Lea Salonga and Raymond Lauchengco with Rico Hizon. ABS-CBN News
On New Year’s Eve, Broadway legend Lea Salonga and veteran performer Raymond Lauchengco will be doing what they do best: taking center stage.
The longtime friends and Repertory Philippines alumni are currently deep in rehearsals for their highly-anticipated Dec. 31 concert, "Symphony of the Stars."
In an interview with Rico Hizon, Lauchengco said that there are "so many duets in this show."
Salonga playfully declined when asked for a sneak peek, however, instead saying: "No! Go to the show. Oh wait, it’s sold out. We just got the news... thank you to everybody who bought tickets."
For Lauchengco, the concert is a full-circle moment.
"This is the first time in a long time I’m doing a New Year’s Eve show. And to do that with Lea is, wow, going to be one of the highlights of my career. I am just so happy," he explained.
Salonga, meanwhile, sees the concert as a launchpad for what promises to be a landmark year for her. The Tony Award winner will return to a beloved masterpiece in 2026.
"There’s the Les Misérables Arena Spectacular coming here. I’ve never done Les Mis in Manila, and now I actually get to," she said.
Amid their success, their New Year's resolutions remain grounded.Salonga is focusing on a shift in perspective, noting that her goal is "just to find joy everywhere."
Lauchengco, on the other hand, has this wish for the coming year: "To be the best version of myself as possible, now that I am a 'senior bagets'."