In New York City on February 22, 2010, the day Tony winner Lea Salonga turned 39, she had to sing at the 2nd staged reading of new American musical, ALLEGIANCE, in addition to having to belt out a song in Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit, BROADWAY BACKWARDS 5, happening on the same evening at two different live music venues.
BROADWAY BACKWARDS is an annual benefit, wherein featured performers sing show tunes originally written for the opposite gender. The event's creator, Robert Bartley, directed and choreographed this year's show. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center reported to have raised $200,000.00 from the benefit held at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Lincoln Center.
Apart from Salonga, other Broadway actors who have performed in the show were Eve Plumb ("The Brady Bunch"), Raul Esparza ("Company," "tick..tick...BOOM!"), Len Cariou ("Sweeney Todd"), Gary Beach ("The Producers," "Les Miserables"), Tonya Pinkins ("Jelly's Last Jam," "Caroline, or Change"), Aaron Lazar ("Little Night Music," "Light in the Piazza"), etc.
"To give you an idea about the selections: Raul's number was "The Man That Got Away"; Aaron's, "As Long As He Needs Me"; I sang "Out There" ("The Hunchback of Notre Dame"). My uniquely gay bent was repression. Awesome," Salonga wrote in her column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
"After the (ALLEGIANCE) reading, I got into a waiting car and returned to Lincoln Center for "Broadway Backwards." I headed straight to my dressing room, got my makeup and hair done and put on my Rajo Laurel black corset top.
My number was placed in the second act, seven songs in. Oh man, I had the best time! I would love to someday see a show like this staged in Manila.
After the show, I headed to the after-party and had myself a glass of wine. A very busy birthday-I couldn't have spent it better," she added.
