**”Here Lies Love” in Los Angeles: A Disco-Infused Confrontation with Power, Populism, and Philippine History**
Los Angeles is currently hosting a theatrical event that is as much a vibrant dance party as it is a piercing political commentary. David Byrne’s critically acclaimed musical, “Here Lies Love,” has arrived at the Mark Taper Forum, inviting audiences to delve into the captivating and controversial life of Imelda Marcos, the Philippines’ notorious First Lady. This isn’t just another stage production; it’s an immersive, disco-fueled journey through a pivotal period of Philippine history, prompting audiences to ponder a profound question: Can the glittering allure of disco truly coexist with the stark realities of martial law?
The musical, a brainchild of Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and DJ Fatboy Slim, first captivated audiences as a concept album in 2010 before evolving into a theatrical phenomenon. Its 2023 Broadway run was particularly lauded for its innovative, immersive staging, transforming the Broadway Theatre into a pulsating disco club. Standing-room-only crowds were not merely spectators but active participants, encouraged to dance and move as the narrative unfolded around them, often directed by ushers navigating a constantly shifting dance floor. This unique format challenged theatergoers to simultaneously engage with the intoxicating rhythm of the disco era and the chilling narrative of despotism – a feat of cognitive dissonance that proved both demanding and profoundly rewarding.
However, the Los Angeles premiere at the Mark Taper Forum presents a distinct experience. Given the venue’s architecture and the practicalities of a long-standing institution like the Music Center, the radical transformation of ripping out seats for an ironic dance floor was deemed unfeasible. Here, the audience remains seated, a departure from the immersive core that Byrne initially envisioned. Yet, despite this shift, “Here Lies Love” continues to be celebrated as one of the most intriguing and innovative “rock musicals” to emerge from a major pop figure’s creative mind. Its compelling narrative and electrifying score resonate powerfully, whether audiences are dancing or reflecting from their seats.
David Byrne himself has expressed keen interest in how this non-immersive staging impacts the audience’s connection to the story. “I’m very curious how the non-immersive staging will work,” Byrne shared with *Variety* in an email interview, acknowledging his absence from the L.A. opening due to his acclaimed “Who Is the Sky?” tour, a traveling show renowned for its own revolutionary inventiveness. He elaborated on the original intent: “The immersive disco setting put the audience in the position of the Philippine people, and that worked, so I’m curious if that connection will still happen.” His curiosity underscores the artistic risk and re-imagination undertaken for this West Coast premiere.
Early responses from both audiences and critics have been overwhelmingly positive, even from those familiar with the show’s previous iterations, which trace back to its initial off-Broadway run at New York’s Public Theater in 2013. The challenging task of directing this reimagined production falls to Snehal Desai, the artistic director of Center Theatre Group (CTG), the institution overseeing the Music Center venues. Desai’s connection to “Here Lies Love” runs deep; he first witnessed its power at The Public 13 years ago and has harbored a desire to direct it ever since. Upon assuming the reins at CTG, he recognized the inherent “immersiveness” of the Mark Taper Forum’s renowned thrust stage, a design that naturally blurs the lines between performers and audience in its intimate, 739-seat space.
Desai vividly recalls his initial encounter with the show: “When I saw the show in 2013 at the Public, I was just so taken with it — taken with the experience of it, but also just the storytelling and the sung-through format.” He describes the disarming nature of the experience: “You’re there for this kind of disco party celebration where you’re kind of like, ‘Well, I know this isn’t a good person. What am I doing?’ The complicity [with Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos] is happening, and then the rug is pulled out, and suddenly, what was a kind of a party turns into almost a rally. I viscerally remember that experience.” This visceral memory guided his approach to the L.A. production.
He further noted the impact of experiencing the show from different vantage points. “When I saw it at the Public, everyone was standing,” the director explains. “But then when it went to Broadway, I experienced it from the seats.” (It’s worth noting that the Broadway production retained its balcony, and added elevated mezzanine rows for seated patrons). Desai’s observation from the seated perspective was crucial: “And I was like, ‘*Oh*, the storytelling still works.’” This realization fueled his conviction that the Taper could successfully host the musical without a full-scale immersive overhaul.
The Mark Taper Forum, with its distinct thrust stage, naturally fosters a close connection between performers and patrons. “The thing about the Taper is, it doesn’t have that fourth-wall separation. We’re all in the same room. When someone gets up to go to the bathroom, everyone notices everything!” Desai quipped. This inherent intimacy allowed him to envision a production that could “activate the entire Taper” without removing seats. His vision includes staging moments “amid the audience” and inviting specific interactions, such as audience members standing or joining the performers on stage. He concluded, “But it doesn’t have to be fully immersive in the way that it was at the Public. Because both times I watched it, I thought, ‘This whole element of it is fun, it’s intriguing, but there’s no reason this couldn’t be staged traditionally, either.’”
Jeff Lorch
With a seated audience, Desai and his predominantly AAPI creative team felt liberated to reconsider the show’s opening setting. Instead of feigning a 1970s disco club, they opted for something more culturally resonant and specifically Filipino: a “noontime variety show” format. Desai explained, “My scenic designer said, ‘You know, the show lends itself to these noontime variety shows that they have in the Philippines. There are these long-running shows that are oftentimes multi hours, with a variety-show feel, and there’s a host who’s holding everything together.’ And I thought, ‘That might be it. We can be a noontime variety show format.’” This ingenious pivot allows the audience to become a “studio audience,” still invited to interact, but within a framework that deeply connects to Filipino cultural heritage, rather than a generic disco.
