Wanna see what the immersive dancefloor experience is like? Or the show's merch and the venue layout? Check out Aeron's vlog from our trip: th-cam.com/video/KPeS37dvxWQ/w-d-xo.html
I saw this show standing on my trip to NY a few weeks ago and I loved it so much. The standing experience was incredible, the music I thought was great and maybe it's because I wasn't expecting it but I actually found the story quite powerful. I'm not shocked it's closing but I am really bummed out that I'll never have this experience again, especially from the seats. One of my favourite theatre experiences of my life.
When I saw this in NY a few weeks ago, I leaned over to my husband and said, "This better make all its money back in this run, because there's no way they can take this production on tour." We enjoyed it, though we realized that that the next day we could only remember about one line of song from the entire thing, the title line of the musical. So we just sang that one line over and over when we discussed the musical. It reminds me of what it may have been like to see the original Broadway production of Starlight Express (though not in quality, necessarily) in that it was a fun experience to see in person, but much of the enjoyment came from the spectacle of the production design, which meant it was never destined to catch a larger audience who wasn't coming to NY to see it.
As an investor / producer, I can tell you that it is closing because it is way to expensive of a show to put on. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it and I too saw it twice (once from the seats and once from the floor). The capital required to completely transform the Broadway theater into the dance floor immersive environment as if you are in a nightclub. Those costs, combined with the incredibly high rates to rent the theater forced the ticket price to be way too high for the audience for which it was intended. The cast is amazing and the talent is out of this world. But it needed to gross way over $1M per week in order to come close to recoup. And with the removal of hundreds of seats, it was an impossible task. But all that aside, I am sad that it is closing
Here Lies Love was ultimately a victim of bad press: 1) the musician's union issue and 2) the current iteration has the misfortune of being in the context of current politics in Philippines, i.e. Bongbong Marcos's election, the propaganda machine of the Marcoses, and a string of revisionist history media about the Marcoses, of which it's being mistaken as a part of by people who are both pro- and anti-Marcos. I remember when it played Off-Broadway originally, it was much more of a critical and commercial darling. Don't get me wrong: the criticisms about how its marketing is misleading about what it has to say about the Marcoses - as well as people being deeply suspicious of its white male creative team (not counting the designers and producers) - were all there Off-Broadway. But it didn't have that current historical context to sour the mood even more. And indeed, the argument can be made that it being in a much more commercial arena (Broadway) thus makes it even more dangerous. It's kind of frustrating to talk about this musical because the critics have a valid point, but the message of the musical itself is in direct opposition to what critics argue it represents. So there's the people who have seen it saying "It's anti-Marcos" and the people who haven't saying "It represents a pro-Marcos effort" because its imagery and marketing misleads (which, again, is the whole point of the show, but of course they can't just shout that out). (I've seen some people make the argument of "people don't want to see a musical about dancing with dictators" hence the lower-than-needed-to-break-even ticket sales, and I don't buy it. Because they did. This was *really* popular 10 years ago. But I digress, the context changed.)
For better or for worse, Here Lies Love trusts its audience a lot to recognize the messaging, which MickeyJo understood perfectly. But having worked in theater, I also know that audiences can be stupid, and completely miss the point. I can't make a call on how often that happens with HLL (On Twitter/X I've even seen anti-Marcos critics who saw it completely miss the point).
I don't think that had much to do w. poor sales. Two-thirds of tkts to Bway shows are purchased by tourists. People in the hinterlands don't know (or care) about union issues; & the Peron's were just as politically controversial as the Marcos's, but that didn't stop 'Evita; from being a hit. I think the show was simply too expensive ($20 M to mount, $700,000/wk to run), and lost 666 in capacity due to the renovation, to continue w/o a big movie or TV star (a la Hugh Jackman or Lea Michele) or a hit song (like "Don't Cry For Me Argentina") to sell enough tkts to be profitable.
The best thesis of this show was able to see it twice also like you and a shame it is closing. What scares me is this way turn off people from producing exciting and experimental musicals. Great job as always sir.love from Los Angeles
My biggest thing with the musician issue in the show is one that was brought up a lot when the controversy was strarted: they could’ve chosen a different theater. Each of the broadway houses has a different number of required musicians for every musical that plays there. The Broadway theater has the highest number of required musicians of all broadway houses (19 musicians) and the plan to use completely canned music in a house with those requirements just didnt sit right with me. Yes, many productions do work deals with the musicians union to pay an equivalent number of salaries if they wish to use less musicians, but taking out the musicians as a whole in this large house didnt seem cool, especially when there are other houses that have far fewer required musicians.
I came here to say the same and you said it better. I saw this show in Seattle in the beginnings of its progress, and it's a great show. It could have run off Broadway for a very long time in a location that would have been a better fit. Going to a Broadway house felt like a false step that was a harder sell to the Broadway audience. the show didn't deserve it, and it was an uncool move on the producers' parts. I hope it finds its audience, because it's GREAT and a wonderful storytelling experience.
As an ardent fan of Six (one-act pop musical about historical figures framed as a concert) who has wished for a dance floor experience with that show, this seems like something I would love if I lived anywhere near New York. I do feel a tug in my gut about the subject matter, especially if it is (either implicitly or explicitly) supported by the Marcos family - even though they don't seem to get it. It really does feel like stories about Asians and Asian-Americans are not succeeding on Broadway, which makes me sad because they deserve to; Asians and Asian-Americans deserve that representation.
Yeah hearing that the Marcos family had attended this show made me uncomfortable because there's been this huge whitewashing campaign by their son specifically who is now president. So it raises some serious questions and the marketing really doesn't assuage those concerns.
