lea's concert in seoul

Lea Salonga wows audience in Korea, gets standing ovation

Cathy Rose A. Garcia, GMANews.TV

06/17/2008 | 02:55 PM

Seoul, South Korea - International Filipino star Lea Salonga received standing ovations from a wildly appreciative Korean audience during her first solo concert here, Monday evening.

Salonga performed 22 Disney and Broadway songs during the two-and-a-half hour concert at the packed Seoul Arts Center. She is the first Filipino to perform in Korea’s foremost complex center dedicated to arts and culture.

In an interview before the concert, Salonga said she wasn’t sure how many people would attend.

“I have no idea how many people would actually come to the concert. If we’re going to be able to fill up the concert or if there will be only 10 people," she said.

“My attitude is, if there are 10 people there, these are the 10 people who really want to see you. So you do you best for them no matter what," she added.

Salonga didn’t have to worry about the attendance because more than 2,000 people, mostly Koreans, attended her first solo concert here.

Wearing a deep brown pantsuit, Salonga started the show with a stirring performance of “Go The Distance" from the Disney animated film “Hercules."

She sang songs like “Circle of Life" from “The Lion King," “Part of Your World" from “The Little Mermaid" and “Reflection" from “Mulan."

Since the song “A Whole New World" from the animated film “Aladdin," is a duet, Salonga picked a Korean man from the audience to sing with her.

For the second part of the show, Salonga appeared on stage wearing a long blue gown and performed Broadway hits like “On My Own" and “I Dreamed a Dream" from “Les Miserables"; “Nothing" from “A Chorus Line" and “Something’s Coming" from “The West Side Story."

The Korean audience was very appreciative of Salonga’s performance, enthusiastically cheering and clapping after every song.

Salonga gave a heartfelt rendition of “I’d Give My Life For You" from “Miss Saigon." She told the audience that since she gave birth to her daughter Nicole in 2006, she had a stronger feel for the song’s lyrics.

After her final song “Everybody Says Don’t" from “Anyone Can Whistle," the audience gave thunderous applause and a standing ovation for Salonga.

Three encores

The exuberant response from the Korean crowd obviously surprised Salonga so much, that she returned not just for one encore, but three encores.

Salonga was also surprised to learn her wedding song “Two Words" is popular among her Korean fans. The song was not originally on her program, but was a last-minute addition due to her fans’ special request.

When she came out for the third time, Salonga laughingly said, “We ran out of songs." She gave the audience a repeat performance of “Everybody Says Don’t."

After the show, around a hundred Korean fans and handful of Filipinos lined up to get Salonga’s autograph.

Chung-ah Lee, a 22-year old student, said she was a big fan of Salonga’s after listening to her songs in Disney films “Aladdin" and “Mulan."

“I had goose bumps while listening to her sing ‘Reflection’ and ‘A Whole New World.’ Her voice was so clear and strong. She is very pretty. I hope she comes back soon," Lee said, after the concert.

There were only a few Filipinos in the audience, including Philippine Ambassador to Korea Luis Cruz and embassy staff.

Alfonso Delgado, a Filipino accountant, said Salonga’s performance blew everyone away.

“The highlight for me was when she sang the song from ‘Miss Saigon.’ Her story about having a child made the song more personal. Her performance was a real showstopper," Delgado said.

Concert organizers said ticket sales for Salonga’s concert were quite good for an artist who has not released an album in Korea. Tickets ranged from 30,000 won (P1,275) to 180,000 won (P7,650).

Her brother Gerard was also the concert’s musical director and conductor. The all-Korean Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied Salonga’s performance.

Also performing with the orchestra were Joey Quirino on piano, Robert Dennis De Guzman on guitar, Joji Magadia on bass and Jorge San Jose on drums. - GMANews.TV

lea in seoul

Broadway Actress Lea Salonga Shares Secrets to Success

Filipino actress and singer Lea Salonga will perform in Seoul for the first time on Monday at the Seoul Arts Center.
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

When Korean concert promoters approached Tony Award-winning Broadway actress Lea Salonga, 37, with the invitation to hold a solo concert in Seoul, she was surprised.

``There were some promoters who wanted me to come over and do a concert. And I was like, `Really? Why?','' she laughingly recalled, as she sat down for an interview with The Korea Times, Sunday.

