since I know how hardworking a woman my mother is.  I always look up to empowered, hardworking women.  People like my mom, Liza Quirog, people like Lea Salonga, Michelle Obama, HM Queen Elizabeth II, HM Queen Rania of Jordan, the late Mother Theresa, St. Joan of Arc, are perfect examples of women who should be emulated not only by other women, but by everyone.

Anyway, back to the song.  The reason why I came across it isn't accidental.  This morning, while reading an article about India's national personification, Bharat Mata, I came across a suggestion by Wikipedia to read about the film Mother India.  I clicked and I got redirected and read the plot.  I found it very interesting and wondered if I could see snippets of it on YouTube, and so on and so on until I found the video.  To my surprise, it's actually a musical film, which makes it more awesome!

I have yet to learn what the entire song says word-for-word, but here's an essential translation of its meaning, which I found online:


If we have come to the world, then we have to live.
If our life is poison, then we have to drink it.


After falling again and again in our troubles,
we will keep doing it 'till we get it right.


If we burn ourselves, we will keep walking in fire.


The one who gave us sadness will make it go.
God is with us, so we shall not be afraid.

We must remove sadness from our hearts.

One who lives with respect dies with respect.


If a person loves his/her work, then what work is difficult?


It's beautiful, isn't it?

Here's the video:

Nasty-Ass Commercial

There’s nothing I want to write about.  Nothing really happened today.  I slept at 3AM and woke up at 5:30PM.  It’s a -ber month so it was already dark when I jumped out of bed.  I never got to see today’s daylight.  It doesn’t matter, though.  I’m very well rested.  I feel like a million bucks now!  I must say, it’s better to remain in bed than to walk around on a hot sunny day.  Hurts the eyes.  You’ll just be inclined to get back to the hay after 4 hours or so.

So, yeah, I’ll leave you with a video I found last night on YouTube.  It’s a banned commercial about the necessity to learn English.  It advertises a foreign language institute that has quite a way of giving itself an image.  Quite a way, I really must stress.  You’ve got to see for yourself to find out what I mean, so I’m not going to elaborate any more.

It Gets Better: My Tribute to Joel Burns

Earlier this morning, I was browsing for interesting videos on the internet.  I watched several versions of Andrea Bocelli's Con te partirò and The Prayer.  The linked videos in the text are my favorite versions--the first song a duet with Sarah Brightman and the second with Celine Dion.  I watched, I don't know, at least 7 versions of each song before finally deciding which ones to add to my favorites.  That's obviously not why I'm blogging, so enough about that.

I clicked the big YouTube button on the upper left corner of the last video page I was in to return to the home page.  I was kind of hoping to find an additional video or two in my subscriptions pane.  Sadly, though, there wasn't any.  I had already seen everything so I checked those recommended for me on the pane below it.  I was looking at thumbnails of pro-wrestling clips, cooking clips I had already seen, and music videos I was more than familiar with.  One video, however, stood out.  My account had recommended one entitled "Joel Burns tells gay teens 'it gets better'."  Below it was italicized text saying "Because you watched 'Lea Salonga -- Everybody Says Don't'."

I already had the inclination to watch the clip just from reading the title, but the suggestion source was a total omen telling me that it was something special.  I clicked the thumbnail and I was sent to a page where I spent 12 minutes and 55 seconds of--of--I don't know what adjective to use for those minutes.  It was an eye-opener, nonetheless.  It was also nothing short of inspiring.

Joel spoke advocating against the trend of early teenage suicide in American public schools as the result of bullying.  He ran pictures of young boys who chose to end their own lives simply because they did not know how to handle being in the identity crisis stage and being put down for showing signs of being different.

Joel, in turn, told his own story.  He was one of the lucky ones in his time.  He himself contemplated suicide at one point, but had the strength to push himself through his dilemma.  He chose to keep in mind that he had a more advanced consciousness compared to those who didn't know any better.  He made a choice to keep living.  Look at him now--a successful politician happily married to his husband, J.D.  And more than all that, by giving his brave speech which now echoes all over America, he has saved countless lives.  He is living proof of his own statement saying, "it gets better."  Mr. Burns is no longer just a politician.  He has become a hero.

It's depressing to learn that America has a very bad case of mass homophobia despite its reputation as a liberal country.  I guess different evils are found wherever you turn.  Heck, the people causing these deaths think they're the so-called benevolent forces.  I don't care if they're religiously motivated in this case.  I've always been an advocate of religious freedom, but then again I've always stressed that if your beliefs involve the degradation of women and men who identify themelves differently, I will speak up against them!

