Imelda Marcos Disco Musical HERE LIES LOVE Is Coming to Broadway
It’s time for Broadway to put on it’s dancing shoes! Here Lies Love, the musical about the rise and fall of Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos, will arrive at the Broadway Theatre with an immersive staging to match its nightclub vibes. A full schedule will be announced at a later date, but performances are planned to start this summer.
The musical explores the you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up journey of Imelda Marcos, retracing her meteoric rise to power and subsequent descent into infamy and disgrace at the end of the People Power Revolution.
It premiered at The Public Theater in 2013, opening to rave reviews and a long-standing fandom that forced the show to extend four times and return for a 2014 engagement. Both instances starred Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles as Imelda, Jose Llana as Marcos, and Conrad Ricamora as Aquino. Casting for the Broadway production will be announced at a later date.
Here Lies Love is conceived by special Tony Award recipient David Byrne (American Utopia), and developed and directed by Tony winner Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge! The Musical). It features lyrics by Byrne, music by Byrne and Fatboy Slim, and choreography by Annie-B Parson. Tom Gandey and J Pardo contribute additional music.
The show is an immersive theatrical experience. Set within a dance club atmosphere, audiences will stand and move with the actors. Comfortable shoes and clothing are recommended—dancing is optional but highly recommended.
Serving on the design team for Here Lies Love will be scenic designer David Korins, costume designer Clint Ramos, lighting designer Justin Townsend, sound designers M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer, and projection designer Peter Negrini. Casting is by Tara Rubin and Xavier Rubiano, and Gail Quintos and general management by Foresight Theatrical. Giselle “G” Töngi is the show’s cultural and community liaison. Additional members of the creative team will be announced at a later date.
“As a team of binational American producers––Filipinos among us––we are thrilled to bring Here Lies Love to Broadway,” said the producers in a statement. “We welcome everyone to experience this singularly exuberant piece of theatre. The history of the Philippines is inseparable from the history of the United States, and as both evolve, we cannot think of a more appropriate time to stage this show.”
Here Lies Love is produced on Broadway by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna for Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas.
