7/12/23: Here Lies Love
What: The Broadway transfer of the immersive dance hall biomusical about Imelda Marcos, featuring songs by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim.
And? I saw this show about a decade ago, when it was at The Public. I'll be honest, I didn't take away a lot of memories, beyond how strikingly good the three leads were (Ruthie Ann Miles, Jose Llana, and Conrad Ricamora; Llana and Ricamora reprise those performances here, and honestly I'd watch these two do anything. They're so talented), that it was my first encounter with the Marcoses (I did more reading after), and that it was a rather fun idea, staging-wise. I had concerns, then and now, that buying a standing spot on the dance floor would not be a good choice for me; with my height, I not only would have trouble seeing, but I also stand a higher risk of being stepped on. So in both cases, I went for one of the elevated seats overlooking the proceedings.
So I brought only foggy memories to my return visit. I think the physical storytelling has definitely progressed, and my goodness, the designers have done amazing work transforming the rather stodgy Broadway Theatre into a dance hall with giant disco ball, LED screens, and a DJ as our Emcee (a fantastic Moses Villarama). Knowing sightlines will be imperfect from any angle in this space--whether you're on the dance floor, in the VIP floor box, on the two framing raised stage seats, or in the still-intact mezzanine overlooking all--the designers project via live-feed certain scenes and angles for those who might otherwise miss the moment. There are staff in pink jumpsuits to help guide the dance floor standers around the space, as the performer platforms rotate or shift. All in all, it's a well-oiled machine to keep the show going. And it's a really good time. If it makes anyone feel uncomfortable to hear that a musical about Imelda Marcos is a really good time, that's entirely the point of the evening. This is David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's answer to Evita. And were it not for the quiet finale "God Draws Straight," led by the DJ on an acoustic guitar, we could probably write this show off as a flippant refusal to engage with the monstrosity of the Marcos reign (now sadly revived with their son in power). But ultimately this silly, poppy, brightly-lit pop opera is reminding us not only of how charismatic despots can be on their way to power, and how absolutely cruel they are once they have it--but also that we don't have to let them stay there. "Democracy is only as strong as its people," the DJ reminds us. We can get it back. We can be better.
Some quick critiques before I wrap up: Arielle Jacobs has a beautiful voice and charming presence but she won't eclipse the memory of Ruthie Ann Miles, for those of us who saw the Public run. The storytelling is somewhat hampered by its fidelity to its score, and historical plot beats are clear sometimes only because I read the timeline insert in the program. There is also a featured soloist in the ensemble (Jasmine Forsberg as Maria Luisa) and her place in the story is still pretty unclear (a scan of the Wikipedia page for the show reveals she is Imelda's inner self but uh ... again, not clear during the actual show).
Absolutely worth seeing though. I'm always in favor of Broadway shows breaking the proscenium, and not just at Circle in the Square. And it's a big damn deal to have an all-Filipino cast on Broadway, absolutely killing it.
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| Conrad Ricamora (right, in white) as Ninoy Aquino with the cast of Here Lies Love. Photo by Billy Bustamante, Matthew Murphy, and Evan Zimmerman. |
