Executive & Artistic Director
Thor Steingraber
________
LEA SALONGA
"SOUNDING JOY"
The Holiday Tour
Sun Dec 15 | 2pm & 7pm
________
Production Staff for Lea Salonga
________
Program
Musical numbers will be announced from the stage.
Running Time: 2 hours, including a 20-minute intermission
Musicians
Larry Yurman | Musical Director/Piano
Ray Brinker | Drums
Kevin Axt | Bass
Paul Viapiano | Guitar
Quinn Johnson | Keyboard
David Witham | Keyboard
Sarah Galbraith | Background Vocals
Andrew Kotzen | Background Vocals
The Soraya’s Student Ticket Fund
Introducing a young person to the experience of live performance is transformative — opening hearts and minds, while also building the audience of the future. Your critical micro-investments, in $50 increments, will make an impact far greater than you might imagine.
As we embark upon the third year, the student ticket fund needs an infusion of new donations to keep pace with the demand. With a single donation, you can double the impact, investing in a young person as well as the future of the performing arts.
The Soraya is a welcoming place, and we lead in the effort to build audiences as varied and vibrant as our communities. We are immensely grateful for your support in making that vision a reality.
Program Note
Lea Salonga has long been a part of The Soraya family. Her memorable appearances on our stage, her passionate followers from the Valley’s nearby Filipino community, and her Broadway and Disney super fans all make her indispensable to The Soraya’s regular programming. One other important milestone involving Lea at The Soraya includes our 10th anniversary, when she came to us on screen from her home in the Philippines, performing for our audiences sheltered at home in January 2021. Lea has been with us all along, and we are so pleased and honored that she decided to bring her new holiday album to our stage.
Gratefully,
Thor Steingraber
Executive and Artistic Director,
Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts
Jazz at Naz
The annual Jazz at Naz festival has been recognized as one of the best winter jazz festivals on the West Coast as well as the jazz epicenter in Los Angeles. Jazz at Naz has showcased major debuts for emerging artists, such as two-time Grammy Award-winner Samara Joy, and created a home for the world’s jazz legends, such as John Pizzarelli, Branford Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, and Charles Lloyd. The festival has also turned the spotlight on influential crossover artists, such as Bobby and Taylor McFerrin, Diana Krall, Jon Batiste, Gregory Porter, Herb Alpert, and Lani Hall.
Returning after their sold-out debut last season, Pacific Jazz Orchestra opens the Jazz at Naz festival’s fourth season headlined by Eva Noblezada, a Grammy Award-winning and two-time Tony-nominated Broadway and West End star.
This season, The Soraya also welcomes saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, as well as the return of Christian McBride to the onstage, intimate Jazz Club for two nights each.
Fresh from a monthlong celebration of the music of the great Duke Ellington, Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran returns to The Soraya for the fourth time to continue the festivities honoring the Duke’s enduring legacy and his 125th birthday. In addition to entertaining from the piano, Moran will lead CSUN’s award-winning Jazz “A” big band to join him in furthering The Soraya’s ongoing commitment to music and arts education.
Also presented in the Great Hall during the Jazz at Naz festival will be Kurt Elling Celebrates Weather Report with Yellowjackets, and Chucho Valdés who brings Irakere back to life honoring its 50th anniversary with special guest Arturo Sandoval in a return engagement.
LEA SALONGA
Multiple award-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga is renown across the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch. Lea most recently starred in the new musical Here Lies Love at the Broadway Theater and headlined Old Friends (alongside Bernadette Peters) on London’s West End.
Lea is best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to the Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards. She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as Fantine in the 2006 revival. On Broadway, Lea starred in the 2018 Broadway revival of Once on This Island as the Goddess of Love, Erzulie. The show’s return to the Broadway stage earned a Tony Award for “Best Revival of a Musical” and also garnered Lea and the cast a Grammy nomination for “Best Musical Theater Album.” She has also been seen on Broadway in Allegiance and Flower Drum Song.
Many fans of all ages recognize Lea as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II. For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of “Disney Legend”.
