Madame Tussauds Launches Lea Salonga Wax Figure

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(SPOT.ph) Madame Tussauds finally unveiled Lea Salonga's wax figure Friday, September 13, making her the fourth Filipino celebrity with a wax likeness to grace the star-studded halls of the international museum. The multi-awarded singer and actress is the first Filipino whose wax statue was especially made for Madame Tussauds Singapore which is located at Resorts World Sentosa.

SPOT.ph got the chance to talk with the multi-hyphenate about her wax twin and the experience of getting her likeness immortalized at the famous attraction.

Also read: Request sa Radyo: How A Wordless Play Got Lea + Dolly to Say Yes

Check out Lea Salonga's Madame Tussauds Wax Figure:

"This is absolutely ridiculous, wonderful, and unbelievable," said Salonga when asked about what it feels like standing next to her wax look-alike.

Salonga's wax twin wears an elegant blue Rajo Laurel draped dress made of crepe fabric and features a figure-flattering corset.

The dress actually came from the artist's personal closet. "I chose this dress as I felt it best represented my personality and sensibilities when deciding what to wear for performances," said Salonga. "This gown served me so well, for so many shows, so it felt right for it to be continued to be seen on Madame Tussaud's wax likeness of me."

But if you're worried the Broadway star has now lost an integral part of her performance wardrobe, there's no need to be: Salonga said she has many versions of what she dubs her "workhorse dress." "I have this dress in red and black, too," she said laughing. "But blue has always been my favorite."

Another important facet of any Madame Tussauds wax figure is its pose and Salonga specifically chose that her statue stand in her standard "mic-stand pose." "I want to make this [pose] as much of an action shot as possible," she said, "So that the folks who will come to Singapore to see and pose with it will feel like they are with [me]."

According to Salonga, she usually assumes the stance whenever she is faced with a mic on a stand—one hand semi-resting on a microphone while another grips the middle part of the stand to keep it stable. And then she flashes her best "cheeky" smile before belting out a song. "People get creeped out [with the statue's smile] because it's a smile that I've given hundreds of times to people."

For Salonga, this wax figure is "the realization of a manifestation made by a 12-year-old and her mother." The 12-year-old is her younger self, of course, and the "mother" Mrs. Ligaya Salonga, ever the wind beneath the Broadway star's wings. Salonga reminisced about her first time touring a Madame Tussauds Museum in London with Mommy Ligaya. It was there, after spotting a wax figure of the Oscar and Emmy award-winning actress-singer Liza Minnelli, that Mrs. Salonga boldly declared her daughter would one day grace the halls of Madame Tussauds.

"My 12-year-old self read that Madame Tussauds brochure from cover to cover," Salonga offered. "And I was really interested in the process where they create something from clay, and then I think there's plaster, but that was 40 years ago. The process now is very very different, and it involves technology that wasn't available before. Back then, it was really hand measurement, color matching the eyeballs, checking out hair texture and color, and looking at your actual skin tone to make sure that it's as accurate as possible. Those things I don't think have changed much, but now they scanned my teeth to make sure that it's actually my teeth, the shape of my mouth, and the measurements are now so much more precise."

The Madame Tussauds team took six to eight months creating the artist's wax likeness. Throughout the unveiling, Salonga and her loved ones continually gushed at the figure, even remarking that the team at Madame Tussauds got every little detail right—from the performer's hands, dimples to her almost invisible-to-the-naked-eye ear piercings. 

Salonga's installation in the Madame Tussauds lineup comes at a time when the museum continues to entice more Filipinos to visit its different locations. When asked who she thinks should be the next celebrity to get their own wax twin, Salonga exclaimed,  "BTS! But if it's another Filipino, Sarah Geronimo. I'm surprised that she isn't there yet. I'm all for girl power and showcasing Filipino talent, and given who she is and what she's been able to do with her career, why not her?"

Where to find Lea Salonga in Madame Tussauds Singapore:

Lea Salonga's wax figure will be at the Music Zone of Madame Tussauds Singapore starting September 20. She will be alongside other musicians and artists like Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and more.  

But if you can't fly all the way to the Lion City anytime soon, you might just catch a glimpse of Salonga's wax figure at the Klook Travel Fest this weekend as Madame Tussauds and Klook officially launches Lea Salonga's wax figure to the Filipino public.

Lea Salonga's wax figure will be at Madame Tussauds Singapore starting on September 20. Madame Tussauds Singapore is at 40 Imbiah Road, Sentosa, Singapore. Book a ticket to Madame Tussauds Singapore through Klook. For more information, visit Madame Tussauds Singapore's website.

Links are updated regularly and as much as possible, but note that products can run out of stock, discounts can expire, and listed prices can change without prior notice.

Also read:
Anne Curtis Is the Next Filipino Star to Grace Madame Tussaud Hong Kong's Line Up
LOOK: Catriona Gray's Wax Figure Is Now at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

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