Lea Salonga on raising and supporting trans child Nic Chien: 'You have to meet your kid where they are'
Lea Salonga shared her learnings and realizations about raising and supporting her transgender child Nic Chien.
The Broadway star gave a look at their special feature on PEOPLE Magazine in an Instagram post, showing a photo of her with Nic, who “figured out” he was transmasculine when he was 14 years old.
Nic is now 18, and has started taking testosterone in January.
According to Salonga, her years as a stage actor helped her prepare for supporting Nic. "Musical theater is quite an unpredictable, sometimes think-on-your-feet type of art form," she mused.
The singer said she has "learned how to raise a child who is their own being."
"I mean, there are obviously expectations. I’m glad that this kid can cook and do his own laundry and doesn’t forget to feed the cat!" she shared.
"But the one thing I’ve learned is that you have to raise your child the way your child needs to be raised," she continued, noting that such applies to "literally any kid."
"You have to meet your kid where they are," she added.
"As a parent, I want to set my child up for success," she said. "I want my child to feel safe and strong and ready to conquer the world on their own terms."
Nic, for his part, opened up about his transition, recalling how it "took a while" and included "a lot of crying" as well as heart-to-heart talks with his "very accepting" parents.
He admitted that still, there are times he feels alone. "But I'm not," he mused. "It does really help to have people in your corner."
Nic is set to play the role of Jack in the Philippine production of Into the Woods, where Lea will portray the Witch.
This will mark his return to the stage after his professional theater debut in Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group’s production of Matilda in 2017, where he played Alice.
Premiered in 1986, Into the Woods intertwines the plots of several fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, including Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Cinderella. The musical is tied together by a story about a childless baker and his wife, their interaction with a witch who had cursed them, and their encounters with the fairy tale characters. It was adapted into a Disney movie in 2014.
Into the Woods will be held from Aug. 7 to 24 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati. It will have a limited engagement run of 18 performances.
