Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Tarrytown *** UPDATED ***

This has been edited to include the Music Hall's side. 

-----------------------------------

Dear Everyone,

Let me be brutally frank... I think things have gotten a little out of hand.  Allow me first describe what happened from my perspective.

It was the second half of the show... I was in the middle of singing "I'd Give My Life For You" when the strange and unfamiliar noise first emerged.  I was startled and a bit frightened.  After the number was completed and when the applause died down, I asked the audience where the sound was coming from, and those seated on the house left side all pointed to the outside.  So, in the spirit of levity and humor, I said, "I thought Halloween was over, that's scary" and "I'm a Filipino-Catholic, I get spooked easily."  I was scared and, quite frankly, a bit spooked.  My remarks were aimed at a noise, not at any individual.  Anyone that was there would say the same.

No one at any point and time during the show or even immediately afterwards made me aware that there was a young lady named Eileen in attendance who was a special person, touched by my singing, thus reacting to it in the way she's accustomed.  And additionally as I've just learned, no one from the Tarrytown Music Hall asked Eileen and her companions to leave the theater... it was the choice of her residence hall staff members to go.  The Music Hall made every effort at ensuring her and her companions' comfort... and this was not their first visit to the Hall.  To everyone at the Hall, I apologize for not finding out from you guys first what happened that evening.

I apologize for unwittingly making fun of Eileen and her co-resident.  I didn't know that anyone like her was in the audience.  If I and the rest of the audience were made aware that we had guests with special needs in attendance, I believe that much understanding and compassion would have been exercised.  I apologize for the seeming lack of it, due to our own ignorance of the realities of the evening.

To Eileen and her staffers, family and friends, I do hope you find it in your hearts to forgive me, and that one day you will be able to once again attend my concerts and shows.  As for me, I'll know to be more aware and sensitive at my future performances.

Yours truly,
Lea Salonga

53 comments:

Bill みつる said...

I hope this will put everything to rest. :)

Guy Gustafson said...

An unfortunate event - especially that the person or people were asked to leave! You had no way of knowing what the noise was (neither did I) and shouldn't be blamed. You are a really good soul and a deserved idol & role model. I do hope this sincere apology letter will allow Eileen to forgive you.

Georginna Desuasido said...

Lea, you'd never intentionally do anything like that. Keep your chin up, girl.

Jeanne Villamil said...

you have a big heart and that makes you a great person. i luv you more!

Lea Salonga said...

Thanks, Guy, I appreciate your kindness.

Garlic Garcia said...

beautifully written letter lea and the sincerity and remorse are heartfelt. when you're onstage with all the lights on you, you can barely make out the faces/ forms of the audience. so yours was completely an honest mistake that any other performer could have made. i'm bothered that eileen and her co-resident were asked to leave by theater management. thats the real tragedy.

Yie Yin Foong said...

Yeah I hope you can do something nice for Eileen, Your letter was full of heart and I feel it will put an end to all this Drama. You have a big heart and it shows!

Guy Gustafson said...

You're welcome. Injustices make me burn - both what happened to those poor people at the concert, and the attempted tarnish to your image & reputation. God bless you and your family!

Kay Habana said...

Tsk...tsk... so that's how it ended with Eileen (and her company)?? That is sad. Well, thank you for saying your piece. God forgives no matter what, and we are no more superior than He is to have our standards set much higher than His. We all should be able to forgive one another. Good night and as always, God bless you and yours!

anne mendoza said...

Have faith that we know you're not capable of treating your fans harshly. Your sincere remorse in the unfortunate incident makes you more admirable.

dianneLouise ♥ said...

A sort of misunderstanding...
I hope this issue won't get any bigger.
I hope everything would be fine now.

Rika Mimula said...

I just can use a word to describe your letter-----sincere.
Although I don't understand the whole meaning, but I can feel it's full of sincere.
.

Li'l Dove Feather said...

Only a fool will not understand this honest mistake...Hang in there, Lea.

Guy Gustafson said...

