Globally acclaimed artist and Filipino icon, Lea Salonga, returns home this August as she stars in her first-ever laundry musical – “When I Shine With You”, telling the story of Lea’s most iconic pieces of clothing and how they keep shining anew.
To celebrate and recognize Lea’s mark in the Philippine music industry, the new Ariel Instashine produced a one-of-kind musical that brought her fans nostalgic joy, as she serenades them with a renewed rendition of a classic OPM song, ‘When I Met You’ by the Apo Hiking Society.
Lea is joined by some of her students from The Voice, Leah Patricio, Esang de Torres, and Mica Becerro who pay tribute to their coach as they relive Lea’s journey through some of her memorable clothes in the past – as these clothes make their way back on stage and shine as if they are new.
Lea Salonga is now part of Team Ariel
Ariel recently launched Lea Salonga as its newest addition to the growing Ariel family. Lea is the ambassador for the new Ariel Instashine – the next generation of detergent that promises to make old clothes look new again in just one wash.
“We are delighted to welcome Lea Salonga to Team Ariel as we launch our New Ariel Instashine – the world’s first detergent with Power Boosters. Lea represents progressive Filipinas who continue to shine not just in the Philippines, but also on the global stage.” shares P&G Asia Regional Brand Communications Lead Louie Morante.
When I Shine with You is a sensorial, nostalgic journey
Every piece of clothing has a story. In this one-of-a-kind musical, Lea takes us on a journey down memory lane by telling the story behind some of her most treasured clothes in her iconic roles. With a history of more than four decades in the industry, Salonga had her first break at 9 years old when she played the title role in Annie in 1980.
“Annie was my first big break. I was 9 then and felt a big mix of happy, scared and really just enjoying myself. Tt’s why I kept my dress after all these years: to remind myself of that girl who believed she could shine,” Salonga shares.
Since her debut, Salonga appeared in a number of theatre productions and had several television projects until 1989 when she was selected to play Kim in the debut production of the musical Miss Saigon in London. This role earned her the title as the first woman of Asian descent to win the Tony Award for her excellence in live Broadway Theatre in 1991.
She adds, “I had no idea how demanding it was going to be to play the role of Kim. As a teenager, I found it worth it because it pushed me to be more creative and thoughtful with my craft. That’s why I’ll always find the shirt I wore to the audition memorable. It may seem like a simple white one but it means a lot to me – it was the one that helped me shine and live my dreams.”
Lea as a mom
Among all the roles she played and amid her past accomplishments, Salonga takes pride the most in being a mom to her daughter Nicole, “There’s so much love and reward in being a mother. It’s definitely a new chapter for me, and one of the best roles that I have the privilege of playing.”
Reminiscent of the new Ariel Instashine’s clothes renewal benefit, the musical sparked a renewed sense of inspiration as Salonga relived the highlights of this true-to-life musical journey through her memorable clothes – from when she played Annie, to her white shirt during her audition for Miss Saigon, and an apron she got when she was a new mom.
“Through stains and messy times in the kitchen, this apron marks one of my life’s biggest role – being a mom to Nicole. It’s the role that no one could have ever prepared me for. It’s continuous hard work but it brought so much joy and love to my life. It’s inspiring me to shine brighter every day for my family,” Salonga says.
These iconic clothes were brought back to life and showcased though Ariel Instashine’s Renewed Collection on stage. Along with Lea were her mentees from The Voice, singers Esang De Torres, Mica Becerro and Leah Patricio – and digital parenting icons Maggie Wilson, Cat Arambulo and Kelly Misa, who also had their own memorable pieces displayed in the collection to attest to the superior cleaning benefits of the new Ariel Instashine.
(L-R) The Voice mentees Esang De Torres, Mica Becerro, Leah Patricio, P&G Asia Regional Brand Communications Lead Louie Morante, new Ariel Instashine ambassador Lea Salonga, P&G Philippines Media Manager Arthur Pena, P&G Senior Purchasing Manager Phoebe Ng, fashion icon Cat Arambulo-Antonio, British-Filipino TV personality, model, TV host, vlogger Kelly Misa-Fernandez, British-Filipino TV personality, actress and entrepreneur Maggie Wilson-Consunji
A whole new detergent world
Launched in June, the new Ariel Instashine is the most recent laundry detergent innovation from Ariel. As the first-in-the world detergent with power booster beads, the product provides superior cleaning and stain removal in just one wash that helps make clothes look new again.
“We launched the new Ariel Instashine in the PH market in high hopes of addressing the highest standard of cleaning our consumers wants – cleaning clothes like they are new again. This is the world’s first detergent with power boosters to remove the toughest layers of stains and make your clothes shine anew in just 1 wash. As with our commitment to elevate the level of clean in laundry, we also hope to uplift our spirits through keeping clothing pieces valuable and timeless like Lea’s iconic pieces from her roles as Annie, Miss Saigon and as a mom,” concludes P&G Country Category Leader, Laundry Philippines, Ray Pine.
It’s a long ongoing journey for Lea filled with milestones that continue to give pride to the Philippines. Ariel celebrates this true Filipino icon as she shines for all of the Filipinos here and all over the world.
Also read: Lea Salonga talks about her parenting style now that her daughter is a teenager