Despite her success in the international theater scene, Salonga shows she's still down-to-earth and humble. The Filipino actress and singer is famous for the lead role Kim in the musical ``Miss Saigon'' on the West End and Broadway, winning numerous awards including the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award for Best Actress. Fans of Disney animated musicals will recognize her voice as the singing voice for heroines Jasmine (``Aladdin'') and Mulan.

Salonga, who is in Seoul for a solo concert Monday at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall, is not sure how well the Korean audience knows her and her music.

``I have no idea how many people will actually come to the concert or if we're going to be able to fill up the concert, or if there will be only 10 people. My attitude is: if there are ten people there, these are the ten people who really want to see you. So, you do your best for them no matter what,'' she said.

Salonga expressed admiration for Korean musical performers, having seen some videos of musical performances on YouTube. ``I was incredibly impressed by the singing, the beauty of the sets and how people were really into what they're doing. I was surprised at how good the quality of the singing was. Their voices are perfectly right, big, clear and strong. It was wonderful to see that. It really makes me happy that there's a really big musical scene here. Hopefully people become interested in me because of that,'' she said.

When asked if she has any advice for aspiring Asian actors and actresses who want to work on Broadway, Salonga said they should continue to work hard and maintain a professional attitude. ``You should have a sincere love for this (work) and treat it with the utmost respect. I try to do that as much as possible, and it served me well. Sometimes, it is being at the right place at the right time when the right opportunity comes along,'' she added.

She recently celebrated her 30th year in show business with two sell-out concerts in Manila last month. ``There are a lot of (career) highlights - the Disney movies, `Miss Saigon,' `Les Miserables'. … My life highlights would be my marriage and the birth of my daughter. Everything else I guess is gravy,'' she said, with a smile.

During her concert, Salonga will be accompanied by the Mostly Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Gerard Salonga, who is also her brother.

``My brother knows me better than any musical director does. One because he's my brother so he knows me as a person, what my preferences would be, what my sweet spot is and where I am emotionally because he's a member of my family. His musical competence, expertise and level of skill are also incredibly high. I have a very high amount of trust in him,'' she said.

Salonga will sing popular songs from Disney animated musicals such as ``Reflection'' from ``Mulan,'' ``A Whole New World'' from ``Aladdin,'' ``Part of Your World'' from ``The Little Mermaid'' and ``Circle of Life'' from ``The Lion King.''

Also on the program are Broadway tunes such as ``On My Own'' from Les Miserables, ``Nothing'' from ``A Chorus Line,'' ``I've Never Been In Love Before'' from ``Guys and Dolls'' and ``I'd Give My Life For You'' from ``Miss Saigon.''

Tickets range from 30,000 won to 180,000 won. Visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555. Tickets will also be sold at the gate.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

brunch at Payards

Desserts From 'Sex and the City' Now Available in Seoul

Payard, a New York bistro and patisserie made famous by the hit TV series “Sex and the City,’” has opened a branch at the Shinsegae Main Store, downtown Seoul. Its menu includes, clockwise from top left, Brie and eggplant sandwiches; baked cheese souffle; linguine pasta; and desserts such as Napoleon. / Korea Times Photos by Cathy Rose A. Garcia
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

For most people, Payard may not ring a bell. But for fans of ``Sex and the City,'' Payard is the place where Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte always meet up, chat about their love lives and indulge in what Carrie called the ``best desserts in New York.''

Fans don't need to fly all the way to New York City to visit Payard Bistro and Patisserie and taste its renowned desserts. Payard recently opened its first branch here at the sixth floor of the Shinsegae Main Store in downtown Seoul.

In New York, Payard is considered a ``must-stop for anyone who wants an elegant dining experience,'' whether its for coffee, brunch or dinner.

With such high expectations, we trooped off to Payard to see if the Seoul branch lives up to the reputation of the New York original.

Payard's menu in Seoul features hot and cold sandwiches, panini, soups, souffles, salads and pizza. It looks tempting enough, until you glance at the prices (which exclude the 10 percent value-added tax). Sandwiches start at 9,000 won, while soups and salads start at 12,000 won. An entree like the sea bass Provencal is 32,000 won, while a cup of cafe Americano is 7,000 won.

We ordered the brie and grilled eggplant sandwich (12,000 won), baked cheese souffle (12,000 won) and linguine pasta (18,000 won).

When the dishes arrived, we were surprised at how small the sandwich was. Taste-wise, the sandwich was good. The brie melted perfectly with the eggplant, while the sun-dried tomatoes and basil-garlic mayonnaise added flavor.

