Theater Thursday - Here Lies Love

What: Here Lies Love

Where: Broadway Theatre 

              1681 Broadway

               New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 13 and Up

Me - Here Lies Love is the story of the former First Lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos.  The show stars, Arielle Jacobs. She is amazing in the part. The rest of the cast is also really great. I love their voices, and the songs are good. My favorite is the title song, but there are other really good songs too. 

They completely renovated the theater for the show so it looks completely different than any other theater. There are no orchestra seats. The people in the orchestra are standing and dancing the whole show like they are in a disco. They have to move when the set moves so they don't get crushed. I wouldn't want to do that because I don't dance, and I wouldn't want to stand for a whole show anyway. They do try to get you dancing even if you're not in the orchestra sometimes though. 

They really make everyone feel like a part of the show. It is an extremely unique experience that anyone who does not have a problem with very loud music and flashing lights should see at least once.

Mom -The character of Imelda Marcos who ages some forty years over the course of the musical, Here Lies Love is a meaty role for an actress. Arielle Jacobs certainly makes the most of it as she takes the audience on a journey through Imelda's life from naive ingenue to world-weary former first lady of the Philippines. Her voice is lovely as well. Although the music is catchy and fun in general, Arielle singing the title number is definitely a highlight of the show.

Jose Llana and Conrad Riccamora are great in the roles of Ferdinand Marcos and Benigno Aquino respectively as well. In fact, the whole cast shines as they sing and dance up a storm in this loud vibrant musical. 

The set which has literally transferred the entire theater is unlike anything you have ever seen. It brings the audience into the show. Even those audience members who don't actually have standing-room tickets on the floor of the theater are made a part of the show. The action even extends out into the mezzanine and audience members are encouraged to get up and dance at various times. Accordingly, if you'd rather just sit back, relax, and enjoy a show passively instead of becoming a part of it, you may prefer a different show.

Experiencing the show is like being thrust into Studio 54 or any similar disco in their heydey. It is full of flashing lights and very loud music. Thus, if you are sensitive to either of these things, it is best to stay away. 

Although there may be some controversy over the show because of its portrayal of Imelda Marcos as a heroine, this is not the first time a less-than-admirable real-life figure has been portrayed in this way. Evita immediately comes to mind. Real people have shades to their characters. They are neither all bad nor all good. In any case, if you want to be a part of a musical that is quite unlike any other, you will definitely want to get tickets to Here Lies Love.

And that's our view. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit herelieslovebroadway.com

Tune in Sunday for this week's Sunday Scoop.

All pictures used in this post are our own. If there is a problem with any image, please contact us here and we will look into the matter.