Celeste Legaspi recalls recommending Lea Salonga to audition for 'Miss Saigon'

Celeste Legaspi and Lea Salonga shared a heartwarming moment at the final show of "The Notebook: The Musical," with Celeste recalling how she had first recognized Lea's exceptional talent long ago.

On Facebook, Celeste shared snaps of herself and Lea from the show, where the former starred as the older Allie.

"Lea watched 'The Notebook' last night and graciously said hi to the whole cast. I am very proud of our Lea," said Celeste.

"I can still remember when I listened to her crystal clear tones while recording with her and noting how sharp her ears were in remembering a melody just after one pass during an OPM Christmas party in the ‘80’s."

According to 76-year-old OPM singer, these same qualities were what she remembered when she vouched for Lea to audition for "Miss Saigon." Lea's lead role of Kim in the musical eventually earned her the prestigious Tony and Olivier Awards.

"And those were what I was thinking of when I was asked to recommend OPM singers to audition for [Miss Saigon'. She was at the exact right age; with theater background and the perfect voice to convey innocence," said Celeste.

"And today she has her own star in Hollywood. Bravo Lea."

Celeste noted in her post that SB19's Stell and Pablo also watched "The Notebook: The Musical," adding, "Another post siempre."

"The Notebook: The Musical" ran from September 30 to 20.

Presented by Theatre Group Asia, it is based on Nicholas Sparks’ iconic novel and best known through the 2004 film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. The stage version expands the story by portraying Allie and Noah across multiple stages of their lives.

Meanwhile, Lea made history early this month as the first Filipino to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame star under the Live Performance category.

—CDC, GMA News