Lea Salonga to present George Takei with achievement award at NYC gala
Lea Salonga is set to present the Gary Miller Award to George Takei at the Harmony gala in New York City. Photo from NAAAP San Diego/Facebook
Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga is set to take the stage at Harmony, the annual New York City Gay Men’s Chorus benefit gala, to be held on Monday, March 31.
The event will mark the chorus’ 45th Sapphire Anniversary Season and its 25th Silver Anniversary Gala.
The guest star of Fox’s “The Cleaning Lady” Season 4 will present the prestigious Gary Miller Award to Star Trek legend and LGBTQ+ activist George Takei, recognizing his decades of advocacy and trailblazing contributions to representation in the entertainment industry.
In an exclusive interview with Inquirer.net USA, the Broadway icon expressed her admiration for Takei, whose groundbreaking role as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek made television history.
“He was one of the first to be a lead on television,” she noted. “He wasn’t playing a stereotype in any way. He was dashing, handsome, intelligent and a member of the crew of the Enterprise.”
Salonga also shared an interesting tidbit about the iconic character. “I think the character was named after Sulu, as in the Philippines,” she said, before jokingly adding, “Basically, there’s this Japanese guy with a Filipino name.”
Takei, who turns 88 just weeks after the gala, remains a celebrated figure not only for his acting career but also for his tireless advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and his activism surrounding the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II – a cause deeply personal to him.
Harmony is a flagship fundraising event for the NYCGMC, celebrating diversity, inclusivity and the power of music. This year’s gala promises to be a star-studded affair, with Salonga’s presence adding further excitement to the momentous evening honoring Takei’s legacy.
Meanwhile, Salonga is also set to make her mark on the small screen once again in Fox’s “The Cleaning Lady” Season 4, which premiered this week.
The Filipina star will showcase a different side of her acting prowess, stepping into the shoes of a character she described as “not so nice” and undeniably “trouble.”
