NBC misidentifies Lea Salonga during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade

Photo from leasalonga/Instagram

Filipino Broadway icon Lea Salonga brought a touch of musical magic to the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, performing alongside the cast of Sesame Street.  The actress and singer delivered a rendition of the classic song “Sing” aboard the show’s float.

Taking to Instagram, the Tony Award-winning actress shared her joy about the experience: “No, it wasn’t a sunny day, and it would’ve been great if the clouds were swept away, but today’s @macys Thanksgiving Day Parade was still such a wonderful highlight!”

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However, a noticeable broadcast blunder momentarily stole the spotlight during the Broadway legend’s float moment. Viewers at home were left confused when NBC mistakenly displayed her name over child actress Olivia Perez during the broadcast.

The mix-up occurred shortly after co hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb introduced Salonga’s mid-parade performance. As the camera panned to various stars on the Sesame Street float, the title card reading “Lea Salonga” appeared over Perez, a young cast member of the show. The slip was quickly apparent as Salonga was not in the frame.

The error was rectified moments later when the camera focused on Salonga at the front of the float, where she delivered her performance to much applause. The corrected title card returned, properly identifying the Broadway star. Despite the mix-up, Salonga’s performance remained a highlight of the event.

‘Sounding Joy’

Meanwhile, a few weeks ago, Salonga announced her brand new album “Sounding Joy.”

“I’m so excited to celebrate the holidays this year with a brand new album, Sounding Joy,” she posted. “This very special release includes some of your favorite Christmas classics, a few new tunes and a very special duet with my talented friend @clayaiken. OUT NOW!”

She added that she’ll be taking “Sounding Joy” on the road with a brand new holiday tour, coming to select cities across North America this December.