Hi, MickeyJo! Been a fan of your content for a while. I hope you don't mind me giving my two cents on the show as a Filipino, in the broader sort of political context. You're right -- as I'm on the other side of the world, I haven't had the chance to see this live. But even if it were staged near me, I still wouldn't support it. The current Marcos presidency is revising history as we speak. They vehemently deny decades of human rights abuses, cover-ups, and corruption of the government. The Philippines is experiencing curriculum changes in our schools, widespread book bans, and a lot of pro-Marcos media is being funded by the Marcos family and their cronies. My main gripe with "Here Lies Love" is its role in the "rehabilitation" of the Marcoses' image, especially in the international community. It's harder for the regime to control information in the west about them, and more difficult for their camp to outrightly erase or deny their actions on the international stage. "Softening" their image, so to speak, is one of the ways they are making themselves look better - if even slightly. And it seems to be working. I trust your opinion, MickeyJo, as a critical theatergoer. The mere fact that you have walked away from the show characterizing Imelda as a "complicit dictator" is worrisome in itself. Imelda was not merely complicit but a prominent actor in the atrocities of the regime (there are too many examples to list here, but there are some resources online that are still accessible as of today). There is a reason why the Marcos family themselves is a fan of this musical despite them being notoriously upset at unfavorable portrayals. It simply means this musical is serving their purposes, whatever those are. I wouldn't be surprised if they or their cronies funded this themselves. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, though and I appreciate your nuanced review! I wish you happiness and health always 🥰
Okay, I need to point this out: the Marcos family aren't fans of the show. Actually, by the looks of it they haven't even seen it nor even acknowledged it: to my knowledge, Imelda Marcos' only exposure/public statement about it was when a NY Times reporter played a song from the concept album for her in 2010. In fact, one of her Blue Ladies penned an op-ed for both the Off-Broadway production 10 years ago and the current Broadway production complaining that it "didn't show the real Imelda" (because she thought it was too negative). The fact the Marcoses haven't said anything about it seems to imply they're not pleased at the existence of a musical in the west that is against them.
There are *rumors* that the Marcos family were buying out tickets for the show when it was Off-Broadway to send their friends to see it... though I imagine that stopped once the friends started reporting back to them "Uh..."
@@kilimenjiro3753 Oh, I see! This is what I heard, that they were mass-buying, so I thought they were fans or in some way connected to the production. And I think MickeyJo also said that in the video, that they were fans? That's why I said that. Might have heard wrong. But thanks for the info! I stand corrected, then, if this is the case. I hope you understand why I'm wary about it though? Anyway, I'll go look for that op-ed. Seems like an interesting read. Thanks! And have a great day!
I saw the show, and I agree with the negative reviews it received. From a factual standpoint, the show glosses over how involved Imelda was in policymaking and governance during the Marcos regime. You see her going along with her husband's policies, and you definitely don't leave with a positive impression of her, but it definitely downplays her level of agency and political savvy in the decisions that were made. Theatrically, the whole concept seems focused on artifice, using the disco setting to contrast the character's public personas and shallow messaging with the darker realities at play. Because of this, however, the songs don't offer much actual insight into how the characters really feel and why they do what they do. The character of Imelda changes significantly over the course of the show, but I never really got a clear sense of what motivated these changes. Despite the cool production design and generally good performances, the show felt historically irresponsible and theatrically unsatisfying.
It likely wasn’t as heavily criticised prior to its broadway run because Imelda’s son wasn’t president and engaging in disinformation campaign and trying to revamp his family image. Even if the show was trying to be anti Marcos bear in mind the composers are white and not affected by the dictatorship. Does the nature of musical theatre automatically romanticise and glorify the subject matter because they are singing about it and this creates cognitive dissonance.
I found out about this musical before our election (which led to the Marcos presidency) and I was intrigued. Listened to it once, but I wasn’t too keen on the music. However, will give it another go. My very anti-Marcos friend was very against this musical, but unsure if she ever gave it a chance. It’s a very controversial topic here in the Philippines, as there are many apologist and Martial law deniers. Thanks for sharing what and how the story is portrayed. Very cool!
Great review. Saw it downtown over 10 times and took a group of friends for my 50th birthday, then saw it on Broadway on my 59th birthday! One of my all-time favorites. Sad to see something so original have such a short Broadway engagement.
When the Broadway transfer was announced, another controversy arose in NYC & the American Entertainment Unions as the show was originally slated to be fully tracked - using NO LIVE MUSICIANS. Had this been allowed to happen, it would have broken the Broadway Musicians's Union. So... I think that contributed to the bad press following the show's Broadway announcement.
The musician's union has established a minimum number of musicians assigned to each Broadway theater regardless of the needs of the score. This is not the first time the union has squawked about this. In the early 1980's it is the reason "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" closed as the music needs were a small country band. It's return engagement of the same production was playing at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and the number of musicians assigned to that theater were many more than the show needed. The compromise? The number of musicians assigned to the O'Neill showed up, sat in the pit, read the paper, played backgammon, slept...whatever, and were paid for the performance. The production couldn't absorb that unnecessary cost and folded after only a couple of months. Apparently, when the musical played the 46th St. Theatre, this wasn't a problem and the show ran for nearly four years.
It’s closing because the average theater goer is old enough not to get it. This is what happens when you price out most people who would want to see and love a show like this - broadway stays the same and doesn’t do much that pushes the envelope. I saw the beginnings of it and it was a beautiful show!
When you see it, it's apparent that it's an incredibly expensive show - $20 million to mount & $700,000/wk to run. This was compounded by the fact that its capacity was reduced by 666 in converting the theater into a disco. So there's really no way tickets could have been cheap across the board, though many discounts were offered (I saw it from the dance floor for $39).
Or you know, its just not going to appeal to everyone between the subject and the the style of the score. That ultimately matters. Its awesome people are having a great time, but I suspect most are in my boat: cool, but not for me.
I finally just saw this a week ago as a dancefloor audience member and I had the BEST time I've had in a Broadway show in awhile...and not just because I'm Filipino 😅. The music is admittedly kinda blah to me but the whole show concept was a revelation. And all of the cast was amazing! I knew the writing was on the wall that it wouldn't last much longer but UGH a few weeks??? I gotta scramble to see if I can see it one last time.
I just read about this & I'm genuinely shocked. This is - by FAR - the most imaginatively staged musical I've ever seen. I've recommended it to everyone. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say seeing this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Producers HAVE to find a way to keep the running costs of shows down, because missing something like HERE LIES LOVE is a great loss to theater fans. (Make some suggestions MIckey Jo!!)
Appreciate the in-depth review, especially the comparison between Arielle and Jaygee's characterization of Imelda Marcos. I've seen Arielle a few times during my last trip, and I liked how she combined innocence with that slightly evil knowing glint in her eyes. I'm going back to see Jaygee for the first time next week, which will unfortunately also be the last. I had a feeling that the show would not be that popular among tourists, especially without Lea Salonga, but I still hoped it would have a longer run. It's also worth noting how much research went into the songwriting. There's only so much information that a show could include and explain, but a lot of the lines are direct quotes from Imelda in interviews and documentaries.
You kinda missed a big point when describing the show, im Filipino and karaoke is a HUGE part of the culture. It’s literally had some songs banned because ppl were getting killed singing them (look up the my way killings)
So sad this show is closing! Living on the west coast, I was hoping to see it next spring….but planning a NY trip with less than a month notice is problematic.
Ive loved this show since seeing it at the Public Theater like 10 years ago, or so! And the cast album is full of bops from start to finish. Im sad it's closing on Broadway, but Im grateful I got to see it, and from the Standing section, which is absolutely the way to see it. Im hoping I'll get there one more time. I will always be sad Ruthie Ann Miles didn't originate on Broadway, as she did at the Public...but given the hit she's in, its likely for the best.
So , so sad this show is closing. I loved it! And I loved what it telegraphed about what Broadway COULD be--even in a 100 year old theatre. Messaging/marketing was a mess from jump--makes me so mad.
Thanks for this! Was curious about the standing experience as I saw it sitting. I did really enjoy the show but agree probably didn't fully appreciate it as it was a lot to take in on a first viewing and I feel I couldn't fully absorb - definitely found the inner voice confusing for example. Would have been nice to see it again and try the standing experience but sadly won't be back in New York before it closes. Thought the scene where Marcos goes through the audience particularly cool and absolutely loved Conrad Ricamora.
I feel like shows that are the most unique & have potentially the most to stay for voices so often not heard from are the ones closing the soonest. Is it bad luck? bad marketing? or just audiences ignoring things that feel too far out of their "box"? Maybe a bit of it all but it's just sad in general that more won't be seeing such incredible theater. I appreciate the shout out of Jasmine because she's incredible (I saw her in Six on tour)
I saw the show at the public theater several years ago. Loved it, danced on the floor the whole time, bought the CD . . . Enjoyed Conrad Ricamora and his performance - he seems to be on the cusp of something bigger but perhaps racism doesn’t allow him to make the leap.
I knew Jasmine was going to leave the show since she’s returning to Six in December. I wasn’t expecting it for this show, I feel like it really had potential. I never watched the show personally but I’ve seen videos of it before & it seems like such a great show!
I saw the show at the National Theatre in the UK years ago and thought it was amazing. Saw it twice, once seated and once standing and found the standing better. Unlike the Bridge productions (Guys and Dolls, Midsummer Night's Dream) it was in a much smaller space and the actors were often literally in the crowd and not at head-height, which was genuinely immersive. I remember being incredibly moved by God Draws Straight and I don't think the plot is celebratory of the Marcos regime unless you are unable to understand irony and satire. That said, it was probably about 10 years ago and maybe I'd feel differently now if I saw it again.
I think it'd hard because when you find out a musical is about Marcos you need reassurance that this isn’t part of the whitewashing campaign and the show did a terrible job conveying that in marketing material. They sold a show about a horrific situation as fun. So without doing a deep dive, people are going to get turned off.
Its closing left us devastated. We booked our flight tickets for September for the sole purpose of seeing this. We're thinking about seeing another show, but we can't decide which one. Any recommendation?
I’m glad you loved it, I saw it the day before it closed and while the staging was really fun and in some parts it was amazing, in others great, the rest of the show was (imo) aggressively mediocre. The lyrics are straight up bad. I don’t know why repeating the same line up to 10 times each song seemed like a good idea to the persons who wrote those lyrics, I know it’s supposed to mimic a style of pop, it however doesn’t make a fun show. There was both too much story and too little exploration of said story. The show didn’t focus on Imelda’s actions, I had to later read up one what her part in the story, since she was early on portrayed as a victim/bystander and the show barely focused on the consequences of her actions for the people of the Philippines. It felt like it’s neither here , nor there. No real criticism of what she did, but it also showed us most of her life, not focusing on any specific aspect. The last numbers were especially egregious. The last number was composed from quotes of real life people and made no thematic or narrative sense and the one before it, “why don’t you love me”, has her facing 3 other characters, one of whom I don’t even know because the actress who played here played multiple roles and was dressed as an ensemble member. It wasn’t bad, I paid 37$ for rush tickets and over all had a good time but it’s really hard to recommend as a Broadway show.
Jasmine Forsberg has made an absolute splash in Six, and she left the tour a few weeks early to join Here Lies Love shortly before its opening in Broadway. I may be wrong, but I suspect because of the timing that her standout moment was either not originally written or handled differently but they wanted some of Jasmine's magic in this show even if it was clunky narratively. I bought tickets for the Aragon tour's Broadway run as soon as it was announced and can't wait to experience them again. It's hard to point to a standout in a cast that are all exceptional but no doubt Jasmine is a star in the making.
I'm so glad you got to see Conrad when you went back. I really was looking forward to going back to do the dance floor but looks like it won't happen. :( I'm glad I'm not the only one that breaks into "I am a child of the Philippines" lol. As I work with two Filipino women, I definitely don't sing the lyrics, just him or whistle so I don't have to explain lol
I’ve seen this show FOUR times (with four different friends) and I’m heartbroken it’s closing. Easily my favorite Broadway experience. I think the fatal flaw was the *marketing*. Most people just didn’t know what it was, the title doesn’t help, focusing on it being JUST the story Imelda made it seem icky, and it didn’t draw in droves of tourists. Also, the timing was the worst! Too late for Tonys 2023 nominations, too early for 2024 nominations. Had they opened a few months before Tony nominations, that would’ve catapulted sales and this could’ve survived. So extremely sad.
Tbh, as a professional musician, I couldn't find it inside of me to support this musical because pit orchestras are getting smaller and smaller. I'm okay with local and small productions using recordings, but not these big/paid productions.
I wish I could have seen the show, but I have been listening to the original concept album for a few years now as well as the original cast recording. My interest in it originally was due to being a fan of Fatboy Slim Norman Cook. I guess some of these Broadway types have not heard about Evita when showing outrage against musicals about controversial female political figures. I sure hope they develop a touring concept production.
I saw the show shortly before Lea Salonga left. I had the unique opportunity of seeing the show from the VIP seats which are located at the back of the dance floor. We got to sit & watch & were brought onto the dance floor for the finale. I did not want to be on the dance floor. I hated dance clubs when I was in my early 20’s & I still hate them 25 years later. I rarely disagree with you Micky Jo, but I did not like this production. I found the music forgettable, a lack of character development that prevented me from caring at all about any of them, & the staff members directing traffic on the dance floor like they were trying to bring airplanes in for a landing was distracting & kept pulling me out of the story.
From a regular theatre goer here we are told its about Emelda Marcos, but the story is not grabbing us and they don't show us the characters, A disco musical is just not appealing to the hard core NYC theatre goers.
I saw the show (sitting) and was entertained, but to say this show is superficial is an understatement. There is virtually no characterization whatsoever, no interiority, no motivations for any characters' actions or decisions -- no real substance. It was a great concept with a lot of impressive production, but in the end, it was cotton candy, dissolving very quickly afterward and leaving no lasting impression. But I also HATED "Six," and have never understood its popularity.
A closing notice usually motivates an increase in sales - it's clear from recent grosses it was not doing great business in the weeks prior to the announcement unfortunately.
Arielle Jacobs is back as Jasmine in Broadway's Aladdin for a period of time. I feel once she left the show was in trouble. It was so delightful that Lea promoted the musical. It was on my list, but i support the musicians are losing their jobs in this industry. i'm proud sweeney todd has a 26 piece orchestra. sorry to say i won't be surprised if Kimberly Akimboo announces their closing notice asap. sorry to say Americans do not like impressive theater unless it is dinner theater.
All I remember of Ferdinand Marcos and I Eldar are that he was a dictator and was behind Acquino's assassination and I Eldar ❤❤❤❤❤❤Shoes and had like a million
1: Stood for show and loved it. Immersive should be the future of theater - the way in-the-round is a staple production style. London's "Guys & Dolls" is one of my favorite shows. 2: Not a huge David Byrne fan, but really liked the score and had "Here Lies Love" in my head for days. 3: Yes, it's "Evita" in Asia, but so what? Evita was history, while the Marcos family is still in power. Should we be dancing about a brutal dictatorship? To be honest, I leave my political high-horse tethered outside the theater.4: Arielle has amazing voice! 5: Okay, let's put "Guys & Dolls" here. They have already ripped up theater.
I didn't go see it when I was in NYC last month because of two names: Imelda Marcos David Byrne Having heard more about it I am confident I am not sorry I missed it. If the occasion arises I will listen to the recording, but not rushing to do so.
Speaking as a Filipino with family members who lived through the Marcos dictatorship, sometimes good intentions aren’t enough you have to be tasteful. Shoehorning a romantic subplot and song between a dictator and her political rival just because of a widespread rumor is not tasteful. Sorry but this musical is so abysmal and softened way too many edges. I’m very ashamed that this is apparently the first all-Filipino broadway musical. Hopefully next time won’t be so bad.
That's really upsetting to hear. I'm white and from the US--and I know virtually nothing about what the story is based on (I'm trying to get better at educating myself about different parts of the world though)--so I can't really speak on this. But, I know the actor that played Marcos Ferdinand is starkly anti-Marcos with activist parents who left the the Phillipines to the US during his dictatorship, presumably most if not all the rest of the cast is anti-Marcos as well. So, it's just sad to see the musical didn't seem to have the effect the cast was striving for. I hope the musical inspires more people to learn about it though.
I question whether the immersive approach is more of a fad and actually doesn’t work for theatre, the type of audience is different and I if you make it more of a concert your losing that audience and the concert goer audience is very different. Instead of changing the experience perhaps focus on the quality of material as it does come across as a bit of a cheap shot at making money and using the word “immersive” again not sustainable and more of a fad.. just some thoughts 😊
From your initial description, it sounds bloody dreadful, at least musically. You lost me at "disco-pop fantasia". And "spoken word rap disco fusion moment" would likely send me screaming out of the theatre.
Loved this show, saw it 5 times, 2x floor and 3 Mezzanine and just saw closing night, nothing like it on Broadway, a sad loss for theater. With the show ending, is it still eligible for nominations to be included in the Tonys?
![[ ออกกอง ] วัยหนุ่ม 2544 โลกหลังลูกกรง..ทัวร์กองถ่ายหนังใน "คุกของจริง" | JUSTดูIT.](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vB--aOkZCpw/mqdefault.jpg)
Wanna see what the immersive dancefloor experience is like? Or the show's merch and the venue layout?
Check out Aeron's vlog from our trip:
th-cam.com/video/KPeS37dvxWQ/w-d-xo.html
#TonyForConrad
@@testtrack321 we're gonna make this happen
This show was on my bucket list when I went to New York earlier this year, now I'm going to regret not seeing it now
I saw this show standing on my trip to NY a few weeks ago and I loved it so much. The standing experience was incredible, the music I thought was great and maybe it's because I wasn't expecting it but I actually found the story quite powerful. I'm not shocked it's closing but I am really bummed out that I'll never have this experience again, especially from the seats. One of my favourite theatre experiences of my life.
When I saw this in NY a few weeks ago, I leaned over to my husband and said, "This better make all its money back in this run, because there's no way they can take this production on tour." We enjoyed it, though we realized that that the next day we could only remember about one line of song from the entire thing, the title line of the musical. So we just sang that one line over and over when we discussed the musical. It reminds me of what it may have been like to see the original Broadway production of Starlight Express (though not in quality, necessarily) in that it was a fun experience to see in person, but much of the enjoyment came from the spectacle of the production design, which meant it was never destined to catch a larger audience who wasn't coming to NY to see it.
