The acclaimed award-winning New York production, Here Lies Love will open in Sydney in May 2015 as the theatrical centre piece of the Vivid Festival.
Penned by Talking Heads founding member David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, and directed by Alex Timbers, Here Lies Love retraces the astonishing journey of Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos from her meteoric rise to power to her descent into infamy after the People Power Revolution.
Here Lies Love is neither a period piece nor a biography, neither a play nor a traditional musical, but instead it is an immersive theatrical event combining songs influenced by four decades of dance music, adrenaline-fueled choreography, and a remarkable 360-degree scenic and video environment, which goes beyond Imelda’s near-mythic obsession with shoes to explore the tragic consequences of the abuse of power.
The world premiere production of Here Lies Love is currently playing at New York’s famed Public Theater and opens next month at the National Theatre in London, with critics hailing it as “ingenious” – The New York Times. “Finally – a new musical that’s so exhilarating and such a great time that it’s easy to recommend it without hesitation” raved the New York Daily News.
Producer, Rodney Rigby of Newtheatricals said “Here Lies Love is unlike any musical previously staged in Australia – it is a transformative experience with unique and immersive staging by director Alex Timbers, where actors perform on platforms and moving catwalks, creating a club-like environment whilst forging a special relationship between the actors and the audience”.
Auditions for the cast of Here Lies Love will commence in October. Rodney Rigby said “We are seeking female and male actors in their 20’s and 30’s reflecting the multiple ethnicities that are found throughout the population of the Republic of the Philippines, from the migrant arrivals from China, Spain, Korea and Southeast Asia, among other nations.”
For more information about the show including auditions or to join the waitlist for tickets, visit www.herelieslove.com.au for details.
Image: Ruthie Ann Miles as Imelda Marcos (centre) and Cast in the New York production of Here Lies Love – photo by Joan Marcus