Here Lies Love is now in previews and opens Thursday, July 20 at the Broadway Theatre.
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Here Lies Love's David Byrne, Lea Salonga, Arielle Jacobs, Jose Llana, and David Korins appeared on CBS Sunday Morning to discuss bringing a disco-pop musical about the Marcos regime in the Philippines to Broadway with an all-Filipino cast.
Of playing Imelda Marcos, Jacobs said "It's been a challenge, the dichotomy of a character that wants so much to heal the planet, and share so much love with her country, and put her country on the map, and have good intentions in the beginning, and then eventually get controlled by having too much power."
Jose Llana, who plays Ferdinand Marcos, fled the Philippines for the US with his family during the Marcos regime. When asked about telling his family about the role, Llana said, "It was not a comfortable conversation, to say the least! But you know, to tell the whole story, someone has to play him. And they wanted to make sure it was going to be telling the truth about what happened, and why we left."
Lea Salonga was in the middle of a birthday party on the day the People Power revolution began and tanks started rolling in.
When asked what Salonga would say to those who object to telling the story of such a horrific time in history this way, Salonga said: "Oh, goodness gracious. Our offering is, it's happened to us, but this is what happened in the end. Basically, it's a story about how a people regain the power for themselves."
Watch the segment below!
Here Lies Love, the groundbreaking musical about former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos’s astonishing rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution, with music by Grammy®, Oscar®, and Tony Award® winner David Byrne and Grammy Award® winner Fatboy Slim. Developed & directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, with choreography by Olivier Award nominee Annie-B Parson and additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo, Here Lies Love is now in previews and opens Thursday, July 20 at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway at 53rd Street).
The show features the first all-Filipino cast to perform on Broadway: Arielle Jacobs (In The Heights, Aladdin, Between The Lines) as “Imelda Marcos,” Jose Llana (The King and I, The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee) as “Ferdinand Marcos,” Conrad Ricamora (“How to Get Away with Murder,” The King and I, Soft Power – Grammy nominations) as “Ninoy Aquino,” Melody Butiu, Moses Villarama, Jasmine Forsberg, Reanne Acasio, Jaygee Macapugay, Julia Abueva, Renée Albulario, Aaron Alcaraz, Carol Angeli, Nathan Angelo, Kristina Doucette, Roy Flores, Timothy Matthew Flores, Sarah Kay, Jeigh Madjus, Aaron "AJ" Mercado, Geena Quintos, Shea Renne, and Angelo Soriano. Tony and Olivier Award winner Lea Salonga, a global Filipina legend, will also join the cast for a special guest engagement this summer, performing for five weeks from Tuesday, July 11 through Sunday, August 13.
The creative team for Here Lies Love on Broadway includes three-time Tony Award® nominee David Korins (scenic design), Tony Award® winner Clint Ramos (costume design), Tony Award® winner Justin Townsend (lighting design), M.L. Dogg & Cody Spencer (sound design), and three-time Tony Award® nominee Peter Nigrini (projection design), with casting by Tara Rubin CSA, Xavier Rubiano CSA, Gail Quintos and general management by Foresight Theatrical. Additional creative team members include ATW Jonathan Larson Grant recipient J. Oconer Navarro (music director), Billy Bustamante (assistant director), Renée Albulario (assistant choreographer), Bobby Garcia (casting consultant/Philippines), Gregory T. Livoti (production stage manager), and Ryan Gohsman and Sheryl Polancos (assistant stage managers). Giselle “G” Töngi is the show’s Cultural and Community Liaison.
Here Lies Love is produced by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna and Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas, with Aaron Lustbader serving as Executive Producer.
They are joined by Lea Salonga, H.E.R., Jo Koy, Apl.de.Ap, Rob Laqui, Eva LaBadie, Marikit Ventures/Georgina Pazcoguin, Bobby Garcia/Girlie Rodis, Miranda Gohh/Adam Hyndman, Don Michael H. Mendoza/Lora Nicholas Olaes, Celia Kaleialoha Kenney/ Giselle “G” Töngi, No Guarantees, Yasuhiro Kawana, Elise K. Haas, Shira Friedman, Len Blavatnik Warner Music Entertainment, Wendy Federman/Suzanne Niedland, Cathy Dantchik, James L. Nederlander, Elizabeth Armstrong, John Gore Organization, The Shubert Organization, Hunter Arnold, LaChanze, The Public Theater, Eastern Standard Time, Triptyk Studios, Iris Smith, Michael Robin Productions/Anastasia Muravyeva, Alexi Melvin/Beesham A. Seecharan, Andrew Diamond/Patrick Trettenero, Buzzy Geduld/Gilad Rogowsky, Laura Ivey/Janet Brenner, and David Brendel/Charlotte Cohn.
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