The baked cheese souffle was the highlight of the meal. The rich and creamy souffle was floating in a pool of Parmesan cream sauce and white truffle oil. No wonder the souffle is considered one of the house specialties.

The linguine pasta has a rich flavor, with the tomatoes, basil, zucchini and tuna cubes, although it was somewhat oily.

Since Payard is renowned for its exquisite pastries and cakes (as seen in many episodes of ``Sex and the City''), you can't leave without trying one of the tempting treats.

Basing our decision on which pastries looked the most delectable at the glass counter, we chose the Napoleon, Sweet Relief and Louvre.

Chocolate lovers will definitely enjoy the Louvre, a decadent chocolate-covered dome cake. Sweet Relief is a delightful mango mousse, covered with a fluffy marshmallow-like topping. Napoleon is a light and sweet dessert, with generous dollops of egg cream in between thin layers of crispy puff pastry.

Service was excellent, but overall, Payard seems a bit overrated and lacks ambiance.

Our verdict on Payard: skip the sandwiches and pasta. Just drop by for the desserts, which are guaranteed to satisfy sweet-toothed cravings.

For reservations, call (02) 310-1980.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

rock this summer

Rock Festivals to Rock This Summer

Underworld will perform at Pentaport Rock Festival.
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Rock music fans will have a lot to look forward to this summer, as some of the hottest foreign and local rock acts gather at the Pentaport Rock Festival in Incheon and the Summer Breeze Festival in Seoul.

The three-day Pentaport Rock Festival starts on July 25, while the Summer Breeze Festival will be held on Aug. 7 and 8 at the Jamsil Main Stadium, southern Seoul.

Pentaport and Summer Breeze are going head-to-head with Japan's biggest rock events, Fuji Rock Festival and Summer Sonic Festival this summer. Since the festivals in Korea and Japan are held around the same time, some foreign acts will be shuttling between the two countries to perform.

Here's what to expect from the up-coming festivals here.

Pentaport

The line-up for the Pentaport Rock Festival includes rock band Travis, electronica duo Underworld, British band Hard-Fi, Japanese band Ellegarden, as well as Kasabian, The Go!Team, Ozomatli and Feeder. Korean acts such as Deli Spice, Lee Han-chul, Lee Sang-eun, Super Kid and Windy City will also perform.

Top DJs including DJ Accomplice, London Elektricity, Princess Superstar, DJ Fin, Kid-B and 3rd Coast will be featured at the Groove Session.



Pentaport, considered Korea's largest outdoor music festival, will be held from July 25-27 at the Song-do Daewoo Motor Fields in Incheon. In the case of rain, organizers have prepared a waterproof roof for the outdoor stage.

Aside from the concerts, there will be flea markets, exhibitions and a camping site.
A Pentaport one-day pass costs 80,000 won, two-day pass costs 132,000 won and three-day pass costs 165,000 won. For information, call (02) 783-0114 (Korean only) and (02) 3444-9969 (English). Visit www.pentaportrock.com.

Summer Breeze

The Summer Breeze Festival, to be held on Aug. 7-8, will feature a stellar line-up of punk, rock and alternative acts including Simple Plan, Panic At the Disco, OneRepublic, New Found Glory, Lost Prophets and Jamie Scott. Organizer B4Hent said an additional line-up for the two-day festival will be announced in the coming weeks.

French-Canadian punk rock band Simple Plan gained widespread popularity with their debut album ``No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls'' in 2002. The album spawned hits such as ``Addicted,'' ``Perfect'' and ``I'd Do Anything.'' They released a second album ``Still Not Getting Any'' in 2004, and a self-titled third album in February this year.



Panic at the Disco, a band from Las Vegas, attracted attention with their unique sound combining elements of electronica, pop, dance and rock. Their debut album ``A Fever You Can't Sweat Out'' was a big hit in 2005.

American rock band OneRepublic is best known for the hit song ``Apologize," which sold over five million singles worldwide. A remix version was featured in Timbaland's 2007 album ``Shock Value,'' and on TV shows such as Gossip Girl.

A one-day ticket is 99,000 won and two-day ticket is 165,000 won. Visit www.summerbreeze.co.kr. For English information, call (02) 515-2449.



Rock Festivals in Japan

If the two rock festivals in Korea are not enough, there's always Japan's Fuji Rock Festival on July 25-27 and Summer Sonic Festival on Aug. 9 and 10.