Lea stars in the first season of “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” (a reboot of the popular series) available on MAX, after starring in the critically acclaimed Sony musical-drama Yellow Rose. Lea can also be heard in the Netflix animated series “Centaurworld” and in FX’s animated series “Little Demon.” In August 2021, Lea released her single “Dream Again” and in November Lea Salonga: Live with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from Sydney Opera House aired as part of Great Performances on PBS. A live album of the performance was subsequently released by Broadway Records.
Lea’s 2022 Dream Again Tour and her 2019 The Human Heart Tour saw sold-out audiences and record-breaking sales across North America and the United Kingdom. Lea has toured all over the world, performing sold out concerts in such locations as the Sydney Opera House, 02 Arena, Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Singapore’s Esplanade, Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Queen Sirikit Convention Center in Bangkok and Carnegie Hall in New York.
In addition to her stage and screen credits, Lea served as a judge on the Philippines hit version of “The Voice” including the ratings juggernaut “The Voice Kids”. She has released multiple solo albums, toured the world with legendary pop opera quartet Il Divo, and received rave reviews for her many cabaret engagements, including a record setting run at New York’s 54 Below.
In her 45-year career, Lea has performed for six Philippine presidents (from Ferdinand Marcos to Benigno S. Aquino III), four American Presidents (Joe Biden, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush), and for Diana, Princess of Wales and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She was honored by Time Magazine as a Time100 Impact Award Recipient and received the Gold House 2023 Gold Legend Award.
PRODUCTION STAFF FOR LEA SALONGA
Worldwide Management | Amplified Entertainment/Josh Pultz
Legal | Robert S. Perlstein, Esq.
Press & Publicity | 42West/Michael Gagliardo & Amanda Toral
Merchandising | Pasco Productions
Production Manager | Cynthia Booker
Hair & Makeup | Yuko Takahashi
Travel & Logistics | Tzell Travel
You Belong Here
This is your opportunity to belong to something special. Our 2024-25 Members enjoy exclusive experiences, such as the Member Appreciation Night for all Members, special events and artist meet-and-greets (Silver Members and above), private pre-performance artist salons (Silver Members and above), our festive holiday party, the annual Director’s Dinner in 2025 (Platinum Members), and more — as well as priority access to your preferred seats, your very own Members Only Seating Section, and exclusive savings when you select five or more performances. Most importantly, Member benefits are valid all season.
Beyond the benefits, Members drive our mission to present the highest caliber artists who captivate, inspire, and transport our audiences. Here, Members are part of a growing community of arts lovers connected by the joy of shared human experience. Here, Members belong.
About Us
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts is an award-winning, 1,700-seat theater that opened in 2011 and was designed by HGA Architects and Engineers. In 2017, a transformative gift by Younes and Soraya Nazarian dubbed the venue The Soraya (formerly the Valley Performing Arts Center). A vibrant performance program has served to establish The Soraya as the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley and its 1.8 million residents, and further establish The Soraya as one of the top arts companies in Southern California.
The Soraya’s 2024-25 Season boldly advances the immersive sound of big orchestras; the free flow of jazz; an array of dance; and a cultural bounty drawn from the well of world traditions. The Soraya continues its vigorous commitment to innovating, excelling, and amplifying access by offering a wide variety of performances that reflect LA’s many distinctive communities and featuring new and original work from the Los Angeles region as well as artists from around the world.
Located on the vibrant campus of the California State University, Northridge, The Soraya and the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication share an integral link that enhances student opportunities in the arts and performing arts. This partnership fosters academic opportunity and artistic excellence, elevating the talents of CSUN’s students.
A $5 million contribution from record producer and former California Lieutenant Governor Mike Curb was pivotal in ensuring The Soraya was completed and opened in 2011. For his founding support and in acknowledgment of the integral relationship between the Mike Curb College and The Soraya, Curb is recognized as one of The Soraya’s Cornerstone Benefactors. The relationship between The Soraya and the Mike Curb College continues to grow, with robust offerings for students through master classes, student tickets, concerts of student ensembles, and students appearing alongside renowned artists, such as Wynton Marsalis, Aida Cuevas, and Martha Graham Dance Company.