On Global Filipinos: FilAm artists take on major roles all across Broadway (Part 1)

By Loida Nicolas Lewis

For the first time in Broadway history, at least 8 Filipino Americans are in leading roles in eight theaters this Spring in The Great White Way!

The legendary Olivier and Tony award-winning actor, Lea Salonga, appears with another Tony awardee, Bernadette Peters in Stephen Sondheim’s “Old Friends”. It is a revue of songs and scenes from different Sondheim musicals like “Into The Woods”, “Follies”, and “Sweeney Todd”, among many others. Better see Lea Salonga (“Miss Saigon”, “Les Miserables”, “Allegiance”, “Once on This Island”, “Here Lies Love” and the voice of “Princess Jasmine” and “Mulan” in Disney’s animated films) before it ends on July 6, 2025, at the St. James Theater. 

The Philippine government has recognized Salonga’s world-renowned brilliance and artistry by conferring on her the Presidential Medal of Merit in 1990 and the Order of Lakandula in 2007. She was honored as a Disney Legend in 2011.

Nicole Scherzinger is Norma Desmond in the revival of the 1994 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard.” The New York Times review called Nicole “23 feet tall” in this production based on the 1954 movie of the same name because of the adept use of digital and video graphics. The New York Post called it “Broadway’s most exhilarating show in years.” 

Nicole is a Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling singer, actress and dancer, and most recently from playing Nora Desmond in the West End, an Olivier Award-winner whose father is of Filipino descent while her mother is of Hawaii and Ukrainian ancestry. She was the lead singer of the girl group, “The Pussycat Dolls”. Scherzinger is also known for being a judge on TV talent shows such as “The X Factor” and “The Masked Singer”.

Darren Criss plays the lead role of Oliver in the new musical, “Maybe Happy Ending.” Darren, whose mom is a native of Cebu, rose to prominence by starring as teen heartthrob “Blaine Anderson” on the television series “Glee” and received Emmy and Golden Globe acting awards for his leading role as the killer “Andrew Cunanan”  in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” in 2018. He has also appeared on Broadway in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” 

The twice Tony nominated Eva Noblezada, stars as Sally Bowles in the decadent Berlin’s KitKat Club “Cabaret”, before World War II. New York Magazine described it as “a glitzy entertaining and ingenious event revival that goes all out.” Eva just left the Broadway musical “The Great Gatsby” as socialite Daisy Buchanan. 

Discovered at The Jimmy Awards, the nationwide musical theater awards for High School performers, she rose to fame as “Kim” in the 2014 West End revival of “Miss Saigon”, a role she reprised when the show transferred to Broadway in 2017, earning her a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She eventually went on to play the role of “Eurydice” in the Greek musical tragedy, “Hadestown”, which earned her a second Tony nomination in the same category.

Speaking of Hadestown, another Filipina would be stepping into the role of “Eurydice” this year: KC dela Cruz. KC, who started her journey in “Hadestown” in 2023 as a swing in the national tour, moved to Broadway as part of the ensemble and understudying Eurydice in July 2024. She will be playing the iconic role from now until May 4th only, so hope you can catch her by then! (Myra Molloy takes over the role starting May 6th.)

Continue to Part 2