Here Lies Love is a concept album and rock musical made in collaboration between David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, about the life of the former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos along with the woman who raised her—Estrella Cumpas—and follows Marcos until she and her family were forced to leave the Philippines.[1] The album features 22 guest vocalists and was released on 5 April 2010, under Nonesuch Records and Todomundo in several formats, including a deluxe double-Compact Disc set with a DVD of music videos from the album and a 120-page book.
| Here Lies Love | ||||
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| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 5 April 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–2009 | |||
| Studio | South Hell Studios (New York City, United States) | |||
| Length | 90:06 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Todomundo/Nonesuch | |||
| Producer | David Byrne, Fatboy Slim, Cagedbaby (Thomas Gandey), Patrick Dillett and Los Amigos Invisibles | |||
| David Byrne chronology | ||||
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| Fatboy Slim chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Here Lies Love | ||||
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The album was adapted as a rock musical that premiered in 2013 off-Broadway at The Public Theater and ran again at the Public in 2014–2015. It also played at the Royal National Theatre's Dorfman Theatre in 2014–2015 and the Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2017.[2] It opened on Broadway in 2023.[3][4]
Background
editThe title of the album is taken from a comment made by Imelda during a visit to her husband Ferdinand Marcos' embalmed body. Imelda expressed that she would like the phrase "Here Lies Love" to be inscribed on her tombstone.[5] David Byrne released the following statement regarding this album:[6]
The story I am interested in is about asking what drives a powerful person—what makes them tick? How do they make and then remake themselves? I thought to myself, wouldn't it be great if—as this piece would be principally composed of clubby dance music—one could experience it in a club setting? Could one bring a "story" and a kind of theatre to the disco? Was that possible? If so, wouldn't that be amazing!
Recording and release
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[8] |
| BBC | mixed[9] |
| Mojo | [10] |
| NME |   [11] |
| One Thirty BPM | 53%[12] |
| Pitchfork Media | 5.0/10[13] |
| Q | [14] |
| Rolling Stone | [15] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [16] |
| The Times | [17] |
The studio album features female singers including Cyndi Lauper, Tori Amos, Martha Wainwright, Natalie Merchant, Sia, Santigold, Charmaine Clamor, Nicole Atkins, Sharon Jones, St. Vincent, Kate Pierson, Florence Welch, Allison Moorer, and Nellie McKay, alternately playing the roles of Imelda Marcos and Estrella Cumpas. "It's a series of 22 very danceable songs…" wrote Byrne, "…and is sung by 20, count 'em, 20, amazing singers. A theater piece for your ears."[18]
Byrne described Cyndi Lauper's performance as "amazingly fine-tuned" and "very impressive." The only male vocalists are Steve Earle on "A Perfect Hand", and Byrne himself on "American Troglodyte" and "Seven Years", the latter a duet with Shara Nova from My Brightest Diamond.[19]
The first promotional single was "Please Don't", featuring Santigold on vocals. The single became available on Byrne's website as a free high-quality MP3 download on 19 January 2010.
Live performances
edit| Here Lies Love | |
|---|---|
A promotional poster of the performers from the album, illustrated by Scott Menchin | |
| Music | David Byrne with Norman Cook |
| Lyrics | David Byrne |
| Productions | 2006 Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts 2007 Carnegie Hall Perspectives Series 2013 The Public Theater |
Here Lies Love was performed live four times before the album was released. It was first presented as a song cycle (with vocals by Byrne, Dana Diaz-Tutaan and Ganda Suthivarakom) at the Adelaide Festival of Arts under the artistic direction of Brett Sheehy in Adelaide, Australia, on 10 March 2006 with additional dates on 13 and 14 March, and was also performed live at the Carnegie Hall in New York City on 3 February 2007, as part of the Carnegie Hall Perspectives Series.[20]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Featured vocalist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Here Lies Love" | Florence Welch | 5:51 |
| 2. | "Every Drop of Rain" | Candie Payne & St. Vincent | 5:34 |
| 3. | "You'll Be Taken Care Of" | Tori Amos | 3:19 |
| 4. | "The Rose of Tacloban" | Martha Wainwright | 2:33 |
| 5. | "How Are You?" | Nellie McKay | 2:43 |
| 6. | "A Perfect Hand" | Steve Earle | 4:57 |
| 7. | "Eleven Days" | Cyndi Lauper | 2:43 |
| 8. | "When She Passed By" | Allison Moorer | 3:49 |
| 9. | "Walk Like a Woman" | Charmaine Clamor | 3:58 |
| 10. | "Don't You Agree?" | Róisín Murphy | 3:19 |
| 11. | "Pretty Face" | Camille | 3:23 |
| 12. | "Ladies in Blue" | Theresa Andersson | 4:20 |
| No. | Title | Featured vocalist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dancing Together" | Sharon Jones | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Men Will Do Anything" | Alice Russell | 4:06 |
| 3. | "The Whole Man" | Kate Pierson | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Never So Big" | Sia | 4:00 |
| 5. | "Please Don't" | Santigold | 3:58 |
| 6. | "American Troglodyte" | David Byrne | 4:06 |
| 7. | "Solano Avenue" | Nicole Atkins | 3:55 |