Fuji Rock Festival, held at the Naeba Ski Resort, Niigata, already has 59 confirmed acts including Travis, Underworld, Feeder, The Go! Team, Ben Folds, Jason Mraz and Kasabian. Tickets cost 39,800 yen (approximately 387,000 won) for a three-day pass and 16,800 yen (163,000 won) for a one-day pass. Visit www.fujirockfestival.com or www.smash-uk.com/frf08.

Summer Sonic boasts a line-up of big names such as Coldplay, Alicia Keys, The Verve, Prodigy, Sex Pistols, Fat Boy Slim, The Kooks and Death Cab for Cutie, among others. The line-up of performers will be switching from Tokyo to Osaka during the weekend.

Tickets for Summer Sonic in Tokyo cost 15,000 yen (146,000 won) for a one-day pass, 28,500 yen (277,000 won) for a two-day pass. Tickets for Osaka cost 14,500 yen (141,000 won) for a one-day pass and 26,000 yen (253,000 won) for a two-day pass. Visit www.summersonic.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

blue man guy

Blue Man Founder On Being Bald, Blue

Blue Man Group MegaStar World Tour poster
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

When Matt Goldman first went bald and blue as a Blue Man with his friends Chris Wink and Phil Stanton, he knew there was something special about it. But today's phenomenal success of the Blue Man Group is still a surprise.

``If you make yourself bald and blue, and you think 'oh my God, I'm going to make a living out of this,' I think the first thing they should do is put you in a mental hospital and throw away the key because that would be crazy talk. It would have been impossible to predict any of this. On the other hand, when we got bald and blue for the first time and we knew it was something very special and that until we got it in many places around the world, it would not be complete,'' Goldman told reporters Tuesday, at a hotel in downtown Seoul.

Goldman, now one of the top executives of the Blue Man Group, is in town to oversee the preparations for the ``MegaStar World Tour,'' which opens June 10.



The Blue Man Group started in the late 1980's, when Goldman, Wink and Stanton would meet every Sunday morning with the idea of ``bringing something exciting to the table.''

``Something you wrote, music, a movie ― just bring to the table what's exciting. At the same time, we had the vision of this bald blue character. The two things came together and out of that came the Blue Man Group. … We think that the Blue Man found us, rather than we found the Blue Man,'' he said.

Starting with its street performances, the group's three-minute skits eventually evolved to become a theatrical production shown around the world. Now, the Blue Man Group is also involved in music, TV and film.

Who exactly is this bald, shiny blue character called the Blue Man? ``For me, I feel like the Blue Man in some ways is the purest form of humanity. … The Blue Man has no hairstyle, no skin tone, the features are obscure and irrelevant and no clothing style. The Blue Man is the stripping down of all those things that we do that make us individuals and what's left is the pure humanity,'' Goldman said.

While the Blue Man may look strange at first, Goldman said people quickly realize they can easily relate to the Blue Man and make them say ``that's me.''

The MegaStar World Tour, which follows the character's road to becoming a rock star, is making its Asian debut in Seoul. Goldman already feels some connection with Korean culture, saying his best friend and Blue Man Group drummer Ian Pai has already introduced him to Korean food and culture back in New York.

``I feel that the Korean public has a certain loose, fun loving nature, willing to be a little crazier, which is a perfect mix for the MegaStar show. MegaStar is about the Blue Man playing the role of a megastar, and the audience playing the role of the insane fanatic audience. Neither are those things, so it takes a little bit of the audience willing to suspend their belief to make it work. … We had a feeling that the Korean audience will embrace it in a special way,'' Goldman said.

In the MegaStar show, one of the songs ``Sing Along,'' was originally performed by American rock star Dave Matthews for the Blue Man Group album ``The Complex.'' Goldman laughingly recalled how Matthews admitted he gave up writing music for a year, after seeing the Blue Man Group show. ``He (Matthews) said he asked himself what he's doing with his life, writing music, compared to what the Blue Man Group was doing,'' he said.

Goldman hopes the audience will walk away with feeling that they just experienced something special, after watching the MegaStar show.

``We want to give the audience an experience of euphoria, ecstasy and heightened theatrical experience. Something you can't even put your words to,'' Goldman said.
The show's voice over narration has been translated into Korean language. However, the singing vocals will be in English.

The MegaStar World Tour will run for 16 days from June 10 to 22 at the Sejong Center Main Theater, Gwanghwamun. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 150,000 won. Visit www.blueman2008.co.kr. For English information, call (02) 541-6235 or email info@mastmedia.co.kr.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

happiness book

Book Searches for World's Happiest Places

Dancers participate in a ceremony in Thimphu, Bhutan, in this file photo. The tiny kingdom of Bhutan is often compared to the fictional paradise Shangri-la. Author Eric Weiner traveled to Bhutan while writing the book “The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World.” / AP-Yonhap
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

People often search for happiness as if happiness was a destination you can go to. Is there really such a place where people can be truly happy?

In his book ``Geography of Bliss,'' author and National Public Radio correspondent Eric Weiner details his adventures searching for the world's ``happiest places.''

Unlike in the past when he traveled to the world's trouble zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan as part of his job, this time Weiner sought out the places that seem to possess what people think will make them happy: ``money, pleasure, spirituality, family and chocolate.''

So, he traveled to nine countries (10 with the U.S.), including Switzerland, Qatar, Bhutan, Thailand and Iceland, where he interviewed dozens of experts, locals and expatriates.
Even he himself admitted it was a foolhardy idea: ``As the author Eric Hoffer put it `The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.' That's okay, I'm already unhappy. I have nothing to lose.''

His journey started in the Netherlands to meet Ruut Veenhoven, a professor of happiness studies and head of the World Database of Happiness. Veenhoven has conducted a lot of research on happiness, also known as ``subjective well-being'' in academic circles.

Happiness is not exactly easy to pin down, and the research compiled at the World Database of Happiness shows it. Extroverts are happier than introverts. Married people are happier than single people; people with children are happier than childless couples. Wealthy people are happier than poor ones, but only slightly. The list goes on, and Weiner discovers that people have different definitions of happiness, and varying levels of happiness.

In Switzerland, Weiner finds the Swiss are not exactly happy. He sees them as more than content but not exactly joyful. Even if Switzerland is supposed to be one of the happiest places to live in, the suicide rate is still high.

On the other hand, people in Iceland are happy, creative, do not fear failure and seem to be less envious. ``The Swiss suppress envy by hiding things. Icelanders suppress envy by sharing them,'' Weiner said.

Weiner describes the tiny kingdom of Bhutan as the closest thing to Shangri-La, a paradise invented in James Hilton's 1933 book ``Lost Horizon.'' Bhutan, which physically resembles Shangri-La, even has a government policy of ``gross national happiness.''

Karma Ura, head of Bhutan's think-tank, believes happiness is all about low expectations. ``I have achieved happiness because I don't have unrealistic expectations,'' he told Weiner. To find out if more money equals happiness, Weiner went to the wealthy, oil-rich country of Qatar. Despite the Qataris' good life (They pay no taxes. Electricity, health care and education are free. Gas is dirt-cheap.), they are not particularly happy themselves.

In Thailand, he sees that Thai people are too busy being happy to think about happiness. Unlike Americans who constantly think of happiness, Thais are simply just happy without thinking about it.

Weiner also makes a trip to the world's least happy nation, Moldova. He thinks of the law of relative happiness, that ``such a place will boost my mood since I'll realize there are depths of misery to which I have not yet sunk.'' Instead of becoming happier, Weiner finds himself being dragged even further down by the Moldovans' misery.

``Moldovans derive more pleasure from their neighbor's failure than their own success. I can't imagine anything less happy,'' he said, noting how envy is rife in Moldova.

In the U.S., the Declaration of Independence enshrines the right to pursue happiness. Weiner notes that Americans pursue happiness by physically moving to a different place, because they'll be happier elsewhere.

Weiner's quirky sense of humor and dead-on insights will have you laughing aloud in some parts of the book. After going around the world's happiest places, Weiner dishes out what he thinks are the important ingredients for happiness.

``Money matters, but less than we think and not in the way we think. Family is important. So are friends. Envy is toxic. So is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude. … Our happiness is completely and utterly intertwined with other people: family, friends, neighbors and the woman who you hardly notice who cleans your office,'' he said.

But has Weiner found happiness? He admitted he has happy moments, has learned to let go of anger and envy and finds beauty and joy in simple things. ``I'm not 100 percent happy. … All things considered, that's not so bad,'' he said.

Happiness may not be a destination after all, but just a state of mind.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr