THE first Singaporean to perform the iconic role of Eponine in Les Miserables in London’s West End is now back home to throw a charity concert for Christmas. 

Nathania Ong first made local headlines when legendary theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh (Cats, Miss Saigon, The Phantom Of The Opera) offered her the part just after she graduated from London’s Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2021.

But after five years of being away from Singapore, the 25-year-old is back, and making a homecoming statement with Spirit of Giving: Nathania Ong – A Musical Homecoming.

A charity concert in aid of underprivileged kids, it will feature her favourite musical numbers such Don’t Rain On My Parade from Funny Girl, a medley of Disney princess songs and, of course, On My Own from Les Miserables. “How could I not sing the song that’s taken me to where I am today?” she says with a smile.

On My Own is what she sang when she was invited to perform before a 12,000-strong audience at Manchester’s AO Arena for National Lottery’s Big Night Of Musicals 2023. The annual event was telecast across various BBC platforms, and videos of her performance were widely shared on social media. 

“Eponine was a dream role,” she says.

A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU

Friday, 2 pm

Lifestyle

Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.

Sign Up

“I went through several rounds of auditions, and I almost missed the opportunity when I came face-to-face with Cameron Mackintosh at the audition. He asked me if I had seen Les Miserables and I honestly answered ‘no’… Growing up in Singapore, I had no chance to see it live. And then when I came to London to study and work, I had to be thrifty… But after I gave that reply, I became very nervous about having said ‘no’.” 

Fortunately, one of the producers saved the day by laughing and interjecting: “Oh Cameron darling, not everyone has the money to see Les Miserables live!”

Ong was asked to go home, watch the 2012 film, and come back another day. The subsequent audition lasted nearly an hour – and then, an hour after that, she got a call informing her she had bagged the role.

No fairy tale

Although Ong says that was “a fairy tale” moment, the actual work was extremely gruelling: six days and eight shows a week, including matinees, with only one day off a week. But all that rigour and sacrifice have only made her stronger and more ready to take on bigger challenges. 

“My life has changed so much since being part of Les Miserables. I was always passionate about what I do, but I didn’t always have the confidence to put myself out there… Now that I’ve performed in front of big audiences daily, I’ve grown more confident and I have more tools in my arsenal to deal with different challenges.”

That said, she tries to stay grounded by ensuring parts of her life stay the same: “I still love acting. I still need my family around me and rely on them for support. I still enjoy long walks, especially in parks in the UK. I’m still terrible at guitar-playing, and I’m looking for a teacher who’ll help me… I still play Mobile Legends.”

Asked to list the musical roles on her bucket list, she rattles off several characters: “Any of the Schuyler sisters from Hamilton, Elphaba or Glinda from Wicked…

“But my absolute dream role is Soprano 1 in the musical version of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. I think it’s one of (songwriter) Alan Menken’s strongest works. It’s epic and emotional in so many ways, and it carries the message about loving all humankind, a message that continues to be very important today.”

A Beyonce from Singapore?

Ong’s upcoming concert raises funds for The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF), a charity that aids artistically-gifted children from low-income homes in pursuing their passions.

She says: “The cause is near and dear to my heart, because I sincerely believe that the arts help underprivileged children develop in more ways than most people realise.

“In London, I sometimes ate bread from a Ziploc bag and drank water for lunch and tell people I was dieting, to save myself the embarrassment of admitting I didn’t have a lot of money. And while my struggles then were not nearly as challenging as those facing some of these kids every day, I know what it’s like not having a lot of money to chase your dreams.

 “So I’d like to help these kids through this concert because I think there’s a lot of undiscovered talent in Singapore. Maybe someday, we’ll have a Lea Salonga or Beyonce coming out of this island – but we’ll never know unless we support the next generation of performers.”

Spirit of Giving: Nathania Ong – A Musical Homecoming runs at the Esplanade Concert Hall on Dec 20 at 7.30 pm. All proceeds go towards the beneficiaries of The Business Times Budding Artists Fund. Tickets priced from S$110 to S$185 are available from Sistic.