| 8. | "Order 1081" | Natalie Merchant | 5:47 |
| 9. | "Seven Years" | David Byrne & Shara Nova | 5:40 |
| 10. | "Why Don't You Love Me?" | Cyndi Lauper & Tori Amos | 3:57 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Eleven Days" | |
| 2. | "When She Passed By" | |
| 3. | "Don't You Agree?" | |
| 4. | "Dancing Together" | |
| 5. | "Please Don't" | |
| 6. | "Order 1081" |
Stage adaptation
editThe album was adapted into a stage musical, directed by Alex Timbers, that premiered off-Broadway at The Public Theater in New York City in 2013. It starred Ruthie Ann Miles as Imelda Marcos, with Jose Llana as Ferdinand Marcos and Conrad Ricamora as Ninoy Aquino.[21][22][23] The production played an extended run at the Public before closing in August 2013.[24] It returned for an open-ended commercial run again at the Public in April 2014, closing on 4 January 2015.[25][26] The production won five Lucille Lortel Awards in 2014.[27] It was revived with direction again by Timbers, at the Royal National Theatre in London, opening in September 2014,[28][29] and played a limited run through January 2015 at the National's newly renovated Dorfman Theatre.[citation needed] The production was nominated for three Olivier Awards in 2015, including Best New Musical.[30]
A revamped production from the original creative team, with the intention of recreating the immersive elements in a proscenium theater, was staged at the Seattle Repertory Theater from 7 April to 18 June 2017.[31] Conrad Ricamora and Melody Butiu reprised their roles from the original Off-Broadway cast as Ninoy Aquino and Estrella Cumpas, respectively, Mark Bautista from the London cast reprised his role as Ferdinand Marcos, and Jaygee Macapugay, who had been a replacement off-Broadway, reprised her role as Imelda Marcos.[32]
The musical started previews on Broadway on 17 June 2023 and opened officially on 20 July 2023, produced by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna, Clint Ramos and Jose Antonio Vargas. It recreated the immersive experience with a mostly standing-room format which, according to the producers, "transform[s] the venue’s traditional proscenium floor space into a dance club environment, where audiences ... stand and move with the actors".[3][4] It is the first show with all-Filipino cast on Broadway.[33]
References
edit- ^ "About "Here Lies Love"; Here Lies Love". David Byrne. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
- ^ Clement, Olivia. "Here Lies Love to Play at Seattle Rep". Playbill. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ a b Paulson, Michael (12 January 2023). "'Here Lies Love,' an Imelda Marcos Disco Musical, Will Play Broadway". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Willman, Chris (12 January 2023). "'Here Lies Love,' David Byrne-Cowritten Musical, to Open on Broadway in Immersive, Standing-Room Setting". Variety.
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ "Here Lies Love | Album Sampler". David ByrneS. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ^ Collar, Matt. "Review: Here Lies Love". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
- ^ "A. V. Club review". The A.V. Club. 6 April 2010.
- ^ "BBC review".
- ^ "Mojo review".
- ^ "NME review".
- ^ "One Thirty BPM review". by Rob Hakimian
- ^ "Pitchfork review". Pitchfork.
- ^ "Q review".
- ^ "Rolling Stone review".
- ^ "Telegraph review". The Daily Telegraph. London. 1 April 2010.
- ^ Cairns, Dan (4 April 2010). "The Times review". London.[dead link]
- ^ email from herelieslove@davidbyrne.com, 06/04/2010
- ^ Ayers, Michael D. (14 December 2009). "David Byrne Announces Upcoming Album With Fatboy Slim". Spinner. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ "David Byrne Tour Index". Davidbyrne.com. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
- ^ "David Byrne's "Here Lies Love" to Premiere at NYC's Public Theater in April 2013". Nonesuch Records. 9 April 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ Soloski, Alex (6 October 2009). "Imelda Marcus Gets the Ol' Song and Dance at Julia Miles Theater". The Village Voice. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
- ^ Brantley, Ben. "A Rise to Power, Disco Round Included", The New York Times, 23 April 2013, accessed 7 April 2014
- ^ 'Here Lies Love' Will Return to the Public Theater. The New York Times. January 21, 2014.
- ^ Holcomb-Holland, Compiled by Lori (19 October 2014). "'Here Lies Love' to Close at the Public". The New York Times.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (18 April 2013). "Public Theater Announces Second Extension of David Byrne-Fatboy Slim Musical Here Lies Love". Playbill.com. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
- ^ "Here Lies Love Cast Album Out Today + Lortel Award Wins!". David Byrne. 6 May 2014.
- ^ Full cast announced for National's Here Lies Love. July 25, 2014.
- ^ David Byrne tells Imelda Marcos story as disco musical. BBC News. October 1, 2014.
- ^ "Best Revival - Olivier Awards". Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (19 December 2016). "Exclusive: Revamped Here Lies Love Will Be Tested in Seattle With Eye on the Future". Playbill.
- ^ "Fil-Ams lead in Seattle staging of 'Here Lies Love'". 14 March 2017.
- ^ "'Here Lies Love' — Broadway's first all-Filipino company makes history". The Manila Times. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
External links
edit
- David Byrne's homepage on Here Lies Love
- Here Lies Love at AllMusic
- Here Lies Love at Discogs (list of releases)
- Here Lies Love at Metacritic
- Here Lies Love at MusicBrainz (list of releases)