As an investor / producer, I can tell you that it is closing because it is way to expensive of a show to put on. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it and I too saw it twice (once from the seats and once from the floor). The capital required to completely transform the Broadway theater into the dance floor immersive environment as if you are in a nightclub. Those costs, combined with the incredibly high rates to rent the theater forced the ticket price to be way too high for the audience for which it was intended. The cast is amazing and the talent is out of this world. But it needed to gross way over $1M per week in order to come close to recoup. And with the removal of hundreds of seats, it was an impossible task. But all that aside, I am sad that it is closing
Why was it produced on Broadway? It seems like a misstep.
Here Lies Love was ultimately a victim of bad press: 1) the musician's union issue and 2) the current iteration has the misfortune of being in the context of current politics in Philippines, i.e. Bongbong Marcos's election, the propaganda machine of the Marcoses, and a string of revisionist history media about the Marcoses, of which it's being mistaken as a part of by people who are both pro- and anti-Marcos.
I remember when it played Off-Broadway originally, it was much more of a critical and commercial darling. Don't get me wrong: the criticisms about how its marketing is misleading about what it has to say about the Marcoses - as well as people being deeply suspicious of its white male creative team (not counting the designers and producers) - were all there Off-Broadway. But it didn't have that current historical context to sour the mood even more. And indeed, the argument can be made that it being in a much more commercial arena (Broadway) thus makes it even more dangerous.
It's kind of frustrating to talk about this musical because the critics have a valid point, but the message of the musical itself is in direct opposition to what critics argue it represents. So there's the people who have seen it saying "It's anti-Marcos" and the people who haven't saying "It represents a pro-Marcos effort" because its imagery and marketing misleads (which, again, is the whole point of the show, but of course they can't just shout that out).
(I've seen some people make the argument of "people don't want to see a musical about dancing with dictators" hence the lower-than-needed-to-break-even ticket sales, and I don't buy it. Because they did. This was *really* popular 10 years ago. But I digress, the context changed.)
For better or for worse, Here Lies Love trusts its audience a lot to recognize the messaging, which MickeyJo understood perfectly. But having worked in theater, I also know that audiences can be stupid, and completely miss the point. I can't make a call on how often that happens with HLL (On Twitter/X I've even seen anti-Marcos critics who saw it completely miss the point).
I don't think that had much to do w. poor sales. Two-thirds of tkts to Bway shows are purchased by tourists. People in the hinterlands don't know (or care) about union issues; & the Peron's were just as politically controversial as the Marcos's, but that didn't stop 'Evita; from being a hit. I think the show was simply too expensive ($20 M to mount, $700,000/wk to run), and lost 666 in capacity due to the renovation, to continue w/o a big movie or TV star (a la Hugh Jackman or Lea Michele) or a hit song (like "Don't Cry For Me Argentina") to sell enough tkts to be profitable.
The best thesis of this show was able to see it twice also like you and a shame it is closing. What scares me is this way turn off people from producing exciting and experimental musicals. Great job as always sir.love from Los Angeles
My biggest thing with the musician issue in the show is one that was brought up a lot when the controversy was strarted: they could’ve chosen a different theater. Each of the broadway houses has a different number of required musicians for every musical that plays there. The Broadway theater has the highest number of required musicians of all broadway houses (19 musicians) and the plan to use completely canned music in a house with those requirements just didnt sit right with me. Yes, many productions do work deals with the musicians union to pay an equivalent number of salaries if they wish to use less musicians, but taking out the musicians as a whole in this large house didnt seem cool, especially when there are other houses that have far fewer required musicians.
I came here to say the same and you said it better. I saw this show in Seattle in the beginnings of its progress, and it's a great show. It could have run off Broadway for a very long time in a location that would have been a better fit. Going to a Broadway house felt like a false step that was a harder sell to the Broadway audience. the show didn't deserve it, and it was an uncool move on the producers' parts. I hope it finds its audience, because it's GREAT and a wonderful storytelling experience.
As an ardent fan of Six (one-act pop musical about historical figures framed as a concert) who has wished for a dance floor experience with that show, this seems like something I would love if I lived anywhere near New York. I do feel a tug in my gut about the subject matter, especially if it is (either implicitly or explicitly) supported by the Marcos family - even though they don't seem to get it. It really does feel like stories about Asians and Asian-Americans are not succeeding on Broadway, which makes me sad because they deserve to; Asians and Asian-Americans deserve that representation.
Yeah hearing that the Marcos family had attended this show made me uncomfortable because there's been this huge whitewashing campaign by their son specifically who is now president. So it raises some serious questions and the marketing really doesn't assuage those concerns.
Hi, MickeyJo! Been a fan of your content for a while. I hope you don't mind me giving my two cents on the show as a Filipino, in the broader sort of political context.
You're right -- as I'm on the other side of the world, I haven't had the chance to see this live. But even if it were staged near me, I still wouldn't support it. The current Marcos presidency is revising history as we speak. They vehemently deny decades of human rights abuses, cover-ups, and corruption of the government. The Philippines is experiencing curriculum changes in our schools, widespread book bans, and a lot of pro-Marcos media is being funded by the Marcos family and their cronies. My main gripe with "Here Lies Love" is its role in the "rehabilitation" of the Marcoses' image, especially in the international community. It's harder for the regime to control information in the west about them, and more difficult for their camp to outrightly erase or deny their actions on the international stage. "Softening" their image, so to speak, is one of the ways they are making themselves look better - if even slightly. And it seems to be working. I trust your opinion, MickeyJo, as a critical theatergoer. The mere fact that you have walked away from the show characterizing Imelda as a "complicit dictator" is worrisome in itself. Imelda was not merely complicit but a prominent actor in the atrocities of the regime (there are too many examples to list here, but there are some resources online that are still accessible as of today). There is a reason why the Marcos family themselves is a fan of this musical despite them being notoriously upset at unfavorable portrayals. It simply means this musical is serving their purposes, whatever those are. I wouldn't be surprised if they or their cronies funded this themselves.
Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, though and I appreciate your nuanced review! I wish you happiness and health always 🥰
Okay, I need to point this out: the Marcos family aren't fans of the show.
Actually, by the looks of it they haven't even seen it nor even acknowledged it: to my knowledge, Imelda Marcos' only exposure/public statement about it was when a NY Times reporter played a song from the concept album for her in 2010. In fact, one of her Blue Ladies penned an op-ed for both the Off-Broadway production 10 years ago and the current Broadway production complaining that it "didn't show the real Imelda" (because she thought it was too negative).
The fact the Marcoses haven't said anything about it seems to imply they're not pleased at the existence of a musical in the west that is against them.
There are *rumors* that the Marcos family were buying out tickets for the show when it was Off-Broadway to send their friends to see it... though I imagine that stopped once the friends started reporting back to them "Uh..."
@@kilimenjiro3753 Oh, I see! This is what I heard, that they were mass-buying, so I thought they were fans or in some way connected to the production. And I think MickeyJo also said that in the video, that they were fans? That's why I said that. Might have heard wrong. But thanks for the info! I stand corrected, then, if this is the case. I hope you understand why I'm wary about it though? Anyway, I'll go look for that op-ed. Seems like an interesting read. Thanks! And have a great day!
I saw the show, and I agree with the negative reviews it received. From a factual standpoint, the show glosses over how involved Imelda was in policymaking and governance during the Marcos regime. You see her going along with her husband's policies, and you definitely don't leave with a positive impression of her, but it definitely downplays her level of agency and political savvy in the decisions that were made. Theatrically, the whole concept seems focused on artifice, using the disco setting to contrast the character's public personas and shallow messaging with the darker realities at play. Because of this, however, the songs don't offer much actual insight into how the characters really feel and why they do what they do. The character of Imelda changes significantly over the course of the show, but I never really got a clear sense of what motivated these changes. Despite the cool production design and generally good performances, the show felt historically irresponsible and theatrically unsatisfying.
It likely wasn’t as heavily criticised prior to its broadway run because Imelda’s son wasn’t president and engaging in disinformation campaign and trying to revamp his family image.
Even if the show was trying to be anti Marcos bear in mind the composers are white and not affected by the dictatorship.
Does the nature of musical theatre automatically romanticise and glorify the subject matter because they are singing about it and this creates cognitive dissonance.
Like Juan Peron didn’t have access to twitter
I found out about this musical before our election (which led to the Marcos presidency) and I was intrigued. Listened to it once, but I wasn’t too keen on the music. However, will give it another go.
My very anti-Marcos friend was very against this musical, but unsure if she ever gave it a chance. It’s a very controversial topic here in the Philippines, as there are many apologist and Martial law deniers.
Thanks for sharing what and how the story is portrayed. Very cool!
Great review. Saw it downtown over 10 times and took a group of friends for my 50th birthday, then saw it on Broadway on my 59th birthday! One of my all-time favorites. Sad to see something so original have such a short Broadway engagement.
When the Broadway transfer was announced, another controversy arose in NYC & the American Entertainment Unions as the show was originally slated to be fully tracked - using NO LIVE MUSICIANS. Had this been allowed to happen, it would have broken the Broadway Musicians's Union. So... I think that contributed to the bad press following the show's Broadway announcement.
The musician's union has established a minimum number of musicians assigned to each Broadway theater regardless of the needs of the score. This is not the first time the union has squawked about this. In the early 1980's it is the reason "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" closed as the music needs were a small country band. It's return engagement of the same production was playing at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and the number of musicians assigned to that theater were many more than the show needed. The compromise? The number of musicians assigned to the O'Neill showed up, sat in the pit, read the paper, played backgammon, slept...whatever, and were paid for the performance. The production couldn't absorb that unnecessary cost and folded after only a couple of months. Apparently, when the musical played the 46th St. Theatre, this wasn't a problem and the show ran for nearly four years.
It’s closing because the average theater goer is old enough not to get it. This is what happens when you price out most people who would want to see and love a show like this - broadway stays the same and doesn’t do much that pushes the envelope. I saw the beginnings of it and it was a beautiful show!
How old do you seem old? Plenty of younger people are just not interested in seeing a disco musical about a dictator.
When you see it, it's apparent that it's an incredibly expensive show - $20 million to mount & $700,000/wk to run. This was compounded by the fact that its capacity was reduced by 666 in converting the theater into a disco. So there's really no way tickets could have been cheap across the board, though many discounts were offered (I saw it from the dance floor for $39).
Middle aged people don't want to stand for 2+ hours
@@lindakahler4799its a 90 minute show and is half seated options and half standing options
Or you know, its just not going to appeal to everyone between the subject and the the style of the score. That ultimately matters. Its awesome people are having a great time, but I suspect most are in my boat: cool, but not for me.
I finally just saw this a week ago as a dancefloor audience member and I had the BEST time I've had in a Broadway show in awhile...and not just because I'm Filipino 😅.
The music is admittedly kinda blah to me but the whole show concept was a revelation. And all of the cast was amazing! I knew the writing was on the wall that it wouldn't last much longer but UGH a few weeks??? I gotta scramble to see if I can see it one last time.
I just read about this & I'm genuinely shocked. This is - by FAR - the most imaginatively staged musical I've ever seen. I've recommended it to everyone. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say seeing this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Producers HAVE to find a way to keep the running costs of shows down, because missing something like HERE LIES LOVE is a great loss to theater fans. (Make some suggestions MIckey Jo!!)
what an incredible show, I love it so much and I'm heart broken I cannot see it one last time before it closes.
I have been hoping to see this one! I am so sad to hear that it's closing.
