Ever since Angelica Ha was a small child in a suburb of Milwaukee, she has been singing, dancing and playing musical instruments, such as the piano, clarinet, flute and guitar.
Surely, a career in the entertainment field was in the offing for this talented girl, right?
Wrong.
When people asked Ha as a child what she wanted to be, her answer surprised them.
"I always had visions of being a doctor," Ha said. "Even before kindergarten, I knew I wanted to be a doctor."
Today, at 39, Ha has fulfilled her ambition. She is a pediatrician for Kaiser Permanente in Roseville and has about 2,000 patients.
She performed musically through her high school and college days, even declaring a second major – music – so she could have access to a piano in the campus music room.
But when she graduated from the University of Wisconsin, at Madison, and entered the medical field, she thought her music days were over.
She married, went through residency work at UCLA and then had her first child in 2001 after she and her husband had moved to Roseville.
It was her husband, Christopher Ha, a dermatologist in Roseville, who brought her focus back to music and entertaining.
When their church, Adventure Christian Church in Roseville, announced in 2003 that it needed actors and singers for a Christmas production of "It's a Wonderful Life," Christopher Ha signed Angelica up.
His wife wasn't sure he had done the right thing.
"I was reluctant to jump back in," she said. "I had my work and a baby daughter. But my husband was so supportive, I ended up doing it."
Singing, dancing and playing the piano are back in her life again.
Ha will be one of the featured performers when she sings at the piano this weekend in a benefit concert at the church's performing arts center.
The program, titled "A Gift of the Heart: Songs of Enchantment," will include numbers from such musicals as "Pirates of the Caribbean," "The Lion King," "Mary Poppins," "Aladdin," "Phantom of the Opera" and "Beauty and the Beast."
The same program, which benefits two homeless shelters, was presented last year, and some of Ha's co-workers saw her perform.
"I was absolutely blown away," said Dr. Zoey Goore, a pediatrician. "It's too bad 'American Idol' has an age limit. She is that talented."
Dawn Bramow, a medical assistant, said she knew Ha could play the piano.
"But we wanted to check out if she could really sing," Bramow said. "I was quite amazed. She looked very comfortable up there, and she has a beautiful voice."
Jeff Hausman, a spokesman for Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Valley Area, said the health care organization knows it has an unusual individual in its employ.
"I don't come across too many singing and dancing doctors," he said.
Since returning to the entertainment world, Ha is part of the church's chorus and workshop team and sings once or twice a month at Sunday services.
Her 7-year-old daughter, Maya, is following in her footsteps. Ha also has a son, Justin, 4.
"Maya is like my 'Mini-Me.' She's very musical," Ha said. "She often has the lyrics memorized before I do. She's playing piano, singing in the kids' church choir."
As for her own future, Ha said she will keep up the musical interests "until the day I die."
"My involvement in music will probably change over the years," she said. "I'm sure I will be helping my children in their endeavors."
IF YOU GO
What: Benefit concert for the Gathering Inn and Acres of Hope When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Adventure Christian Church's Performing Arts Center, 6401 Stanford Ranch Road, Roseville
Tickets: $25 for adults $12 for youth 18 or younger
Program sponsors: Adventure Christian Church, Sierra Community Chorus and Auburn Grace Community Church
More info or tickets: (916) 788-0101 or www.agiftoftheheart.com.
Call The Bee's Art Campos, (916) 773-2825.
