Reviews Are In: ‘Likes’ and ‘hearts’ for ‘Here Lies Love’
“Here Lies Love” has transformed the Broadway Theatre into a dance club. BILLY BUSTAMANTE, MATTHEW MURPHY, EVAN ZIMMERMAN
NEW YORK — Critics have hit the “like” and “heart” buttons for “Here Lies Love,” the Broadway disco pop musical about the life of Imelda Marcos leading up to the People Power Revolution.
The musical has finally officially opened at the Broadway Theatre after several preview performances. Direction is by Alex Timbers (Tony Award for “Moulin Rouge!”).
“HHL” involves Tony Award-winners Clint Ramos and Lea Salonga. Ramos designed the costumes and Lea Salonga is performing as Ninoy Aquino’s mother for a limited number of weeks. In addition, Ramos is a lead producer and Salonga is part of the producing team.
The show touts the “first all-Filipino cast to perform on Broadway.” TV star Conrad Ricamora (ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder,” Hulu’s “Fire Island”) plays Ninoy Aquino with Arielle Jacobs as Imelda, Jose Llana as Ferdinand and Melody Butiu as Imelda’s caretaker Estrella Cumpas. Jaygee Macapugay is the alternate for Imelda.
Splendid
New York Times praised the “tireless and inspired all-Filipino cast” with Arielle Jacobs delivering the catchy songs well.
Washington Post said the show is “kinetically crowd-pleasing,” complimented the “splendid ensemble” and highlighted Jacobs’ “loads of charisma.”
Variety extolled the show as an “extreme sensory feat, unlike any attempted before on Broadway” and complimented Conrad Ricamora’s “charm offensive” and Jose Llana’s “simmer and swagger.”
Vulture.com, the online counterpart of New York Magazine, commended how the show gives the audience “a great, unsettling time.” It highlighted Melody Butiu as “especially poignant, with a powerful voice to match.”
Time Out New York gave the show 4 out of 5 stars, noting that the “groundbreaking, floor-shaking” show’s strategy “succeeds overall” and that its staging is “sensational” and “flashy” with an “energetic ensemble, perfectly costumed.”
Costume, set, music
Across the board, critics lauded Clint Ramos’ costume design. “Show-stopping” (Vulture), “expressive” (Washington Post), “move beautifully” (New York Times).
Critics also marveled at the show’s set design by David Korins (“Hamilton,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Beetlejuice”). Seats from the theater’s orchestra section have been removed to transform the venue into a dance club environment for audiences to stand and move with the actors. (Side seats, mezzanine and balcony seat are available.)
“Dazzling” (Washington Post), “astonishing architectural transformation” (New York Times), “revolutionized, radicalized, gleaming” (Time Out New York).
While the show’s lyrics are based on actual speeches or statements by the real-life figures, its music is by Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winner David Byrne (of Talking Heads renown) and Grammy Award winner Fatboy Slim. Fil-Am J. Oconer Navarro is the show’s music director.
Critics described the tunes as having “seductive beats” (Variety) and “juicy get-on-your-feet hooks” (Vulture). They are “infernally catchy” (New York Times), “thumping … gets you into the groove” (Time Out New York).
TikTok influencers
TikTok theater influencers had been invited to watch previews of the show and have also posted their reactions.
Kate Reinking (@theatreislife) personally recommends reading the historical information materials in the lobby for audience members who are not familiar with Philippine history.
Arielle Jacobs (center) in Broadway disco pop musical “Here Lies Love.” BILLY BUSTAMANTE, MATTHEW MURPHY, EVAN ZIMMERMAN
She also encourages joining in on the audience participation portions of the show. “If by the end, you [feel] ‘should I have been going along with that?’ That is kind of that point,” she explains. “It definitely does not sugarcoat [the history]. I think the show is really well done.”
You may like: ‘Here Lies Love’ sparks conflicting views among Fil-Ams
Ben Lebofsky (@its.raining.ben) says, “This show is designed to be an experience. It forces the audience to be complicit in the story, [which] plays into a lot of the themes of the show. They do a good job of blending the concept [of immersive staging] and the subject matter.”
While he feels that the show could have gone deeper, “it never asks you to sympathize with Imelda. It’s a super fun and unique theatrical experience and we just don’t get these types of shows on Broadway very often.”
Visit herelieslovebroadway.com.
