Artists of Filipino descent are headlining running Broadway shows
Lea Salonga was over the moon as she pointed out how seven running Broadway shows are led by actors who have Filipino roots, including herself.
On her Instagram account, the actress posted a collage of Nicole Scherzinger, Darren Criss, Eva Noblezada, and herself dressed up in character for their respective shows.
"As of this week, four currently running Broadway shows are headlined by artists of Filipino descent. I don’t think this has ever happened, so pardon me for sharing how proud I am of this milestone!" Salonga wrote in the caption.
Salonga later corrected herself and added Tati Córdoba, Kay Sibal, and Claire Marie Hall to the mix.
"Made it seven!!!!!!! Wooooooot!!!" Salonga gushed.
Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard
Scherzinger, whose father is of Filipino descent, stars in Sunset Boulevard as Norma Desmond, a movie star who yearns to return to the big screen and finds hope through a struggling screenwriter who can’t sell his scripts to the Hollywood studios. However, their dangerous and captivating relationship eventually leads to disaster.
Scherzinger later shared Salonga's post on her Instagram stories and put three emojis of the Philippine flag at the bottom.
Sunset Boulevard runs until July 13 later this year, with tickets costing $68.36 (P3,906).
Darren Criss in Maybe Happy Ending
Meanwhile, Criss, whose mother is a native of Cebu, leads Maybe Happy Ending as Oliver. Based on the South Korean musical of the same name, the show centers on a male "helper-bot" named Oliver, who has long been retired and considered obsolete.
However, he finds new hope in life when his fellow helper-bot neighbor Claire asks to borrow his charger. Together, the two form a unique friendship and explore love, relationships, and what it means to be human.
The Glee star also shared Salonga's post on his Instagram stories and expressed his gratitude for her shout-out to him.
"To be clear: my Filipino heritage is literally the only thing that could possibly put me in the same category as these iconic women... but count 'em, four!" he wrote.
Maybe Happy Ending has tickets available through Sept. 7, 2025. They're priced at $65.10 (P3,717).
Eva Nobledaza in Cabaret
Noblezada, who also has Filipino ancestry through her father, headlines the Broadway revival of Cabaret as Sally Bowles. The musical is set in a seedy cabaret called the Kit Kat Klub, where American writer Clifford Bradshaw and English cabaret performer Sally Bowles start a doomed romance.
Cabaret is scheduled to run until January 2026, with tickets costing $71.61 (P4,089).
Tati Córdoba in Real Women Have Curves
Córdoba stars in Real Women Have Curves as Ana, a young woman who finds herself juggling her dream of flying away from East Los Angeles, her family’s garment business, and a community of women all trying to make it work against the odds.
Córdoba also shared Salonga's post on her Instagram story as she highlighted how proud she was to be part of the group.
"This is so special. Being a Filipina and being Latina are such huge parts of my identity. I am so lucky to be a part of two of the most beautiful and rich communities," she wrote.
"Thank you Lea Salonga for being my idol for as long as I can remember and for always uplifting Filipino artists. Seeing my picture next to you and all of these powerhouses is so surreal," she added.
The musical will run until October 2025, with tickets priced at $53.16 (P3,034).
Kay Sibal in SIX: The Musical
Sibal transforms into Katherine Howard in the musical comedy SIX, which is a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, presented in the form of a singing competition. The wives all narrate the hardships they experienced from their their shared husband, but ultimately seek to reclaim their individual identities and rewrite their stories.
Sibal also reposted Salonga's shout-out to her on Instagram with several crying face emojis.
SIX is scheduled to run until November 2025, with tickets priced at $88.32 (P5,020).
Claire Marie Hall in Operation Mincemeat
Hall, a Filipino-British actress, is known for playing Jean Leslie in Operation Mincemeat. The musical centers on the "wildly improbable and hilarious true story" of the covert operation that took place during the Second World War.
Hall also shared Salonga's post about her and highlighted how she is "so, so proud to be listed amongst these other incredible Filipino artists conquering Broadway at the moment.
She also shared how Salonga was the "icon that made me fall in love with theatre in the first place."
Operation Mincemeat has shows until February 2026, with tickets costing $65.10 (P3,700).
Lea Salonga in Old Friends
As for Salonga, she stars as herself in Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, a tribute revue honoring the titular musical theatre composer and lyricist.
The show costs $126.72 (P7,237) and will close on June 15, 2025.
Salonga is also set to play the role of The Witch in the upcoming Philippine staging of Into the Woods. This would mark her first musical in the Philippines in six years, with the last one being Sweeney Todd, which was directed by the late Bobby Garcia.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include Kay Sibal and Claire Marie Hall as well as the running shows they're in.
