By REYNALD MAGALLON
Award winning Broadway star Lea Salonga gave a Filipina touch to the Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels as she sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the national anthem of the United States on Tuesday, June 17 (Manila time).
The Yankees uploaded a video of Salonga singing the American national anthem on its social media account, immediately garnering reaction from Filipino broadway and baseball fans alike.
“Thank you to Tony-Award Winning Actress Lea Salonga for tonight’s beautiful rendition of our National Anthem,” said the Yankees in the post.
Salonga reposted the same video from the Yankees and said: “Thanks for having me! Go NY!!!,” wrote the Filipina actress and singer who is starring on the “Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends” on Broadway.
It was now the second cameo for a Filipina in an MLB game after Lisa Frankenstein star and Filipina actress Liza Soberano also graced the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets earlier this month.
Soberano, wearing a Dodgers polo, threw the ceremonial first pitch as part of the MLB’s Filipino Heritage night celebration which also featured Filipino four-member girl group 4th Impact.
The Yankees, however, absorbed their fourth straight loss after the Angels pulled out a 1-0 victory behind Nolan Schanuel hitting a run-scoring double in the 11th inning.
