6 minute read

Tony Award winner Lea Salonga joins Broadway cast and producing team of ‘Here Lies Love’

For limited guest engagement July 11 – August 13, 2023

THE producers of Here Lies Love, the groundbreaking musical from the minds of Grammy®, Oscar®, and Tony Award® winner David Byrne (concept, music and lyrics) and Grammy Award® winner Fatboy Slim (music), announced that Tony and Olivier Award winner Lea Salonga, a global Filipina legend, will join the show’s Broadway cast for a special guest engagement this summer.

Advertisement

Salonga, who is also joining the producing team of Here Lies Love, will appear in the show for five weeks from Tuesday, July 11 through Sunday, August 13. She will perform “Just Ask The Flowers,” sung by the character of Aurora Aquino – mother of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, whose assassination ignited the People Power Revolution that ousted Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos from power. After her five-week run, guest stars from the Philippines will take over the role, showcasing the abundance of talent from her native country. This production marks the first time Salonga will serve as a producer on a Broadway show; Here Lies Love also marks the first time Salonga will play a Filipino role on the Broadway stage.

Salonga returns to the Broadway Theatre with Here Lies Love after making her Broadway debut there in 1991, winning the Tony Award for her portrayal of Kim in Miss Saigon at age 20.

Here Lies Love, which tells the story of former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos’ rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution, will begin performances Saturday, June 17 ahead of an official opening night on Thursday, July 20.

Lea Salonga said, “I’m so excited to be joining Here Lies Love as both a performer and producer! 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! 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!”

Director Alex Timbers said, “Having Lea join the Here Lies Love family is a pinch-me moment for all of us. I can’t wait to get in the rehearsal room with her and the other talented artists working on this show.”

Producer and costume designer Clint Ramos said, “Lea Salonga has singularly secured a place for Filipinos on the Broadway stage. That she joins us as both performer and producer, where she creates a pipeline for Filipina actresses, is profoundly historic. Lea continues to be a beacon of light and source of pride for the Philippines. We are thrilled to welcome club where the audience is immersed in the story.

Ticketing information

As the official card sponsor of Here Lies Love, American Express® Card Members have Early Access to exclusive presale tickets before the general public from Friday, March 10 at 10am EST through Monday, March 20 at 9:59am EST at Telecharge.com.

Presale tickets for Here Lies Love are available exclusively to Audience Rewards® members from Monday, March 20 at 10:00am ET through Wednesday, March 22 at 9:59am ET. It’s free and fast to join at www. AudienceRewards.com.

Cherry Pie on ‘Oras de...

PAGE 12 locally produced film related to the same subject matter, Darryl Yap’s “Martyr or Murderer.” Supporters of both projects are actively engaged in an online tussle as to which film deserves to be seen by local moviegoers and whether producers intentionally set their film’s screening date to March 1 to ensure a face-off between the two productions. her to Here Lies Love.”

As previously announced, the cast of Here Lies Love will also include Jose Llana (The King and I, The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee) and Conrad Ricamora (“How to Get Away with Murder,” The King and I, Soft Power –Grammy nominations). An international casting search is underway for the remaining company of 20+ actors.

Developed & directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, with choreography by Olivier Award nominee Annie-B Parson and additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo, the show’s home at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway at 53rd Street) will be transformed into a dance

Audience Rewards is the Official Rewards Program of Broadway, providing membership benefits and rewards for more than 2.7 million members and representing more than a quarter of all Broadway tickets purchased through Ticketmaster and Telecharge. Free and easy to join, Audience Rewards allows buyers to earn Show Points on every ticket purchase, to be redeemed for free tickets, theater collectibles, unique experiences, and more. Founded in 2008 by a unique coalition of prominent theater owners, including Nederlander, Shubert, and Jujamcyn, major national presenters, and key performing arts centers from across the country, Audience Rewards has offered members first access presales to more than 100 Broadway shows and 200 VIP experiences and events, which have included a meet and greet with Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge, a walk-on role in Rock of Ages, a cooking class with Gavin Creel & Celia Keenan-Bolger, celebrity Q&As, backstage tours and much more.

Tickets are on sale to the general public beginning Monday, March 27 at 10:00am EST online at Telecharge.com or by phone at 212-239-6200.

For information on groups of 10+, contact Broadway Inbound at broadwayinbound.com or call 866-302-0995.

More information about

“They’ve always been there,” said Picache as a way to describe her bashers. “I won’t say I don’t feel hurt, especially when they get really personal and talk about my late mother because they don’t know a thing about what happened to her. It’s just that I’ve come to accept that bashers will never go away. Those who know me are aware that I always stand for what I believe in and I don’t mince words. It’s just that if it’s a matter that doesn’t help me improve my life, I choose to ignore it. It’s that simple—block, delete and move on.”

Film within a film

“Oras de Peligro” attempts to present the events that happened on the four days leading to the Edsa Revolution in 1986 that eventually overthrew the government of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Picache is Beatriz, whose husband Dario (Allen Dizon) is murdered by a corrupt and abusive policeman. Because of the incident, her family turns from passive victims of social injustice into active participants in the final hours of the uprising.

“It’s a film within a film. You will see real footage of incidents during the Edsa revolt. Beatriz’s family is only one of the many who experienced hard times. According to Direk Joel, they are composite characters of different people we know,” Picache told Inquirer Entertainment in a recent Zoom interview. Even Picache has personal experiences to share of how involved she was as a teenager at the time. “I was just 16 then. My family went to Edsa. We were all situated along Annapolis in Greenhills. We answered the call of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin for everyone to go out and march to Edsa. I witnessed the time when people were giving rosaries and bread to soldiers,” she recalled.

When asked why she felt this particular film is important and worth all the trouble she’s getting from bashers, Picache explained: “It’s very timely. It reflects the things I really believe in. It’s a campaign against disinformation and fake news. I said, nagtugma ang lahat. Although, to be honest, I still had to think if it was really OK before saying ‘yes,’ especially since I was very active during the 2022 presidential campaign.”

Also, Picache said Beatriz is very different from the mother roles she did for TV. “What’s good about her is that, while she is also a mother, this is not the highlight of the movie. I also got to read the script by Boni Ilagan and Eric Ramos and found it to be very beautiful. That’s actually my first consideration. I also missed working with Direk Joel. I haven’t done a film in a long time since most projects offered to me lately were mother roles, something that I’m already doing for TV.”

Oras de Peligro” is by Bagong Siklab Productions. Role in ‘Batang Quiapo’

Speaking of TV work, Picache plays Marites, the mother of Tanggol, the character Coco Martin plays in the new action-drama series, “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.”“She is a loving mom, but at the same time, she would do everything for her husband Rigor (John Estrada). There are so many things that the audience will have to look forward to about Marites

This article is from: