Tony award winner Lea Salonga is heading back to Broadway to join the cast of the Broadway musical Here Lies Love.
The production, with music and lyrics by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, is opening on 20 July at the Broadway Theatre — where 32 years ago Salonga made history by starring as Kim in the original Broadway production of Miss Saigon, eventually winning a Tony at 20 years old and becoming the first Asian to win the award.
Here Lies Love, which had an Off-Broadway run in 2013 followed by productions in London (2014) and Seattle (2017), is a disco-musical retelling of the life of former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos and the years of her husband former president Ferdinand Marcos’ rule. Previously announced as playing Marcos and Ninoy Aquino, the assassinated opposition leader, are Filipino-American Broadway performers Jose Llana and Conrad Ricamora.
“An international casting search is underway to select the show’s remaining company of over 20 actors, including for its lead Imelda Marcos,” according to Playbill.com.
Salonga will play the role of Aurora Aquino, Ninoy’s mother, from 11 July to 13 August. Following that limited-engagement run, “guest stars from the Philippines will take over the role,” said Playbill.com.
OF FB/HERE LIES LOVE
Conrad Ricamora will play the late senator Ninoy Aquino.
Producing debut
Here Lies Love also marks Salonga’s debut as a Broadway producer. She will appear in the producing credits along with a number of familiar Filipino names in the theater industry, among them Bobby Garcia, who has directed some of Manila’s most prominent theater productions in the last two decades (Rent, Dreamgirls, Angels in America); Girlie Rodis, who with Celeste Legaspi produced a raft of now-classic original Filipino musicals such as Katy, Larawan, and Alikabok; and US-based actress Giselle Toengi.
Tony-winning Filipino production designer Clint Ramos is doing the costumes for Here Lies Love.
“I’m so excited to be joining ‘Here Lies Love’ as both a performer and producer,” said Salonga in a statement. “As an audience member that stood on the dance floor at the National Theatre in London where ‘Here Lies Love’ ran in 2014, I knew I wanted to be part of it if and when it ever came to Broadway. Now here we are, and at the theater in which I made my Broadway debut.”
She added: “I’m thrilled to be part of this show, as well as part of a company comprised of an abundance of Filipino talent, a first in Broadway history. We’re showing the world what we’re capable of.”
Busy year
This will be an extra-busy year for Salonga, as the theater legend is also set to topbill, along with fellow Broadway luminary Bernadette Peters, the full theatrical run of the Cameron Mackintosh-produced concert tribute, “Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends,” in London starting September 2023. The four-month run of the show at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End will see Salonga’s return to the London stage after 27 years, after she played Fantine in Les Miserables in 1996.
The London and Seattle productions of Here Lies Love had Filipino pop singer Mark Bautista playing the role of Marcos, along with a number of other Filipino performers in the cast.