I should clarify that what happened to the people at the concert by being asked to leave was an injustice, but they are the ones ultimately responsible for the second injustice aimed at you. What's said here is public and can be copied without permission, but I want you to know, and I'm sure everyone feels the same, that you can feel free to copy any of my comments here and use them at any other website or elsewhere on your behalf.

meg arcilla said...

i obviously missed something..but do hope things turn out okay.

Melanie Carabuena said...

As unfortunate as the situation turned out to be...this public apology just goes to show how loyal you are to your fans and I respect that...on a lighter note....thank you again for a very enjoyable evening..."I'd Give My Life For You" was an extra special treat for me and I still can't get "Taylor the Latte Boy" out of my head.

JANE AREJOLA said...

hold on Ms Lea...you have a big heart and your sincerity is overflowing...i hope everything will be fine now...God Bless you and your family always.

tin samson said...

i know you would never hurt anyone that way and you respect people. and i think you've always been sensitive naman.

i remember that time i emailed you about how i *thought* you were ignoring us (some NG members) at one of your SOP performances several years ago, and you explained that you couldn't see us from where you were (and that studio was small lang, so what more a concert venue) (we should always keep in mind to take the other person's point of view into consideration) and you apologized if it seemed you were ignoring us. you didn't even have to reply or even apologize. but you did.

i know you appreciate your fans. and as i've said, i will always, always be a fan. i admire your talent and i admire you as a person. and that's just it -- you're human too and you make mistakes. you've apologized -- and sincerely. and we should all just move on.

tin =)
(who is super tired and sleepy and just came home from the beyonce concert, hehe.. i hope i was still making sense!)

tin samson said...

lea sang taylor the latte boy?!? wow! :D

hope to hear that in one of your concerts here in manila, lea! :D also defying gravity hehe. or any wicked song!

Alvin Tayag said...

Lea I've seen numerous shows of yours in the last ten years, from Philippines, London to NY, and I will never imagine that you'll intensionally do such thing. Met you off stage, shook your hand, had picture with you, you even signed my video camera, and all I've experienced with you were your gracious and kindness. I applaud you more and support you more with your sincere apology. It's not your fault, and yet you took time to apologize. It touched my heart how you addressed the young special girl because I have a cousin who's in the same situation with her. I've been your follower and fan in the last 16 years, but this is the first time I took time to write. You are a great role model, and keep up the good work. To the special girl, I hope she'll come back and see one of your shows again. I strongly believe that if you only knew that this girl was there, you would've acknowledged her presence. Maraming salamat sa lahat, lagi kaming proud sa you.

Alvin, Allan, and Annette
San Diego, Ca

Melanie Carabuena said...

Yes Lea sang Taylor the Latte Boy! That was the first time I had ever heard the song and I loved it. Then I searched it on youtube and watched the Kristin Chenoweth version, whom I believe Lea said the song was originally written for.

Melanie Carabuena said...

Yes Lea sang Taylor the Latte Boy! That was the first time I had ever heard the song and I loved it. Then I searched it on youtube and watched the Kristin Chenoweth version, whom I believe Lea said the song was originally written for.

Ayrin Greyz said...

Kudos, Lea. I hope your last post will put this unfortunate misunderstanding to rest. I commend your sincere and honest apology - you truly are one of a kind! I'm so proud of the way you handled this matter ... your act of humility moved me. Wear a smile and remember that we love you, will always love and support you, and we will always pray for your continued success and happiness - both on stage and off stage. Take care!

anne mendoza said...

lea sang it in her cebu concert last valentine! she was really great!

cristina kerner said...

Lea, as a father of a special needs child I can say that my family including my son had the pleasure of meeting you at the stage door. You were nothing but sincere with my son when he asked you for you autograph and to have his picture taken with you. We know that what happened was never meant. You have a fan for ever in son Christopher. God Bless you and your family.

sab gene said...