The Philippines actually has lesser cases of teenagers killing themselves because they're being bullied for their gayness despite the fact that we are a predominantly Catholic-influenced country.  If general gay population suicide incidents are all counted, the majority of cases are caused by broken hearts--and there aren't even that many.  Gay kids are celebrities here because they're always recognized for their talent.  As for the less lucky closet-pushed ones...  They don't go to extremes.  I never tried to kill myself.

What's going on in America that makes being gay in certain states so utterly daunting?  What are parents over there teaching their children?  Why is there so much hate?  Well, this just leads me to conclude that the U.S.A. is as much a medieval country as it is a modern one.  I mean, the Ku Klux Klan exists, too, doesn't it?

Why can't the world just learn to accept people for who they are and the choices they make?  Why do some have to meddle in other people's lives?  Is it because of the belief systems they conform to?  Very likely!  People should just keep their beliefs to themselves.  Not everybody has the same concept of God--even people in the same religion.

It is important for us to realize that every single one of us is special and God-made (if you will).  Why create war?  All we are tasked with in our lives is to thrive lovingly and peacefully.

And then some would retort!  What?  Biological roles?  Procreation?  Haven't you seen what too much conformity to that has done?  Hunger everywhere!  Overpopulation!  Poverty!  You name it!  These are the things that happen when people impose on each other!  Everyone should be free to make his/her own choices in life as long as no other being is harmed.  I'm not saying I'm against reproduction.  It's just that if you want to reproduce, go ahead and do it.  Don't force others to do it, too, just because you see it as the right way things should function in the world.  That's BS!  Heterosexuality is not the only right way human beings should couple, whether you accept it or not.

"I believe that every single human being has the fundamental right to marry whoever they want."

-Lea Salonga
UN FAO Goodwill Ambassador

Fuck Yeah, Lea Salonga!

You're probably wondering why I didn't write about the Chile mining fiasco and its end.  Well, a lot of people have already written about it and I've read several highly opinionated entries talking about it so I was afraid I'd pick up other writers' statements.  That tends to happen if one writes for a living.  If you write, too, you've probably noticed that at one point in your career.  Well, maybe not everyone has that dilemma, but some certainly do.  You may have had it before but never noticed that you did and now you've outgrown it.  Who knows?  Maybe this is a problem that's common for the likes of me who've just started.  Anyway, if you want to read about it, check out Gibbs Cadiz's write-up.  It's a really good one.

Okay, what did I have in mind again?  Oh, yeah!  I discovered this Tumblr blog called Fuck Yeah, Lea Salonga!.  It's a comprehensive fan page that updates all its readers of everything going on in the public life of Lea.  News articles, photos, videos - you name it!  It's just so depressing that I can't be an official follower.  I'd have to open an account with the host site and I don't really feel the necessity to.  What for?  I already have Blogger and it's serving my purpose.  Oh well, looks like I'm gonna have to manually direct myself to the site to check for anything new.  I don't mind.  Anything for Lea Salonga!

More about Lea Salonga!  She was just Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization during the World Food Day celebration held in Rome, Italy.  She--along with Celine Dion, Italian actor Raoul Bova, and Oscar winner Susan Sarandon--now carries a banner leading the rest of the world in the fight against hunger.

"As a Filipino, a mother, a wife and a woman, I have a responsibility to join this fight against hunger.  It's important because of my mother who knows what it's like to be hungry, and for my daughter who I pray will never have to know.  As UN goodwill ambassador and in spreading FAO's message, I hope that no member of the future generation will have to go through this either."

- Lea Salonga
UNFAO Goodwill Ambassador

 

 Lea Salonga singing John Lennon's Imagine

I'll share my thoughts about hunger in another post.  Maybe tomorrow or the next day.  Not today.  I have a lot of work waiting to be done.

Toodles!

John Lennon's 70th and a Day on 10/10/10

 
Yesterday was John Lennon's 70th birthday, but with a heap of regret, I had no idea whatsoever.  Poor me.

I'm a fan of John.  A huge fan, in fact.  He not only influenced the music industry, but the present world as we know it.  If you recall my blog about his song Imagine, you'd realize how great an impact his work has on me even if I was born long after his untimely demise.  Had he survived that gunshot (or had that not happened at all), he would be 70 years and a day old today.

I saw Yoko's world invitation on YouTube just this morning.  She shouted out for people all over the world to create a video in honor of John Lennon and post it on YouTube.  Unfortunately, though, even if I have the technology to do that, I'm as pedantic as a goldsmith for HM Queen Elizabeth II, and it would probably take me two days minimum to come up with a piece I'd be happy with.  So, I decided to put my tribute into writing.  I'm a lot better at this than I am at tinkering with video editing software.

So, anyway, I have a friend from Silliman University named April, and she loves John Lennon.  Her whole life as an artist revolves around John's principles of freedom of expression through art.  Before getting to know her, I would never have delved into his life the way I did and I would never have considered the idea of adopting the causes that John fought for.  For that, I thank her.

