Lyra Dominguez Alton, a Star You Should Know
Lyra Dominguez Alton is another Filipina performing artist who deserves recognition as a singer, stage actress, vocal coach, dancer, and choreographer. Trained as a classical singer, she has performed with the Sacramento Opera, in Die Fledermaus, Turandot, Aida, Carmen, and The Pirates of Penzance. She has also sung solo soprano parts for Poulenc’s Gloria and Handel’s The Messiah.
Lyra, the only daughter of Retired AFP Lieutenant General Romeo Dominguez and Elbe (nee Salazar), was born in the Philippines. She studied in a Chinese grade school, Assumption High School (Makati), and UP Diliman where she earned two college degrees, namely, BS Economics and AB Music, major in Voice. Lyra moved to the US after earning her music degree. She married Jeremiah Alton in 2018 in Washington, DC. The couple is now based in Arizona.
Mesmerizing Performance
In 2006, my wife and I had a chance to meet Lyra when we watched her perform in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical The King and I at the Roseville Theater in California. Lyra played the role of Tuptim, a young woman presented to the King as a gift from a Prince of Burma. Though she must be reserved in the presence of the King, Tuptim is strong, independent, and intelligent. At the end, she was influential in changing the opinion of European diplomats about the King. (Tuptim is the role Rita Moreno, a Puerto Rican actress and famous star from the Golden Age of Hollywood, played in the 1956 movie version.)
Lyra’s performance mesmerized the audience with her excellent soprano voice and superb acting; it reminded us of the startling 1991 performance of Lea Salonga in Miss Saigon at the Broadway Theater in New York, which catapulted her to stardom. We saw in Lyra the potential of following the footsteps of Lea Salonga.
Early Beginnings
Lyra landed her first professional theatrical roles in two musicals at the age of 17, with Dulaang UP in the Philippines: Engkantado and Hibik at Himagsik nina Victoria Laktaw, a zarzuela by Bienvenido Lumbera. The CDs of both recordings were sold at UP.
She was also a college freshman at UP when she was included in the cast of “Ang Damit ng Emperador.”
US Theater Experiences
Lyra played multiple roles in theatrical productions. “I will say that being Filipino meant I was sometimes seen as ‘Asian’ and sometimes seen as ‘Latino.’ That was great! I was able to do more roles than ever,” she told us with a grin.
Neither did her being an Asian prevent her from landing traditionally white roles. She remarked, “I think what’s cool is I’ve had roles that weren’t necessarily ‘Asian’ or ‘Latino.’ I’ve had to wear a blond wig as Rapunzel and Sally Brown, for example.”
“For two decades, Lyra, without much fanfare, has made a name for herself in theater.”
Since 2005, Lyra has continuously made waves in Sacramento and Nevada theaters. She has performed in 16 musicals, 12 plays, seven operas/oratorios, five Off-Broad Street (OBS) shows, and five improvised/dinner theater shows. To date, she is still active in theaters.
She confided some setbacks on her way up, though. She recalled:
“I participated in Nevada County’s Top Talent Competition in 2010. In this talent competition, I had to sing three times for three different rounds. I won first place in the Judges’ Choice Award. The other is the People’s Choice Award, where one vote cost $1. I didn’t know anyone and had no family in the area, so I didn’t get enough votes to even win third place.”
Awards and Accolades
Lyra’s perseverance has paid off. She has received numerous awards because of her excellent performances on stage. For her role as Tuptim in the 2006 production of “The King and I,” she was a recipient of the Birdsall Award, within Magic Circle Theater in Roseville, California.
Lyra Dominguez (Photo by Jared Lee)
She was also one of three winners of the 2007 San Joaquin Valley National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). She participated in the following vocal competitions: Santa Fe Opera YAP Vocal Competition in Los Angeles, California; Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition in New York, New York; Lois Alba Vocal Competition in Houston, Texas; East Bay Opera League Scholarship Competition in Oakland, California; Chautauqua Opera YAP Vocal Competition in New York, New York; and Loren Zachary Regional Vocal Competition in Los Angeles, California.
Lyra was also nominated for the William Shakespeare Award for her role as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown! (2008); and was an Elly award nominee for Snow Falling on Cedars as Hatsue (2010), Avenue Q, as Christmas Eve (2014), and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,” as young Keiko (2015).
On September 23, 2012, community theaters from all across the Sacramento region gathered to celebrate the best in theater at the 30th annual Elly awards, presented by the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA). Placer Community Theater, where Lyra performed, received seven nominations. Lyra won “Best Leading Actress in a Musical” for her portrayal of the Narrator in Joseph. It was her second Elly nomination for that category, and her first win.
For two decades, Lyra, without much fanfare, has made a name for herself in theater. Her many awards, nominations, and accolades are reflections of her extraordinary talent, hard work, and dedication. It’s time for the Filipino-American communities, as well as the Philippine government, to recognize her outstanding achievements.
(Lyra’s website. https://www.lyradominguez.com/productions)
Rolando C Malinis is a book author, a Cavalier awardee (PMA) and a college instructor. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from PMA in 1971; and his Master of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines-Diliman School of Economics, in 1981.
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