Here Lies Love Mark Taper Forum

I guess I made a mistake & ordered a ticket through TodayTix for Here Lies Love for tonight Feb 12 instead of next month March 12.

If anyone is in LA & can use the ticket tonight I have turned on private messages. I guess you need a todaytix account and I'll send the info for the tickets through another PM

Updated On: 2/12/26 at 02:19 PM

Wish I could go, very curious to see how this plays in a non-replica production.

Wish the ethnicities of the creative team could match the material. It's not necessary but would be nice since the Broadway wasn't either.

Bought a new ticket for when I will actually be in LA - don't know how I misread the calendar? There's a discount code you can use for some dates on the CTG site that saves a bit over current prices on todaytix - SoCalFilipinos

But darn it my ticket for last night was a good deal- I had somehow got a regular $100 seat for only $30

I saw the show last night. Boy what an odd experience. Having only known the show to exist a certain way for so long seeing it totally reconcieved kind of hurt my brain.

This production is mostly a procenium show but they have added two platforms in the mid orchestra that are utilized and there are some moments that spill out into the auditorium. The show can't quiet decide what level of immersion it wants to put forward and the framing device of it being a episode of a variety show very much falls away after the opening.

This production also pulls the DJ character towards the center making them both a drag queen and also more of a character similar to the Emcee in Cabaret.

The added songs are, fine, but could stay or go (The Whole Man takes place with Ninoy in jail and Imelda giving a speech at the UN) The cast is mostly good but no one really stands out. This production shows that it is possible for the material to be done without building a big immersive nightclub but this production was still screaming out to be all over the room and felt restricted at times

Granted it was only a third preview but the sound mix was all over the place, it was hard to make our lyrics but then some songs that sonically should have been LOUD like Dancing Together felt flat and needed BASS

My biggest critque of the production is that it spells out EVERYTHING via projected captions, it is if the director doesn't trust the audience to be able to understand what is happening and when.

Overall it is a fun experiment that doesn't quiet work but if you are a fan of the show it is an interesting watch.

Was able to catch this production earlier this week, and it was a truly sensational experience.

I was a fan of the score and caught the Broadway production in previews (did the standing room in the orchestra in the mosh pit) and felt like the show itself just didn't work in that space. What Snehal Desai (the Artistic Director at CTG and the Director of this production) was able to do with a few small tweaks to the material and a fairly traditional space was make a show that still felt immersive, but much more accessible for people unfamiliar with the story.

The cast is uniformly excellent, but it is a star-making turn for Reanne Acasio who apparently understudied Imelda but never went on in New York. Her vocals were insane and her emotional transition through the piece was magnificent to watch. Chris Renfro as Ferdinand and Joshua Dela Cruz had everyone in the audience audibly swooning throughout, and the entire ensemble was giving it their all throughout. Sometimes you can just feel the energy of a production and it lifts you up, and I felt that here the whole time.

If you're in LA, run to see this before tickets are sold out!

Updated On: 2/21/26 at 06:03 PM

To be fair, the director Snehal is at a disadvantage since he lacks basic creativity and communication skills. He takes home 300k plus to be artistic director of an institution that thinks mounting this 14 year old musical that didn’t have much to say 14 years ago passes for cutting edge. Don’t get me started on the managing director’s half a million annual salary to program the most boring 2nd tier tour heavy seasons year after year.
wait… I mean : Yay diversity!

Saw Here Lies Love at Mark Taper Forum last night.

First let me say, it's frigging 90 degrees in LA right now. That's almost the hottest it gets in Vancouver at the height of summer, so walking out of the airport yesterday morning was a slap in the face. I had a had a jacket and sweater on in the plane, so was right away stripping down outside on the sidewalk while waiting for the shuttle bus.

Back to HLL: this was my first time seeing any version of this show and I've never listened to any of the music. The Mark Taper Forum reminds me Lincoln Center Theater, just without the balcony. So here the show was presented almost in the round. As a stage show it worked for me and I had a good time. It was a fun, but I don't think it is a really successful the show - not because it is performed on a stage instead of as a dance party. There's just so much of the plot that goes over a person's head if they aren't already familiar with the intricacies of Filipino political history. I just felt like it needed more script explaining things better. There was an interview in the program between the director & David Byrne explaining he didn't want to do a traditional musical with book scenes. An interesting experiment; but one that fails and shows why traditional musicals are structured how they are - because that works! There was plenty of text in the projections to try & help explain what was happening and the time - but if I wanted to read a book I'd stay home and read a book. For me this needed more in the script to explain events better.

Just looked at the Wikipedia page, and it says:
"The DJ is replaced by a drag character named "Imeldific", portrayed by Aura Mayari of RuPaul's Drag Race fame, who offers additional narration and context to the story and functions as an alter ego for Imelda's opulance."

That all worked for me really well. I wanted maybe more.

I guess this means that the NYC version probably didn't have the scene where Imeldific and Imelda snort poppers together?

Ultimately though what doesn't work for me is such a glossy show about such an awful woman. It just doesn't present her as awful enough. Afterwards I was comparing this in my head to Cambodian Rock Band where there is a clear menacingly evil character. Is it because Imelda Marcos is still alive that they couldn't be more forceful?

Vancouver, like LA, has a huge Filipino population that is integral to the city. So I know that feelings on the Marcos are very mixed. I think of one co-worker who wasn't born until the mid-90's, who never experienced their rule, and if anything has stronger feelings about the corruption at the end of the Aquino era. So you'll never make everyone happy.

One little niggling complaint is that a lot of the company, especially the dancers felt very amateurish. Reminded me of the quality I'd get at the student or amateur musical productions at home.

It may not have been perfect, but I'm glad I came down to see this.

tjjster said: "Saw this last night. Apologies for my ramblings…


I have to agree with a lot of the previous posts. This was…okay.


I think removing the immersive experience reveals how flimsy thematerial is. Something this production tries to rectify by adding the Imeldific character as well as the numerous projections to provide context and the passing of time.

One glaring issue that CTG needs to address is the abysmal sound design.This is a consistent issue across almost every musical they produce and or host. I understand touring shows might be more difficult to adapt to their spaces, but seriously some of the worst sound design I’ve ever experienced in 30 years of theater going.

I liked the addition of Imeldific, I think it’s an entry point for the audience that is needed and Aura Mayori was fine. It was great seeing veteran Joan Almedilla on stage.

Reanne Acasio really excelled once she became Imelda Marcos and all that that name embodies. Her younger Imelda was fine, but I think her transition to and performance of the cold hearted Imelda was really great. Her anger fueled portrayal of the final “you should love me song” was superb.


Joshua Dela Cruz likewise I feel grows more comfortable in Ninoy’s skin as the show moves through the plot. His political activist comes off stronger than his opening song/scene.


Chris Renfro tried his best, but I feel the amount of time that passes in the show worked against him, as I don’t think he was able to portray either the gravitas of the role or the aging of the character.

I’ll echo that the ensemble feels very young and at times it felt I was watching a college production.The choreography had moments where it was effective but then there was some really odd choices that felt like I was watching a beginning jazz dance class’s across the floor warmups.


Snehal Desai, I feel, tried to parallel the show to the current political climate, forgoing the medley at the end of the show and instead performing a reprise of Rise Up with the cast ending looking at projection of an Aquino quote about not ignoring corruption.

He keeps the show moving and the set, lighting, costumes were all effective. The problem for me is this production never fully pulls you in,something is always just slightly off.


I have to agree. Okay.
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