Hi Lea, my name is Sab and I myself was at your wonderful concert. I had an amazing night. It is unfortunate that there are misunderstood situations occurring.Things sure did get out of hand, It was all a huge misunderstanding. As others have said, it was no one's fault at all because I am pretty sure half of the audience did not know what the sound was either. My mother and I were seated near the front also wondering what the noise was. I think I entered the theater the same time as Eileen did ( not sure if it was her, but she was in a wheelchair with someone helping her ). It was surely a misunderstanding. No one should be blamed because facts were unclear. It is unfair that accusations are being made to you. You are an amazing person with a good heart. This letter proves it!

In all your concert was the best ever! I was really excited! I had SATs the next morning but it was all worth going to. I had a really great time! Thank you for being so kind to all your fans throughout the night especially at the signing. You are my idol :] I pray this situation will clear up soon. good luck in all that you do. hope to see you again in the near future!

Val Daubert said...

I was at the concert also. I as everyone else there did not know what the sound was either. I thought it was coming from outside also. There were so many different sounds(cell phones, car horns beeping, sneezing :-D, and my own broken chair I was sitting on. Which would squeak everytime I moved) you could here in that theatre. I was seated up in the mezzanine though so I had no clue as to what was going on at the lower level of the theatre. Actually I was 1 row in front of Ali. I was probably freaking her out cuz I kept staring at her wondering where I knew her from. LoL
Anyway I had the best time at the concert. I drove 9 hrs round trip just to see you. It was well worth the trip. I look forward to seeing you again( on broadway or in your own concert). Hopefully everyone can let these misunderstandings on all parts rest. Wishing you and your family health and happiness. God Bless

susan gabrielle yance said...

2x na kita (lea) na kakausap both happened in CCP I mean ur always gracious to your fans. kahit when you were having your pika pika sa after show gala nag sasign ka pa rin ng show programe. Tingin ko sa issue na to pinalaki lang ng mga walang magawang nilalang at bored sa kanilang pitiful existance sa mundo. Aileen and her family members surely understand what transpired that evening considering the fact that they admired Lea alam nila na mabuting syang tao na may mababang loob kaya nga sya Blessed with all good things. Yun lang po :)

Li'l Dove Feather said...

Having read that added info, then I believe I owe the Tarrytown Music Hall people an apology. I got so mad at them. I'm sorry, if you can read this.

Chinky Fuentes said...

She did? She sang this during her concert in Davao and aside from the Tagalog songs, i enjoyed the Latte Boy very much. It played on my head without warning for many a days :)

moon reign said...

hi lea and to everyone,

i've read the old and new post,with all things said and apologies made...hope everything is ok.
if that was me with the other party,i would choose to send you a private message instead or choose to send you a snail mail.

Lea Salonga said...

I was never given a chance to explain things in private, and instead found myself in a situation that could have easily been prevented. Reason didn't rule in this instance, which I can understand... family matters and anything involving loved ones rarely do.

Mabelle Sumalinog said...

It's okey, Lea... What happened was obviously a misunderstanding... I don't think less of you as a performer and person.. not at all!. Im still keeping "you" in my iPod. Love from Canada!

PS I just hope what I heard isn't true... That you're playing a Disney princess soon?! I personally don't believe the role matches you but it'd be interesting to watch just the same. I was hoping you'd play something in the line of Evita but I guess, productions like that don't sell well these days... At least, not as well as would Disney's... But it would have been nice... Someday, I'll save up enough so I can afford to produce for you!

Li'l Dove Feather said...

I'm not sure if they must, but I wonder if Tarrytown has issued any statement about this...

caloy libosada said...

Things like that keep you anchored to the ground. There's a good chance that you will carry that incident the most parts of your life. But you can (should) carry it with grace. Better if you could meet with Eileen and put a closure on this. But if you can't get the opportunity, then you should treat this as a major lesson in life. A lesson that reminds you how human you are.

blythe apple said...

I cannot believe that after several years as a performer you still are not aware of the varied repertoire of your audience that can indeed include special people, who can in fact, express emotions in ways that you apparently are not accustomed to. Furthermore, I really do not understand what you mean when you say 'as a Filipino-Catholic I am easily spooked.' Way to generalize Filipinos, Lea.

Jessica Streeter said...

I am a special education teacher, and if you haven't spent extensive time around those with special needs, the vocal sounds they produce can often sound quite foreign, and not easily attributed. I know those of us who hold special needs individuals especially dear to our hearts can be quite vigilant in defending them , but I think it’s important to be able to recognize malice from misunderstanding. Yes, there are those that truly lack compassion, but haphazardly condemning Lea’s character is not fair and is probably very hurtful to her. Additionally, I think it’s an injustice to Eileen to lead her to believe that one of her idols intentionally jeered and taunted her. That’s causing her undue pain, as well. Lea, I think the efforts you’ve put forth by addressing and apologizing for the incident are very respectable and I wish you all the best.

Chris G. said...

Lea already apologized period. As humans--we can use all our super powers to prevent sh*t from happening--well, guess what...sh*t still happens.

Yie Yin Foong said...

I think we can all say this was a mistake and had no malice behind it. I feel Lea's letter has cleared up this matter. I think we can move on from this. This took place last week and with time we can clam down from all this Drama. At the end of the day Lea's fans understand this was a misunderstanding. What is most important is that we respect each other.

Lea Salonga said...

I felt the need to reply to this...

At the Tarrytown show the sound came out of nowhere and could not b attributed to anything I could recognize. It was loud enough that I was startled when I first heard it (and usually when I sing it's quiet enough that I can hear even the smallest of sounds), and when the number was over it happened again. Bjorn from the Music Hall (a couple of days folowing the show) explained thoroughly what it was. The young lady was getting excited in her seat, jumping up and down in her wheelchair, so much so that patrons close to her were starting to give her dirty looks, the same kind they would give had a small child been running about in the theater lobby. The Hall staff then asked Eileen's staffer if she could step outside to calm down a little bit, and then return. As this was going on, my repartee was happening, and misheard. They chose to leave the Hall at that point in time. What the staff at the Hall chose to do was in the interest of the majority of the audience, and I believe they did so in a professional and compassionate manner.

As for me, I made fun of a sound... a sound that resembled something out of Halloween, so I made light of it, being that the show took place 2 days after the holiday. I wasn't aware that a mentally disabled person produced it (since I'm not around many mentally disabled people in my daily life I'm completely unfamiliar with the sounds they can make when sad, excited, happy or angry), nor was I aware that someone like her was in the audience (a wheelchair is usually much more visible to my eye, closer to the front row... in this case, she was all the way in the back). I asked where the noie was coming from, and I was told by members of the audience, both verbally and by pointing, outside. So with that information I went on with my spiel, thinking that maybe there was something going on outside the theater walls.

The Music Hall staff didn't inform me that (and they weren't first time visitors to the venue) that there was a special needs person in the audience who might get excited and make noise. If I had known, then nothing more would have happened. I'm not the kind of person that would intentionally and willfully make fun of any disabled person. You are correct in saying that I wasn't accustomed to those particular reactions, and in this case, totally unprepared for them.

Now finally, for the Filipino-Catholic comment... I don't know if you were raised in the Philippines or the US, but many Filipino-Catholics from home are extremely superstitious, yours truly included. Holy water is a balm for anything from capres to aswangs, to the manananggals that fly searching for prey.

I don't ask for your approval or understanding... just that you open your mind to listen.

Bill みつる said...

Obviously, some people with their own wicked/hidden agenda are trying to further inflame the already hot issue by posting things that they have no first- hand knowledge of the event and circumstances surrounding it.

With all due respect, I don’t think it’s fair to Ms.Lea Salonga to be the object of their insane character assassination and baseless tirades. Let us not dignify their accusations which are mostly based on conjectures. Let us not muddle the issue further.

LEA already said her piece and let us give her PEACE, too.

P.S.
And I think that it is only fair that Lea should delete inflammatory posts by these faceless authors who are not even brave enough to stand by their statements. Let us ignore these cowards.:)

Melanie Carabuena said...

It appears that many people are still upset over what happened in Tarrytown and there still seem to be some misunderstandings about the events that actually took place during the concert.

