Here Lies Love is a musical about the life of Imelda Marcos, First Lady of The Philippines under her husband Ferdinand Marcos. It is adapted from the Concept Album of the same name by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim.
The musical is noted for its immersive staging; set in a dance club, audiences are shepherded to and from various locations as the staff reenact the life of Marcos as she rises from a poor girl from Leyte to the wife of aspiring dictator Ferdinand, eventually taking control of the country in her own right after he falls ill.
The musical premiered off-Broadway in 2013, with revivals in London and Seattle in 2014 and 2017 respectively. The show opened on Broadway on July 20, 2023. After disappointing ticket sales, a closing date of November 26, 2023 was set.
Tropes Associated With This Musical Include:
- Actor Swap: During the "God Draws Straight" finale, the performers playing the Marcos and Ninoy Aquino become recast as ordinary Filipino people who join the People Power Revolution and marvel at the end of the dictatorship.
- All There in the Manual: During its Broadway run and likely previous ones, the hallways help denote some of the timeline. The History section of its website especially goes deeper.
- The musical alludes to Imelda coming from an "important family." There's a lot more family history to how her initially rich family fell into hard times and why Imelda grew up sleeping in a garage.
- The musical and the lyrics address the role of U.S. imperialism, but the timeline directly addresses how the US still has its hold on the Philippines.
- After Aquino is assassinated, the musical ultimately focuses on the People Power Revolution while gliding over the fact that Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino (who briefly cameos in "Gate 37" with their son, Benigno Aquino III), ran against Ferdinand Marcos.
- The musical shows headlines of Ferdinand Marcos as a war hero against the Japanese forces. The "History" section of the website acknowledges that Marcos inflated much of his heroism against the Japanese.
- Altar the Speed: Imelda and Ferdinand have an 11-day courtship before Imelda signs a marriage agreement.
- Ambiguous Situation: Before Ninoy Aquino is shot, Imelda Marcos is shown observing his return and then coldly turns away. The musical deliberately doesn't depict Imelda Marcos playing a part in Ninoy Aquino's assassination but this piece of staging is likely a nod to theories about her involvement. Regardless, the staging can simply be read as her feeling apathy for Aquino's fate.
- Anachronism Stew: Despite ending in the 1980s, the lyrics of the show contain contemporary references, such as "American Troglodyte" describing the Americanization of the Philippines as "Americans are surfing the internet. / Americans are listening to 50 Cent."
- Audience Participation: Audiences are invited to interact with the show as part of its dance club setting. The floor audience gets in on most of the action, while the seated mezzanine and floorsiders are occasionally are encouraged to dance. Much of its purpose is to get the audience complicit in the story.
- Grief Song: "Order 1081" and "Just Ask the Flowers."
- Heroic Sacrifice: In "Gate 37," Ninoy Aquino knows that the chances for him to survive his return to the Philippines are very slim. As he did in his final days, he's very aware that his body bulletproof vest might not be enough. But he proceeds anyway, knowing this may be his last trip.
- History Repeats: At the end of the show's Broadway run, the DJ (no longer disc-jockeying for Imelda's story) gives the audience a warning about threats to democracy in America and all over the globe. He also notes that Imelda's son, Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr., is currently president of the Philippines.
- It's All About Me: Imelda Marcos' later numbers, but "Why Don't You Love Me" takes the cake.
- Meaningful Funeral: Ninoy Aquino's funeral rouses his mother to call upon the Liberal Party to oppose the Marcos. It's also a sequence that requires the audience to part for a platform to move right into the middle of the floor
- Mood Whiplash: "Solano Avenue" was already a devastating duet where Imelda rejects her old friendship with Estrella Cumpas, but it also precedes a harsh turn with "Order 1061," perhaps the first number that focuses on the perspective of the Filipino people as a whole.
- Rags to Riches: While Imelda was born into an influential Romualdez family, she was among the impoverished relations and slept in a garage in her childhood. Her marriage to Ferdinand brings her much wealth.
- Romantic False Lead: The show presents Imelda and Ninoy Aquino's relationship like this.
- Show Within a Show: Officially, the characters are portrayed by employees of the "nightclub" where the show takes place.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: "Please Don't". Literally the entirety of "Please Don't" is this.
- Villain Song: Plenty of the Marcos' songs are those when hindsight kicks in. But there are more obvious cases:
- "Please Don't," which is Imelda's attempt to dance and sing away all the criticism levied against the administration while the Philippines is starving.
- "Why Don't You Love Me": The song is set right after the assassination and funeral of Ninoy Aquino, which deliberately makes this number enraging.
- You Are Not Alone: "God Draws Straight"A People Power Revolution Marcher: "You might think you are lost..."
