The week of CMJ Festival in New York City is one of discovery and excitement, as independent and promising young artists from throughout the world take the stage to put their talents on display. It was thus fitting that Here Lies Love, an off-Broadway musical production by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) held a special performance at the Public Theater to mark the 2014 festival. Detailing the meteoric rise and fall of former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, Here Lies Love stands as one of the most innovative musicals currently in production, and this special event showcased the genius of Byrne and Cook through an exciting performance and preview of the recently released Remix Collection.
This evening at the Public was a true musical event that commenced upon walking onto the stage. I say “onto,” of course, because Here Lies Love is a general admission production with a moving stage that changes throughout the show, at times physically transforming the audience into supporting actors. Entering the room, audience members were greeted by cool neon lights and ushers dancing to the upbeat, disco-tinged songs selected from the Here Lies Love’s Remix Collection. At the front of the stage a large portrait of the Marcos family was prominently featured under the constantly changing lights, with Imelda gazing down at the audience with a refined, yet ominous look in her eye. The pre-show selections from the Remix Collection were fun and danceable, but also hinted at the glamor and decadence the audience would soon learn of through the theatrical re-telling of Imelda’s story.
The performance kicked off with a loud dance track and a DJ announcement explaining the “rules” of the evening, and setting the stage for the first number, which focused all eyes on the raised platform in the center of the room. Surrounded on all sides by the audience, the actors danced and sang a number about growing up in the Philippines as they smiled and engaged with the spectators. Over the course of the next 90-minutes, the cast of Here Lies Love weaved a captivating tale about the life of Imelda. The performance recounted her humble beginnings in the small town of Tacloban, her rise to fame, first as a beauty queen and later as the First Lady of charismatic war-hero Ferdinand Marcos, her transformation, and finally her plunge into the history books as one of the most infamous figures in Filipino history.
As a musical production, Here Lies Love not only offers a compelling storyline and talented cast, but it also engages its audience in a way few, if any, other musicals have: physically. It’s a given that all theatrical productions must form an emotional connection between actor and audience and deepen that connection throughout the performance, and in that sense Here Lies Love is no different. Much like the polarizing figure Imelda Marcos is to the Filipino people (even today), Here Lies Love brings the audience on an emotional journey, repeatedly creating sympathy for Imelda’s condition before emphatically snatching it away. The feelings of betrayal and empathy the audience shares with Imelda as she discovers her husband’s infidelity are all but trampled as Filipino political protesters are murdered in the street as a result of her rule.
Where Here Lies Love goes above and beyond to stand as such an innovative, creative production is by actually making the audience part of the performance. In a way only musicians like Byrne and Cook could envision, the spectator is able to see the show from every angle, sometimes at the very front of the stage, other times at the very back. Here Lies Love is thus unpredictable and exciting. Actors move from the main stage into and through the audience, encouraging them to chant, “Vote for Marcos!” and at times grasping their hands during a musical number or bringing them into their broadcast as they give a news report to the Filipino people. At one point, the entire audience is taught and made to line dance. At another, they are brought up onto the main stage, in front of a giant American flag, nonetheless, to watch the remainder of the performance, almost as if they were watching the People’s Power Revolution take place across an ocean.
In all, the combination of the Here Lies Love Remix Collection coupled with the performance made this a very special night. David Byrne and Fatboy Slim demonstrated the versatility of Here Lies Love, from a concept album, to an engrossing (not to mention historical) off-Broadway production, to a surprisingly accessible remixed dance album. Not only this, but they also gave a lesson on how to pull theatrical productions into a newer, more creative era. One can only hope for the continued success of Here Lies Love, and the permeation of its style into other realms of the theatre industry.
Here Lies Love finishes its run at the Public Theatre in New York on January 4. It is also at the Dorfman Theatre at the National Theatre in London now until January 8.