I think that people should just take things down a notch because Lea has explained many times already what had actually happened. I can assure you that her remarks were in NO WAY directed towards Eileen and were by no means made to offend or hurt anyone. I just ask that people try to see the story from another's point of view before making false accusations and harsh judgment on "what kind of person" Lea is.

Having known Lea for pretty much my whole life, I can tell you that she is a very nice person. Had she been made aware of the situation, she most certainly would not have continued to joke about it. In her defense, I can tell you from my own personal experience on the stage, it is very difficult to see beyond the first couple of rows in the audience when the lights are shining in your face. There really was no way Lea would have know what was going on unless someone spoke up for Eileen right then and there.

As for the comments being made about the way the Music Hall staff handled the situation, I agree that they dealt with it in a very professional and compassionate manner. The fact that they are a non-profit organization (as Bjorn mentioned before the concert began) and all the people who were volunteering their time to make sure it would be an enjoyable evening makes it very hard to believe that they "forced" Eileen and her party to leave. Everyone who volunteers at the Music Hall makes it a point to meet the accommodations of those who seek entertainment at their theater. If you are reading this, Bjorn, thank you to you and the rest of the staff of the Music Hall for your hospitality.

Melanie

Lea Salonga said...

In the spirit of the First Amendment, I'm leaving all those inflammatory postings on the board... this isn't a fan site where all things must remain biased in my favor, but a blog site where people can freely react as they see fit. (The only exceptions are postings of a sexual or vulgar nature... then I'll go trigger happy with the delete button.)

Someone said, if you don't like what's on TV, then turn off the TV. By the same token, if there's a posting that bothers anyone, then scroll past it until you hit something you like or are interested in reading.

Bill みつる said...

Or if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. :)

Mabelle Sumalinog said...

Anything else negative that's said here is nothing but an attempt to character assassination.... Why people have to over-analyse the obvious and that which has been exhaustively explained is beyond me.

It was a simple spiel, what gives??

Guy Gustafson said...

I had forgotten that the Tarrytown Music Hall was a non-profit organization who's staff is all volunteers (as pointed out by Melanie - mlcarabuena earlier today). I apologize to the Music Hall for my harsh comments towards them on Lea's Guest book, and do believe now that they handled an extremely difficult situation as best as they were capable of.

maurice gayatgay said...

That was nice!!! youre truly a role model !!

Jade Angeles-Padero said...

I still look up to you, and I always will. We all commit mistakes or offend someone unintentionally.But what matters is we find ways to straighten things up and humble down to ask for forgiveness, just like what you did.

Special persons may be mentally disabled but they are more affectionate and forgiving. I am sure that Eileen has found in her heart to forigive you even before you asked for it.

rene bernabe said...

it's definitely an honest mistake with no intention of hurting somebody. Thus, it's forgivable... Those with sane mind would accept & put everything into an end. However, some would really instill the issue and even make it worst. The best thing you can do for those antagonist is to offer no reaction at all. Situation was well explained. You'll always be an inspiration to us all not only your music but also the way you dealt with negative things......

rene bernabe said...

for lababababababababababababababababa: Were you there during the concert if yes?
you should have understood the situation and not make any kind of unenthusiastic judgement for lea...
your reaction is kinda biased....And who are you to tell lea what to do? She is well educated and well respected person, she knows exactly how to deal with those kind of situations and she made a right move. FYI: Most of the catholic priests in our county believe on those mythical folklores.....

Ronald Manaron said...

Hi Lea,

I think you handled this situation very well from the very start. You showed so much compassion and concern for one of your fans (out of many!) and apologized upfront (even though you did nothing with malicious intent), which speaks volumes about your character. Someone with less integrity would have just pretended it never happened, or evaded questions about the incident. I am not even going to try to understand why some people are out to taint your reputation; all I can say is that this incident has only served to deepen the love and respect that your fans have for you as a person.

arlin dizon said...

hayyyy lea.. lalo akong na-iinlove sa iyo! ;-)

Li'l Dove Feather said...

I actually agree with that.