HERE LIES LOVE - Broadway Previews — Page 9

Just saw the entire show this afternoon - WOW. I have waited many years for Here Lies Love after missing it at the Public, and it blew me away. This is Alex Timbers’ magnum opus, no question. 

It’s in wonderful shape already but it will get even better with Lea. The other nine musicians have had recent rehearsals, per an ensemble member, and I assume they will be added into the show before opening as well.

I was on the dance floor, which was awesome, but the action happens all around you no matter where you sit. The moving around was a little awkward and disjointed but didn’t completely detract me from any of the action.

I was intrigued by every minute of this musical, from electric start to mournful finish. The largely EDM-tinged score is incredible.

Everything I said about Arielle before remains true. Jose Llana goes shirtless for a couple of minutes! I also must shout out Jasmine Forsberg and Moses Villarama, who both do some very fine work in their Broadway debuts. 

Good thing I brought earplugs to the show, because there are at least a couple of VERY loud moments throughout.

The timing is just about right - today’s preview started at 2:04, and the curtain call encore ended at 3:39.

Stage door was not very crazy today, thank God. Arielle, Jose, Conrad, Moses, Reanne Acasio, Melody Butiu, Shea Renne, Aaron Alcaraz, Kristina Doucette, Roy Flores, Timothy Matthew Flores, Sarah Kay all came out and signed most Playbills. Jasmine and Julia Abueva only signed a few, though I did get to have a nice conversation with the latter (who I really liked in last season’s KPOP).

Run to the Broadway Theatre.

 

 


 

EDSOSLO858 said: "Just saw the entire show this afternoon - WOW. I have waited many years for Here Lies Loveafter missing it at the Public, and it blew me away. This is Alex Timbers’ magnum opus, no question.

It’s in wonderful shape already but it will get even better with Lea. The other nine musicians have had recent rehearsals, per an ensemble member, and I assume they will be added into the show before opening as well.

I was on the dance floor, which was awesome, but the action happens all around you no matter where you sit. The moving around was a little awkward and disjointed but didn’t completely detract me from any of the action.

I was intrigued by every minute of this musical, from electric start to mournful finish. The largely EDM-tinged score is incredible.

Everything I said about Arielle before remains true. Jose Llana goes shirtless for a couple of minutes! I also must shout out Jasmine Forsberg and Moses Villarama, who both do some very fine work in their Broadway debuts.

Good thing I brought earplugs to the show, because there are at least a couple of VERY loud moments throughout.

The timing is just about right - today’s preview started at 2:04, and the curtain call encore ended at 3:39.

Stage door was not very crazy today, thank God. Arielle, Jose, Conrad, Moses, Reanne Acasio, Melody Butiu, Shea Renne, Aaron Alcaraz, Kristina Doucette, Roy Flores, Timothy Matthew Flores, Sarah Kay all came out and signed most Playbills. Jasmine and Julia Abueva only signed a few, though I did get to have a nice conversation with the latter (who I really liked in last season’sKPOP).

Run to the Broadway Theatre.


I also saw the show this afternoon and was blown away with the transformation of the Broadway as well as the staging of the piece.  I am so glad I chose Front Mezz (I was in Row E on the center aisle) as so much action including moments with each of the lead performances happens up there.  Plus I got to sit!  But you are encouraged to stand and dance by the DJ at three moments in the show, so it was nice to stand and stretch at those times.  I think this section is truly the best to experience the show.

Performances all around were pretty great.  I will say that Ms. Jacobs was not terribly charismatic but her vocals were superb.

The score has a few really terrific numbers (the title number is a definite ear worm) but after a while I felt some of it started to sound the same.

But I can't say enough about the unique experience you have at this show.  Highly recommend the experience.

Updated On: 7/2/23 at 06:09 PM

I saw it today from the dance floor, and genuinely enjoyed it. 

That said... 

1.  The consent moving around of the stage and the audience seems like an accident waiting to happen. I think they're putting a lot of thought into safety, but I can very easily see accidents happening involving audience members.

2. I was fine with the trade off, but it was much harder to follow the narrative from the dance floor, when you're worrying about where you're supposed to move next, or being moved mid-song. 

3. I came away from the show with only a vague understanding of what made Imelda Marcos so notorious. I didn't think the musical conveyed the scale of graft going on. 

