Credit: DisneyOff the top of your head, you might not be very familiar with the name Lea Salonga. However, if you are a Disney fan, then you definitely know some of her most well-known roles.
The talented actress and singer voiced not only Princess Jasmine in Disney’s 1992 film Aladdin, but also provided the singing voice of Mulan in the 1998 movie Mulan.
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In addition to her notable Disney roles, Ms. Salonga has a long and storied history on Broadway.
When she was just 18 years old, Ms. Salonga received a Tony Award for her first big Broadway role, where she played Kim in Ms. Saigon. In addition to Ms. Saigon, Ms. Salonga also starred in Les Miserables, Flower Drum Song, Allegiance, Once On This Island, and Here Lies Love.
Of course, the talented Filipino actress is most well-known for her incredible singing. She released her first album when she was just 10 years old, and it reached gold certification, which is issued by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry.
You would think with such an impressive resumé, Lea Salonga would be easily recognizable, especially when she is starring in something and showcasing her amazing talent.
Sadly, that was not the case during this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And it led to quite the gaff being made by NBC.
Ms. Salonga was a part of the parade, traveling through Manhattan on the Sesame Street float. She was standing alongside some of the show’s most iconic characters, including Cookie Monster!
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Parade hosts — and NBC stars — Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie announced Salonga and the Sesame Street flat, where the Broadway star was belting out the song “Sing”. However, when the camera panned to the float, the camera and graphics team thought that Ms. Salonga was actually a young girl.
The camera showed young actress Olivia Perez, who was also on the float, as she smiled at the camera. Perez has not been in Hollywood very long, but has already starred in a number of popular movies and television shows, including In The Heights (2021) and Falling For Christmas (2022). She is also currently starring as Mia in Sesame Street.
Fans were shocked that NBC’s team didn’t know the difference between the 53-year-old Tony winner and the young teen actress. Eventually, the team learned that they had screwed up and fixed the mistake.
NBC has not spoken out about the incident.
Do you think it is ridiculous that NBC got something so wrong during the parade? Should they make a public apology? Let us know in the comments!