Here Lies Love, the disco musical about Filipino First Lady Imelda Marcos, immerses audiences into a karaoke club with groundbreaking set, lighting, and sound design, all set to a score by Grammy, Tony, and Oscar winner David Byrne and Grammy winner Fatboy Slim.
Just one of the many tools used for the immersive audience experience is a pioneering audio technology, L-ISA, which utilizes over 220 speakers around the theatre to surround the audience in the sounds of the show, so wherever a performer may be across the moving stage and set pieces, it feels like they're up close and personal.
See David Byrne, set designer David Korins, and sound designers Cody Spencer and M.L. Dogg discuss the use of L-ISA in Here Lies Love in the video above.
Here Lies Love opened at the Broadway Theatre July 20 after beginning previews June 17. Read the reviews here. Arielle Jacobs stars as Imelda Marcos opposite Jose Llana as Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda's husband and 10th president of the Philippines who ruled as dictator for 20 years until 1986. Completing the leading trio is Conrad Ricamora as Ninoy Aquino, a Philippine senator who critiqued the Marcos family during its regime until his assassination in 1983. His murder sparked the People Power Revolution which resulted in the removal of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos from power. Both Llana and Ricamora reprise their performances from the musical's 2013 Off-Broadway run.
READ: Lea Salonga and Arielle Jacobs Know That Here Lies Love Is Controversial, But They Stand By It
Returning to the project are original director Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge) and choreographer Annie-B Parson. They are joined on the creative team by music director J. Oconer Navarro, Tony-nominated scenic designer David Korins, Tony-winning costume designer Clint Ramos, Tony-winning lighting designer Justin Townsend, sound designers M.L. Dogg and Cody Spencer, Tony-nominated projection designer Peter Nigrini, and cultural and community liaison Giselle “G” Töngi. Casting is by Tara Rubin, Xavier Rubiano, and Gail Quintos. Bobby Garcia served as casting consultant. General management is by Foresight Theatrical. Tom Gandey and J Pardo also contributed additional music for the production.
The immersive staging of Here Lies Love transforms the Broadway Theatre into a disco dance club complete with a performance catwalk and "satellite stages." It also features 360-degree lighting and video screens as part of the design.