John has since then been a part of my all my days' struggles and triumphs.  John's life inspired me to sing for peace and wage peaceful wars against things that harm our only Earth.  John was never perfect.  So what?  I'm not.  April isn't.  My family isn't.  Nobody on Earth is.  But, on that note, John's life has given me inspiration to see imprefections as cause for art and rejoice.  With life's blemishes, one knows he/she has the power to be better.

The song Imagine talks about a utopia.  It enables its listeners to visualize a fantasy of a pefrect world order.  There's nothing more impossible than that, of course.  But what reason do we have not to smile that each day we have imperfection to lead us to resiliency and creativity?  Because the world isn't perfect, we come up with ways to find peace and recognize it when we achieve it in our own little ways.

Today is October 10th, 2010.  It's three 1s and three zeros.  What then?  Is it cause for celebration?  Yes, it is!  No, not because John was born yesterday.  Not because of the lucky numbers.  It's cause for celebration because we are alive today.  It is cause for celebration because Gaia allows us to thrive in her.  It is cause for celebration for countless things.  You might be led to think that it is a day just like any other.  But is any day really like any other?

Think.

It's been a very peaceful day for me.  I received a stressful message earlier this morning but I brushed it away to be addressed tomorrow.  I wanted to savor the day's bright nature, so I did.  I've had better days, but today was beautiful.

Imagine.

Lea Salonga's "I Dreamed A Dream," Fresh From The O2

How many names can you remember when you talk about Les Miserables' Fantine?

Of course, let's start from London's original English language production since Rose Laurens did not really perform I Dreamed A Dream the way we now know it.  Although, I should say the musical we're acquainted with may not have existed if Alain Boublil had not done that.

Enough about that, though.  Let's return to the question.  First, there was the legendary Patti LuPone.  Skip... Skip... Skip...  Then, there was Ruthie Henshall.  Skip... Skip... Skip...

And then, the bar was pushed to the heavens.  Lea Salonga got to play the part.

She has had quite a history with the show.  She played Eponine in 1993 on Broadway, and again in 1995 during the show's 10th Anniversary in a Dream Cast Concert where she performed her famous rendition of On My Own.  In 2006, she was asked by the producers of the show to play Fantine in its Broadway revival, replacing Daphne Rubin-Vega.

Now, most recently and most spectacularly, she played Fantine yet again in the show's 25th Anniversary Concert at The O2, where she was said to have loftily raised the bar for her character's signature song.

In my opinion (along with others'), her rendition of this song is quite simply the most poignant and the most powerful of all.  There's just really nothing quite like it.  When she sings the song, it's quite obvious that she loses herself in it, but she still manages to do it with sheer perfection.

The stand-out performer from the principal cast was undoubtedly Les Mis legend Lea Salonga as Fantine. Salonga’s career-long type-casting role could probably be described as  ‘feisty, determined but doomed’, whether they are calling her Kim, Eponine or, in this case, Fantine then the result is always the same – a performance of the very highest order. Salonga’s belt hasn’t deteriorated over the years, and after giving that performance all those years ago to similar results, was deserving of her show-stopping ovation. Salonga was undoubtedly the finest pure performer on stage at this concert.

- Dickie and Butch

She stated a couple of times in a number of interviews that the power she gets when singing I Dreamed A Dream owes itself to the existence of her daughter.  There really is nothing more joyful in the world than to have borne life and delivered it into the world.

Here, watch this and be inspired, too...





And here's another captured scene from Fantine's Arrest.  She gets extremely emotional singing here.  I know, for a fact, that Lea always gets emotional playing Fantine, but this was almost extreme.  Her crying was affecting her singing.  She's awesome that way.  My heart sank watching this clip.

Lea Salonga & Guy Merola - The Prayer

Remember in my previous post I said I had to end it because I thought of something?  Well, this is it.  I know, I know.  I could have posted it right there and then.  But again, I already said I would never put Lea Salonga at the bottom of anything.  So, yeah.  You get it.

This morning during the moments right after getting up - after a glass of water - I noticed my roommate making sounds of joy and glee in front of the computer.  I went to check it out in an instant and I found myself doing the same thing.

Why?  We saw Allegiance: The Musical's post of a new video with Lea Salonga in it!  It turns out, after their screening in Hawaii, the host, Guy Merola, invited Lea to a good old-fashioned piano party where they did a totally impromptu duet of "The Prayer".  I was totally awestruck!  Everything about it was perfect that I had to share it right away and let all my friends experience the same joy!

Lea is the ultimate soul-soother.  She's an angel.

Anyway, here's the video.  I don't hope you'll love it 'cause I know you will.