‘Here Lies Love’: David Byrne and Director Snehai Desai on Adapting the Dance Musical for L.A.’s Taper, and Why Imelda Marcos’ Story Nervously Parallels Contemporary America
February 21, 2026 at 03:37 AM
By Chris Willman
Fascism has arrived and settled into Los Angeles. And before you say “Tell us something we don’t already know,” this refers to the opening on this coast of “Here Lies Love,” the David Byrne-created musical about the Philippines’ dictatorial First Lady, Imelda Marcos, now getting its L.A. premiere at the Mark Taper Forum. A whole […]
Fascism has arrived and settled into Los Angeles. And before you say “Tell us something we don’t already know,” this refers to the opening on this coast of “Here Lies Love,” the David Byrne-created musical about the Philippines’ dictatorial First Lady, Imelda Marcos, now getting its L.A. premiere at the Mark Taper Forum. A whole […]
Home Legit News Feb 20, 2026 7:37pm PT ‘Here Lies Love’: David Byrne and Director Snehai Desai on Adapting the Dance Musical for L.A.’s Taper, and Why Imelda Marcos’ Story Nervously Parallels Contemporary America By Chris Willman Plus Icon Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic ChrisWillman Latest ‘Here Lies Love’: David Byrne and Director Snehai Desai on Adapting the Dance Musical for L.A.’s Taper, and Why Imelda Marcos’ Story Nervously Parallels Contemporary America 7 minutes ago Dierks Bentley on His Summer Tour, and Picking Acts Like Hero Ricky Skaggs and Kaitlin Butts as Support: ‘Selfishly, These Are People That I Wanna Go Watch Their Show’ 7 hours ago Amy Grant on Making Her First New Album in 13 Years, ‘The Me That Remains,’ After Asking: ‘Am I Doing People a Disservice in My Sixties, Singing Songs From the Perspective of a 30-Year-Old?’ (EXCLUSIVE) 13 hours ago See All Jeff Lorch Fascism has arrived and settled into Los Angeles. And before you say “Tell us something we don’t already know,” this refers to the opening on this coast of “Here Lies Love,” the David Byrne-created musical about the Philippines’ dictatorial First Lady, Imelda Marcos, now getting its L.A. premiere at the Mark Taper Forum. A whole different set of audiences is being posed with the musical question: Do disco balls and martial law mix? During the show’s 2023 Broadway run, SRO audiences were encouraged to dance in place and ponder despots at the same time — a greater disassotiative challenge than walking and chewing gum at the same time, but hardly an insurmountable one. For this engagement (just opened, and newly extended through April 6), the audience remains seated, since ripping seats out for ironic boogieing was a bridge too far for a Music Center venue. The good news: “Here Lies Love” remains one of the most intriguing and rewarding “rock musicals” ever to emerge from the brain of a major pop figure. And that’s with or without the innovative staging that caused New York theatergoers to have to use their brains to figure out which way to move as ushers literally directed traffic on a constantly shifting dance floor. Related Stories 'The Lincoln Lawyer' Season 4 Debuts With 9 Million Views in Four Days
Share:
Original Source:
Read full article at sourceHelp us improve this article. Share your feedback and suggestions.