This new opening features a character not present in previous productions: Imeldific, a drag-queen TV host portrayed by Aura Mayari from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 15. Imeldific serves as a vibrant, spoken-word emcee, providing crucial scene-setting and familiarizing the audience with the milieu of a musical that is, for all intents and purposes, sung-through. While this addition offers context, it doesn’t fundamentally alter the show’s core, which rapidly transitions through its 31 songs and nearly as many scene changes in a swift, intermission-less 90 minutes. Desai emphasizes the logistical marvel of the production: “It’s a crazy show. There’s 31 songs and there’s 30 transitions.”
Jeff Lorch
Despite the inherent challenges of translating an immersive show to a more traditional proscenium-style setting, the Taper production has not only met the high standards of previous iterations but, in some respects, has forged new ones. The stage choreography, under the direction of William Carlos Angulo, is notably more vigorous and electrifying, as if intentionally compensating for the absence of audience participation. This elevated dance performance ensures that even those less familiar with David Byrne’s work or Philippine history are captivated by the sheer theatricality. The show seamlessly blends the appeal for Byrne’s ardent fans and the significant Filipino community with universal virtues of compelling storytelling, vibrant costumes, and dynamic movement, making it a powerful experience for any theatergoer.
Beyond its artistic merits, the political relevance of “Here Lies Love” remains strikingly potent in 2026. While the show’s origins trace back to Byrne’s 2010 concept album and subsequent stagings, many moments in the Taper production feel unsettlingly contemporary, almost as if penned in the last few years as a direct allegory for current global events.
Byrne himself acknowledges this enduring resonance, particularly for the Filipino community. “I’m aware there’s a huge Filipino community in L.A. and around, so the show should resonate for them — it’s their history,” he states. He recognizes the diverse perspectives within this community: “Some may look on the People Power revolution as a positive example for the world (I do), while others will be Marcos loyalists (guess who is back in power!).” This poignant remark refers to Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., son of Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos, who now holds the presidency, a stark reminder of history’s cyclical nature and the complex legacy of his parents’ authoritarian rule.
Byrne extends the show’s relevance beyond the Philippines, hoping non-Filipino audiences will discern parallels to their own societies. “I hope non-Filipinos will see some parallels in the show — how populist leaders can actually sometimes deliver on their promises — but there is the danger of seducing the public and holding on to power too long,” he explains. He concludes with a powerful, hopeful message: “The story has sadly remained relevant beyond the Philippines. Without giving too much away, the peaceful People Power revolution that ousted a corrupt dictator and his wife is hugely encouraging — it has been done before and can be done again.” He intentionally leaves the contemporary parallels to the audience’s interpretation, trusting in the story’s universal warning and inspiration.
Jeff Lorch
Snehal Desai is even more direct about the show’s urgent implications for contemporary audiences, particularly in a politically charged environment like Los Angeles. Speaking during rehearsals, Desai observed, “As we’re rehearsing right now, there is a big march happening here in downtown L.A. And literally every day as we work on this show, what we’re seeing in this country is kind of the fascist dictators’ playbook, right? Don Lemon just got arrested. It’s press that they’re really going after today. Yesterday was about the censorship that’s coming out with TikTok now changing ownership. A few days before, it was the front lines in Minneapolis. The people who have been leading the fight are the clergy, and even the Pope has spoken out. So a lot of the things that are happening are running very parallel to what happened in the Philippines during the Marcos regime. And we know that this wanting to enact censorship and martial law in this country is something that this president wants.”
Desai underlines the enduring message of collective empowerment. “So what I loved about this musical is, I felt that I went on a journey and experience, but I left reminded that I can empower myself and we can all empower ourselves by coming together, by rallying together. And you know, I didn’t think when we planned this a year ago exactly how far we would be in terms of the moment of what’s happening nationally.” His words highlight the serendipitous timeliness of the production, making its narrative of resistance all the more impactful.
A recurring sensitivity surrounding “Here Lies Love” has been the potential for some members of the Filipino community to perceive the show as glorifying the Marcoses, despite its critical intent. While Byrne acknowledges that a small segment might welcome such a portrayal, the creative team has actively worked to ensure the narrative’s true focus. In the Taper production, Imelda’s character is imbued with “sharp and brittle edges” earlier in her girlhood scenes, a departure from the Broadway version where her initial portrayal was arguably softer, almost akin to a “Disney princess,” before her descent into corruption. This nuanced approach helps to clarify the show’s stance.
Extensive community outreach was undertaken during the Broadway run to ensure understanding and appreciation within the Filipino diaspora. The production’s all-Filipino cast and primarily Filipino behind-the-scenes team fostered a sense of pride, allowing the community to embrace the show as a significant cultural milestone, even while confronting the painful legacy of the Marcos regime.
Getty Images
“I think the story is the start of the conversation, right?” Desai reflects. “We have worked really hard, particularly in the second act, to make sure this is not meant to glamorize anyone. And if anything, the folks who have the arc of the journey, who have the change, are the community that leads to the People Power revolution.” He notes that Imelda, Marcos, and even the heroic figure of Aquino, do not experience the traditional redemptive arcs often seen in musicals. Instead, the collective spirit of the suffering, eventually triumphant “chorus line” emerges as the true protagonist, concluding the show not with disco beats, but with a beautiful, unifying folk song celebrating people power.
Desai, who has Indian heritage himself, highlights the immense significance of staging this show in Los Angeles. “L.A. is the home to the largest Filipino community outside of the Philippines,” he points out. His experience with Filipino stories is extensive, making this his fifth project in the genre. He speaks enthusiastically about the talent within the community: “There is an amazing community, but then Filipino artists, it’s like they grow up eating and drinking musical theater as well as karaoke and stuff like that, and they’re just such great performers.” This abundance of talent made the casting process remarkably smooth. “This was one of the easiest casting processes — easy in that I had many, many options of who we could cast for this show. I wasn’t like, ‘Oh my God, where’s my Imelda?’ I could have cast the show so many times over.”
