Conrad Ricamora and Jose Llana Will Reprise HERE LIES LOVE Roles on Broadway
They’ll be dancing together again soon. The Broadway premiere of Here Lies Love will star Conrad Ricamora and Jose Llana reprising their roles from the original 2013 Off-Broadway production as Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino and Ferdinand Marcos, respectively.
As previously announced, the disco musical will begin performances June 17 at the Broadway Theatre ahead of a July 20 opening night. The show’s home will be transformed into a dance club where the audience is immersed in the story. Casting for Imelda and the nearly two dozen ensemble members will be announced at a later date.
Here Lies Love tells the story of former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos’ rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution. Llana is Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda’s husband and the tenth president of the Philippines whose rule turned into a 20-year dictatorship. Ricamora is Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, a Philippine senator, opposition leader, and the Marcoses' primary critic.
Both performers received Lucille Lortel Award nominations for their performances at the Public Theater staging. Ricamora also reprised his role in the show’s Seattle Rep production in 2017.
“Working on Here Lies Love allowed me to embrace my Filipino heritage––all that Pinoy pride! This is a huge moment for increasing representation on stage, and I’m so excited and proud to bring this revolutionary show to Broadway,” said Ricamora.
“This is a dream: to be a Filipino actor, playing a Filipino character, telling a crucial part of Filipino history, which is also part of American history,” said Llana. “We built a family creating this show 10 years ago, and now we get to do it again on Broadway. See you on the dance floor!”
Here Lies Love was conceived by David Byrne, who wrote the music and lyrics alongside Fatboy Slim. The musical is developed and directed by Alex Timbers, with choreography by Annie-B Parson and additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo.
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