On Their Own

This is rather old hat, but here's an Unsolicited Manang Lea Nugget for this week (with Monique Wilson figuring in somewhere):

The competition for a role in Miss Saigon was fierce. All those who auditioned chose their respective song carefully in order to increase their chance of bagging the lead role in the year’s most anticipated musical. And the competition was really so fierce that even friends like Lea and Monique kept their audition song a secret from each other.

As witnesses distinctly remember, Lea arrived at her audition for Miss Saigon dressed casually without any trace of facial make-up. Then there was silence in the audition room. And in her trademark crystal clear and crisp singing voice, Lea Salonga started singing her audition song.

Lea Salonga sang “On My Own” during her audition for Miss Saigon.

During the same Miss Saigon audition, Monique Wilson also came dressed casually with nary a trace of facial make-up. Then there was silence in the audition room. And in her trademark penetrating and heart-wrenching singing voice, Monique Wilson started singing her audition song.

Monique Wilson sang “On My Own” during her audition for Miss Saigon.

Yes, Lea Salonga and Monique Wilson sang the same song for their Miss Saigon audition.

And neither of them knew that the other will sing the same song.

This story was swiped from Untold Pinoy Stories. Although if you're a Manang Lea/Miss Saigon fan, you probably know all this already. I don't really know what Monique Wilson is up to these days. Also, I was under the impression that she was older than Manang Lea, manang-ness notwithstanding.

It's weird because just this morning, I saw the Hapee toothpaste commercial featuring Manang Lea. She doesn't advertise herself as "Mrs. Saigon" or Eponine or Fantine, but she now likes to be called "Mrs. Chien, mother ni Nicole." When I first heard what she named her daughter, I just said, "Who would name her kid 'Beverly'?"