Appreciate the in-depth review, especially the comparison between Arielle and Jaygee's characterization of Imelda Marcos. I've seen Arielle a few times during my last trip, and I liked how she combined innocence with that slightly evil knowing glint in her eyes. I'm going back to see Jaygee for the first time next week, which will unfortunately also be the last. I had a feeling that the show would not be that popular among tourists, especially without Lea Salonga, but I still hoped it would have a longer run. It's also worth noting how much research went into the songwriting. There's only so much information that a show could include and explain, but a lot of the lines are direct quotes from Imelda in interviews and documentaries.
I’m sad because I wanted to see it again on the dancefloor. 😢 I just can’t get there before it closes. If only it was like 3 weeks later!!!
You kinda missed a big point when describing the show, im Filipino and karaoke is a HUGE part of the culture. It’s literally had some songs banned because ppl were getting killed singing them (look up the my way killings)
So sad this show is closing! Living on the west coast, I was hoping to see it next spring….but planning a NY trip with less than a month notice is problematic.
Ive loved this show since seeing it at the Public Theater like 10 years ago, or so! And the cast album is full of bops from start to finish. Im sad it's closing on Broadway, but Im grateful I got to see it, and from the Standing section, which is absolutely the way to see it. Im hoping I'll get there one more time. I will always be sad Ruthie Ann Miles didn't originate on Broadway, as she did at the Public...but given the hit she's in, its likely for the best.
So , so sad this show is closing. I loved it! And I loved what it telegraphed about what Broadway COULD be--even in a 100 year old theatre. Messaging/marketing was a mess from jump--makes me so mad.
Thanks for this! Was curious about the standing experience as I saw it sitting. I did really enjoy the show but agree probably didn't fully appreciate it as it was a lot to take in on a first viewing and I feel I couldn't fully absorb - definitely found the inner voice confusing for example. Would have been nice to see it again and try the standing experience but sadly won't be back in New York before it closes. Thought the scene where Marcos goes through the audience particularly cool and absolutely loved Conrad Ricamora.
I feel like shows that are the most unique & have potentially the most to stay for voices so often not heard from are the ones closing the soonest. Is it bad luck? bad marketing? or just audiences ignoring things that feel too far out of their "box"? Maybe a bit of it all but it's just sad in general that more won't be seeing such incredible theater. I appreciate the shout out of Jasmine because she's incredible (I saw her in Six on tour)
Honestly the only song that is still ear bopping in my brain is "here lies love" but i mean... hey its the title so
mickey jo, please stop killing musicals with your love for bucket hats (i haven’t seen all of the sondheim revivals yet 🥺).
Luckily, the Sondheim revivals do not sell bucket hats. “Sweeney Todd” sells a baseball cap.
This is the best show I've ever seen. It was really amazing! I was so sad that it closed because I wanted all my friends to be able to see it too!
I saw the show at the public theater several years ago. Loved it, danced on the floor the whole time, bought the CD . . . Enjoyed
Conrad Ricamora and his performance - he seems to be on the cusp of something bigger but perhaps racism doesn’t allow him to make the leap.
I knew Jasmine was going to leave the show since she’s returning to Six in December. I wasn’t expecting it for this show, I feel like it really had potential. I never watched the show personally but I’ve seen videos of it before & it seems like such a great show!
I saw the show at the National Theatre in the UK years ago and thought it was amazing. Saw it twice, once seated and once standing and found the standing better. Unlike the Bridge productions (Guys and Dolls, Midsummer Night's Dream) it was in a much smaller space and the actors were often literally in the crowd and not at head-height, which was genuinely immersive. I remember being incredibly moved by God Draws Straight and I don't think the plot is celebratory of the Marcos regime unless you are unable to understand irony and satire. That said, it was probably about 10 years ago and maybe I'd feel differently now if I saw it again.
I think it'd hard because when you find out a musical is about Marcos you need reassurance that this isn’t part of the whitewashing campaign and the show did a terrible job conveying that in marketing material. They sold a show about a horrific situation as fun. So without doing a deep dive, people are going to get turned off.
Its closing left us devastated. We booked our flight tickets for September for the sole purpose of seeing this. We're thinking about seeing another show, but we can't decide which one. Any recommendation?
I’m glad you loved it, I saw it the day before it closed and while the staging was really fun and in some parts it was amazing, in others great, the rest of the show was (imo) aggressively mediocre.
The lyrics are straight up bad. I don’t know why repeating the same line up to 10 times each song seemed like a good idea to the persons who wrote those lyrics, I know it’s supposed to mimic a style of pop, it however doesn’t make a fun show.
There was both too much story and too little exploration of said story. The show didn’t focus on Imelda’s actions, I had to later read up one what her part in the story, since she was early on portrayed as a victim/bystander and the show barely focused on the consequences of her actions for the people of the Philippines. It felt like it’s neither here , nor there. No real criticism of what she did, but it also showed us most of her life, not focusing on any specific aspect.
The last numbers were especially egregious. The last number was composed from quotes of real life people and made no thematic or narrative sense and the one before it, “why don’t you love me”, has her facing 3 other characters, one of whom I don’t even know because the actress who played here played multiple roles and was dressed as an ensemble member.
It wasn’t bad, I paid 37$ for rush tickets and over all had a good time but it’s really hard to recommend as a Broadway show.
Jasmine Forsberg has made an absolute splash in Six, and she left the tour a few weeks early to join Here Lies Love shortly before its opening in Broadway. I may be wrong, but I suspect because of the timing that her standout moment was either not originally written or handled differently but they wanted some of Jasmine's magic in this show even if it was clunky narratively. I bought tickets for the Aragon tour's Broadway run as soon as it was announced and can't wait to experience them again. It's hard to point to a standout in a cast that are all exceptional but no doubt Jasmine is a star in the making.
I'm so glad you got to see Conrad when you went back. I really was looking forward to going back to do the dance floor but looks like it won't happen. :( I'm glad I'm not the only one that breaks into "I am a child of the Philippines" lol. As I work with two Filipino women, I definitely don't sing the lyrics, just him or whistle so I don't have to explain lol
Too bad they didn't sell The Great Society bucket hats. If you had worn one you would have saved me three VERY long hours of agony.
