Though the stage architecture, glittering set décor, pop playlist, and a parade of colorful costumes all combine to wow viewers, it’s still the cast of talented actors that carries this revolutionary performance to its climax. The song that gives the show its name is taken directly from the words of Imelda herself, who said in a 2003 interview that when she dies, rather than her name being etched on the headstone, it should simply say, “Here Lies Love.” Modest, right? Delivered forcefully by Jacobs, it’s a catchy tune with a sugary chorus that drips with Imelda’s self-trumpeted selflessness: “Is it a sin to love too much? Is it a sin to care? I do it all for you!” ![]() When it comes to the songs, there are some solid and memorable numbers that many in the audience clearly couldn’t get out of their heads they already know the show from its original 2013 off-Broadway production at The Public Theater. Judging by the demand for floor tickets (this reviewer was unable to score one), it was a renovation gamble that paid off. It’s unlike any other musical experience and required extensive (and expensive) retrofits to the Broadway Theater. At one moment, you are cutting a rug to disco beats with the First Lady in Studio 54, while a short time later, you’re marching on the Malacañang Palace demanding the end of the dictatorship. For those who prefer or require the comfort of sitting, rest assured, there are still plenty of seats in the balcony and in a middle tier ringing the level above the dance floor (yes, dance floor).ĭesigned by David Korins ( Hamilton, Beetlejuice, Dear Evan Hansen, and the currently touring Van Gogh exhibit), the configuration leaves a good chunk of attendees playing double roles as both audience members and extras. The theater is divided into four segments, with orchestra seats tossed in favor of a standing-room-only arena with mobile platforms stationed among the ticket-buyers. The arrangement is nothing like your typical auditorium-style set-up. ![]() | Marty Lederhandlerīefore digging further into the history and the politics, though, some comments are needed on the innovative staging of this show it revolutionizes the notion of an immersive theater experience. 17, 1966, to attend the performance of a Broadway musical. Imelda Marcos arrives at New York’s Arta Theater on Sept. With its praise for the People Power Revolution of 1986, however, and its condemnation of the contemporary revival of authoritarianism around the world-including in the Philippines- Here Lies Love is anything but. Many a writer has expressed discomfort applauding what they worried was a musical love letter to a corrupt and ladder-climbing opportunist. ![]() ![]() The glitz and glamor of actress Arielle Jacobs’ ( Aladdin, Wicked) portrayal of Imelda’s evolution from down-at-heel village girl to dictatorial diva have left some critics confused. The couple headed a right-wing regime from 1965 to 1986 that offered the Filipino people little but poverty and repression while rewarding the ruling family with billions in stolen public wealth. The power couple: Arielle Jacobs and Jose LLana as dictators Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos in 'Here Lies Love.' | Boneau/Bryan-BrownĮva Perón may have long reigned as the “First Lady of Broadway,” but Santa Evita better make way because the Philippines’ Iron Butterfly is storming the stage in Here Lies Love, which opened July 20 at New York’s Broadway Theater.Ī creative collaboration between singer-songwriter David Byrne and musician Fatboy Slim, the show portrays the rise and fall of Imelda Marcos, wife and co-despot to U.S.-backed dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
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