Ben Madilynn
Puno ng pasasalamat si Lea Salonga kagabi, November 20, sa Gawad CCP Para sa Sining awards night na naganap sa Samsung Theater sa Makati.
Photo/s: Lea Salonga on Instagram
Isa ang international theater actress sa mga pinarangalan ng Cultural Center of the Philippines ngayong taon.
Si Lea ay nakatanggap ng medalya para sa kanyang mga kontribusyon sa larangan ng teatro.
Masaya ang 53-year-old actress na tanggapin ang kanyang parangal. Sa kanyang acceptance speech ay pinasalamatan niya ang ilan sa mga taong tumulong sa kanyang more than 40 years na acting career.
“I look at the awards and I’m incredibly grateful. But a career like mine would not be possible without a village, without a support system, without the people who are actively behind me,” saad ni Lea.
Una niyang pinasalamatan ang mga musical director na lagi niyang katrabaho.
“It is a host of musical directors, inclusive of national artist, Rannika Vyad, my younger brother, Gerard Salonga, so many other wonderful musicians that I’ve had only the greatest of privileges,” sabi ng dating The Voice coach.
Kasama rin sa kanyang pinasalamatan sina Zenaida Amador at Baby Barredo, na mga naging mentor niya noong nagsisimula pa lamang siya sa pag-arte sa entablado.
Sina Zenaida at Baby ay co-founders ng Repertory Philippines.
“I’m so glad to thank a host of directors, beginning with Zenaida Amador, who had two words for me when I first met her, two words that would pretty much remain a compass for how I do my work. Number one is discipline. Number two is truth.
“The other is Baby Barendo, whose exacting ear was incredibly demanding of anyone doing a musical where she happened to be at the helm as musical director,” saad ni Lea.
Bukod sa mga naging katrabaho niya sa industriya ay pinasalamatan niya rin ang kanyang pamilya, lalo na ang kanyang inang si Ligaya Salonga, na tinawag niyang “force of nature.”
Pinasalamatan niya rin ang kanyang mga tagahanga.
“I want to thank my fans, because without you, this career would not be possible. Thank you,” sabi ng Broadway star.
LEA AS NATIONAL ARTIST?
Sa panayam ng press matapos ang awarding ay tinanong nila ito kung may balak siyang maging National Artist.
Agad namang tumanggi si Lea. Aniya, mas marami pang ibang artista na dapat maunang gawaran ng naturang parangal. Isa na raw rito si Dolphy.
“There are folks who are far more deserving and whose National Artists awards are long overdue. I would like to see somebody like Dolphy, for example,” saad niya.
Photo/s: File
Noong 2012 pa pumanaw ang Pinoy Comedy King.
Pagpapatuloy ni Lea, “We have to judge his as an artist for his body of work. And he has contributed so much. Even the movies where he’s cross-dressing, it lends so much tolerance and so much for the LGBT community.”
Ilan sa mga pelikula ni Dolphy kung saan siya ay nagdamit pambabae ay ang Facifica Falayfay noong 1969 at Markova: Comfort Gay noong 2000.
“That’s just an example of why I think he should be heralded first. Hopefully, I will be given an opportunity to champion him,” saad ni Lea.
GAWAD CCP AWARDEES
Bukod kay Lea ay pinarangalan din ng CCP ngayon taon sina Pete Lacaba for literature, Joey Ayala for music, Gino Gonzales for costume, Julie Lluch for visual arts, Gener Caringal for dance, Marilyn Gamboa for culture, Loboc Children’s Choir at ang mga movie directors na sina Mario O’Hara at Mike de Leon.