  

Phillyguy said: "In some ways, I think like this is what KPOP wanted to achieve, but never quite made it. There's so much they could learn from this production."

I was thinking about KPOP watching it. Like they've sunk so much money into reconfiguring the Broadway Theatre, when Here Lies Love finishes it's run, maybe there'd be a way to resurrect KPOP in the space? This configuration would be perfect for KPOP. 

Phillyguy said: "Unfortunately, KPOP had way too many issues that need to be fixed before it can be revived.

For example, the whole premise of a documentary camera crew just seemed distracting and unnecessary. They could've told the entire story without it at all. Vs in HLL, I really like the use of camera projections both to allow audience in upper mezz to see the faces more clearly, and the little detail like having a TV news channel overlay to make you feel like you are watching the campaign footage live on TV.

I also really dislike the use of a camera projection ion KPOP to show what happened backstage. This is live theater! Bring action to the stage.

There was way too much spoken dialogue in KPOP. I was amazed how little dialogue there is in HLL, but I was able to get a sense of time, location, and people through projections and inferences. The use of the DJ as a narrator in the beginning was brilliant. The few dialogues really projected well in a musical theater kind of way which was in strong contrast to KPOP which felt like a play with singing.

If they rewrite the book, then perhaps KPOP would make a comeback."

For sure KPOP would need to rewrite the book to be brought back... in any context. But considering people seemed to like the book for the 2017 Off-Broadway version (I didn't see it myself) a lot more than the Broadway version, I think that's realistically something the creative team could solve. 

To your point on how Here Lies Love successfully incorporated video footage, if a new version of KPOP used the Mezzanine as "backstage" that would be way more interesting than it literally happening backstage.

I think you can still have backstage scenes without using the documentary plot which didn't work.    

I can't unhear how "Walk Like a Woman" (https://open.spotify.com/track/120pmqRYGkL5S0FoVhxsWO) sounds like Janet Jackson's When I Think of You. Am I the only one?

Saw it saturday. Not clear to me that the Broadway was the right venue for this--they've reconfigured it well, but the back mezz is so deep that you can't bring it into the action. Lots of empty seats in the back. I feel like a wider, shorter theater with a shallow mezz would have worked better (Vivian Beaumont?).  I'm not sure I see this making $$ with the back half of the mezz being such a tough sell.

As for the show, really enjoyed it. Agree with some of the above, that it doesn't really get into the degree of graft (just the degree of oppression). Find the dance steps (the time warp v2) to be difficult in the packed Broadway seats.

As for KPOP, night and day. This is in much better shape.

Updated On: 7/3/23 at 10:55 AM

On the note of "very loud moments throughout" - can anyone elaborate on them? Are they sudden and jarring or is there build up to them/can they be anticipated? (Assuming at least one of them is based on Ninoy's history, but would love to know more specifics; in a spoiler if needed)

arcolley said: "On the note of "very loud moments throughout" - can anyone elaborate on them? Are they sudden and jarring or is there build up to them/can they be anticipated? (Assuming at least one of them is based on Ninoy's history, but would love to know more specifics; in a spoiler if needed)"

If you look at the song list, I don't remember if it was during the song or directly before/after, but Riots and Bombs had some pretty sudden loud noises (of essentially bombs, as the song title describes).  I remember jumping in my seat a bit in rear mezz as it was much louder than I was expecting, and it went on for a bit longer than I would've thought too.  fwiw, this was the first week of previews so not sure if they've adjusted the level or anything.  There are also some gun shots between Gate 37 and Just Ask the Flowers, but I didn't think those were nearly as loud or jarring (especially if you know the history)

HeyMrMusic said: "I hear musicians are being added tonight."

I was very confused on this point because I was looking at my Playbill after the fact, and was like, wait didn't they agree to hire musicians? Where are they? 

According to the details of the initial statement by the Here Lies Love producers about reaching a settlement with the Local 802 Union, there is supposed to be live musicians starting Saturday, June 17. 

 

 

EDSOSLO858 said: "

"


Was the gunshot pre-recorded?

 

assuimg the sounds of the bombs are from a sound board?

HeyMrMusic said: "I hear musicians are being added tonight."

Are the musicians the drum line?

Call_me_jorge said: "HeyMrMusic said: "I hear musicians are being added tonight."

Are the musicians the drum line?"

Yes. The prerecorded tracks remain.