West Oahu entertainer Kristian Lei has made a name for herself appearing in musicals on international stages, as well as in local theater productions and events. Now she\u2019s releasing her first solo album, and will kick off the self-titled effort with a special concert at 7:30 p.m. March 9 at Leeward Community College Theatre.<\/p>\n
The show, directed by Marian Morrison, will depict Lei\u2019s rise to success as a vocalist. Selections will include Broadway numbers, as well as songs from the album.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want people to see beyond the glam and diva image,\u201d stated Lei. \u201cI\u2019m a girl raised in Waianae who traveled far beyond her imagination.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe audience will walk away knowing me better. They\u2019ll know what I\u2019ve gone through because they\u2019ll get to experience the journey with me. What they hear on stage is what they\u2019ll get on the album.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lei got her break at age 19, when she was selected to play Kim in Miss Saigon in Germany. She went on to star in a number of musicals here and throughout the world, as well as various television, radio and public appearances. Most recently, Lei had a stint as Princess Nala and The Storyteller\/Rafiki in the Festival of the Lion King<\/em> at Hong Kong Disneyland. The concert next month will mark a return LCC for Lei, who earned a certificate in music at the school.<\/p>\n All of the songs featured in the show have significant personal meaning to Lei, as each represents an experience or moment in her professional or per- sonal life. Highlights include I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables, which Lei performed to win her first big role, and The Circle of Life from The Lion King.<\/p>\n Also gracing the stage will be a group of her vocal students from Honolulu Broadway Babies, a nonprofit she founded to support educational program for people who have developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n A surprise special guest star also will be flying in to perform in the show.<\/p>\n \u201cThis new project has been such a blessing,\u201d Lei added.<\/p>\n Her new album also will be available for pur- chase at the event.<\/p>\n Tickets for the show cost $25, $35 and $50. For reservations, call 979- 6557.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" West Oahu entertainer Kristian Lei has made a name for herself appearing in musicals on international stages, as well as..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":19028,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,105],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-west","category-west-oahu-coverstory"],"yoast_head":"\n