Singaporean of the Year finalist: Nathania Ong bags coveted roles in top musicals in London’s West End

SINGAPORE – From moving ballads to spirited anthems, Nathania Ong has aced them all – and even made it to one of the highest levels of commercial musical theatre in the English-speaking world.

The 26-year-old actress-singer has placed the Lion City on the map, being the first Singaporean to clinch two coveted roles on London’s West End.

In 2022, the performer began playing Eponine, the beloved and tragic street waif holding an unrequited love for her student revolutionary friend Marius in Les Miserables, performing eight shows a week at the Sondheim Theatre.

Then, in June 2024, the mezzo-soprano gained another feather in her cap, this time playing female lead Eliza, the devoted wife of American founding father Alexander Hamilton who worked to protect his legacy after his death despite being wronged by him in the past, at the Victoria Palace Theatre.

The show is still running, with bookings until September 2025.

Ong is a finalist for the Singaporean of the Year award, organised by The Straits Times. The award is given to a Singaporean, or a group of citizens, who has made a significant contribution to society.

This can be through achievements that put Singapore on the world stage, or by going beyond the call of duty to selflessly improve the lives of others in the community, among other ways.

The award, now in its 10th year, is presented by UBS Singapore.

In a Zoom interview from her rented flat in London, where she is based, Ong said she is “very surprised” to be nominated.

The Methodist Girls’ School and Anglo-Chinese Junior College alumna does not see herself as particularly special, adding: “I feel so privileged to get to do what I do, for the opportunities I have, and I am just happy to be able to fly the Singapore flag high. I want to keep improving and keep going.”

Music has always surrounded her family, where she is the youngest of four sisters.

Her dentist father, Dr Kevin Ong, 62, realised early on that she had a gift and encouraged her to pursue her interest in singing.

He even appeared with her on stage during the ChildAid charity concert in 2010, where they serenaded the crowd with the operatic pop song The Prayer (1999).

That same year, at the closing ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore, Ong led 27,000 audience members in singing the National Anthem at The Float @ Marina Bay.

Ong – whose mother is a 61-year-old housewife – took a break from performing as well as singing classes at 14, and resumed at 17.

After her A levels, she applied to five drama schools in Britain, but was rejected by all of them.

She then enrolled in a musical theatre programme at Lasalle College of the Arts, before she applied to and got accepted by London’s Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

Following her graduation in 2021, she auditioned and was cast as Eponine in the United Kingdom and Ireland tour of Les Miserables, before being offered the same role in London’s West End theatre district in 2022.

She is currently booked for Hamilton until June 2025.

Looking back, she said: “I feel really blessed to be able to make a living doing what I do. Musical theatre is this amazing art form where you can sing and you can act. I love both of them, and can see myself doing this for a long time.”

While she is also open to working in television or film, or performing pop or R&B music, she said: “I always remind myself of my roots and where I came from.

“Honestly, I did not do that well in school, and there was a time when I felt lost because I did not know what to do with my life. I faced many nos, and I am sure there will be many more.

“What kept me going was passion, my wonderful and supportive family, and a lot of coffee.”

She returns to Singapore regularly.

In 2023, she portrayed Cinderella in local theatre company Pangdemonium’s Into The Woods and took the stage for charity fund-raising concert Spirit Of Giving: Nathania Ong – A Musical Homecoming Concert.

Proceeds from the latter went to The Business Times Budding Artists Fund, which supports artistically talented youth from less-privileged households.

She said of the performance: “I wanted to give back to the community. I recognise I am in a place of privilege, and hope others can also have the chance to pursue the arts if that is something they wish to do.

“I believe the arts can change lives and shape how we think about ourselves and the world. It has truly enriched my life, and I hope it can do the same for others.”

The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year (SOTY) is an award that is given to a Singaporean or group of citizens who have made a significant contribution to society. This can be through achievements that put Singapore on the world stage, or by going beyond the call of duty to selflessly improve the lives of others in the community, among other ways.

Organised by The Straits Times and presented by UBS Singapore, the annual award is now in its 10th year. The official airline partner is Singapore Airlines and the global hotel and Awards reception partner is Millennium Hotels and Resorts.

• For more info on SOTY, go to 

  https://www.straitstimes.com/soty24

Prizes for award recipient and finalists

Award recipient receives

• $20,000 cash

• One pair of Singapore Airlines business class tickets for each individual/group, up to three pairs of tickets for the winning group

• A five-night stay in any of Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ properties globally, up to a maximum of three sets of accommodation for the winning group

Finalist receives

• $5,000 cash for each individual/group

• One pair of Singapore Airlines economy class tickets for each individual/group, up to a maximum of three pairs for each group of finalists

• A three-night stay in one of Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ properties globally, up to a maximum of three sets of accommodation for each finalist.