I’ve seen this show FOUR times (with four different friends) and I’m heartbroken it’s closing. Easily my favorite Broadway experience. I think the fatal flaw was the *marketing*. Most people just didn’t know what it was, the title doesn’t help, focusing on it being JUST the story Imelda made it seem icky, and it didn’t draw in droves of tourists. Also, the timing was the worst! Too late for Tonys 2023 nominations, too early for 2024 nominations. Had they opened a few months before Tony nominations, that would’ve catapulted sales and this could’ve survived. So extremely sad.
I was not expecting you to say that this show was about Imelda Marcos 😅
Tbh, as a professional musician, I couldn't find it inside of me to support this musical because pit orchestras are getting smaller and smaller. I'm okay with local and small productions using recordings, but not these big/paid productions.
Imelda Marcos is not Eva Peron.
I wish I could have seen the show, but I have been listening to the original concept album for a few years now as well as the original cast recording. My interest in it originally was due to being a fan of Fatboy Slim Norman Cook. I guess some of these Broadway types have not heard about Evita when showing outrage against musicals about controversial female political figures. I sure hope they develop a touring concept production.
I saw the show shortly before Lea Salonga left. I had the unique opportunity of seeing the show from the VIP seats which are located at the back of the dance floor. We got to sit & watch & were brought onto the dance floor for the finale. I did not want to be on the dance floor. I hated dance clubs when I was in my early 20’s & I still hate them 25 years later.
I rarely disagree with you Micky Jo, but I did not like this production. I found the music forgettable, a lack of character development that prevented me from caring at all about any of them, & the staff members directing traffic on the dance floor like they were trying to bring airplanes in for a landing was distracting & kept pulling me out of the story.
From a regular theatre goer here we are told its about Emelda Marcos, but the story is not grabbing us and they don't show us the characters, A disco musical is just not appealing to the hard core NYC theatre goers.
I saw the show (sitting) and was entertained, but to say this show is superficial is an understatement. There is virtually no characterization whatsoever, no interiority, no motivations for any characters' actions or decisions -- no real substance. It was a great concept with a lot of impressive production, but in the end, it was cotton candy, dissolving very quickly afterward and leaving no lasting impression. But I also HATED "Six," and have never understood its popularity.
I feel like this show could have done better off- or off-off-broadway or really any non-traditional space
I saw it today and I don’t believe it’s not making money. It was packed. Some powerful people may be behind its closing.
A closing notice usually motivates an increase in sales - it's clear from recent grosses it was not doing great business in the weeks prior to the announcement unfortunately.
Arielle Jacobs is back as Jasmine in Broadway's Aladdin for a period of time. I feel once she left the show was in trouble. It was so delightful that Lea promoted the musical. It was on my list, but i support the musicians are losing their jobs in this industry. i'm proud sweeney todd has a 26 piece orchestra. sorry to say i won't be surprised if Kimberly Akimboo announces their closing notice asap. sorry to say Americans do not like impressive theater unless it is dinner theater.
All I remember of Ferdinand Marcos and I Eldar are that he was a dictator and was behind Acquino's assassination and I Eldar ❤❤❤❤❤❤Shoes and had like a million
1: Stood for show and loved it. Immersive should be the future of theater - the way in-the-round is a staple production style. London's "Guys & Dolls" is one of my favorite shows. 2: Not a huge David Byrne fan, but really liked the score and had "Here Lies Love" in my head for days. 3: Yes, it's "Evita" in Asia, but so what? Evita was history, while the Marcos family is still in power. Should we be dancing about a brutal dictatorship? To be honest, I leave my political high-horse tethered outside the theater.4: Arielle has amazing voice! 5: Okay, let's put "Guys & Dolls" here. They have already ripped up theater.
They spent a pretty penny retrofitting that theater.
Didn't they just! I wonder if a certain London revival I mentioned in this video will be eyeing it up in its current configuration...
@@MickeyJoTheatre - That revival should reconsider its Broadway transfer. It is very obviously going to flop, unfortunately.
I didn't go see it when I was in NYC last month because of two names:
Imelda Marcos
David Byrne
Having heard more about it I am confident I am not sorry I missed it.
If the occasion arises I will listen to the recording, but not rushing to do so.
I saw this in previews. I liked it but it wasn't my favorite I thought the stage was interesting
Speaking as a Filipino with family members who lived through the Marcos dictatorship, sometimes good intentions aren’t enough you have to be tasteful. Shoehorning a romantic subplot and song between a dictator and her political rival just because of a widespread rumor is not tasteful. Sorry but this musical is so abysmal and softened way too many edges. I’m very ashamed that this is apparently the first all-Filipino broadway musical. Hopefully next time won’t be so bad.
That's really upsetting to hear. I'm white and from the US--and I know virtually nothing about what the story is based on (I'm trying to get better at educating myself about different parts of the world though)--so I can't really speak on this. But, I know the actor that played Marcos Ferdinand is starkly anti-Marcos with activist parents who left the the Phillipines to the US during his dictatorship, presumably most if not all the rest of the cast is anti-Marcos as well. So, it's just sad to see the musical didn't seem to have the effect the cast was striving for. I hope the musical inspires more people to learn about it though.
I question whether the immersive approach is more of a fad and actually doesn’t work for theatre, the type of audience is different and I if you make it more of a concert your losing that audience and the concert goer audience is very different. Instead of changing the experience perhaps focus on the quality of material as it does come across as a bit of a cheap shot at making money and using the word “immersive” again not sustainable and more of a fad.. just some thoughts 😊
It works if done well
Maybe you should stop buying show themed bucket hats. You have been cursed. Listening to some Sondheim will cure this....maybe.
From your initial description, it sounds bloody dreadful, at least musically. You lost me at "disco-pop fantasia". And "spoken word rap disco fusion moment" would likely send me screaming out of the theatre.
This show is smart and terrific! But Six? Not smart or terrific.
Loved this show, saw it 5 times, 2x floor and 3 Mezzanine and just saw closing night, nothing like it on Broadway, a sad loss for theater. With the show ending, is it still eligible for nominations to be included in the Tonys?