Marcos Musical: Disco & Dictators Collide in LA

David Byrne's "Here Lies Love," a musical chronicling the life of Philippines' First Lady Imelda Marcos, is now captivating audiences at Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum. This production diverges from earlier immersive iterations, opting for a seated audience experience and a noontime variety show aesthetic over a disco club setting.

Directed by Snehal Desai, the Mark Taper Forum staging features the western United States' most famous thrust stage, allowing for a more intimate audience-performer connection. The creative team, largely Filipino, sought to create a recognizable environment for the local Filipino community.

Director Snehal Desai adapted the musical's opening from a disco club to a Filipino noontime variety show to better resonate with the community. The production also introduces a drag queen TV host, Imeldific, to provide spoken context for the largely sung-through narrative.

The musical's narrative, originally conceived over a decade ago, retains potent political relevance in 2026. Both David Byrne and Snehal Desai note parallels between the Marcos regime's actions and contemporary political events, highlighting themes of populism and authoritarianism.

Recent adjustments include the return of the song "American Troglodyte" as a refrain and the inclusion of two songs, "Never So Big" and "Whole Man," from Byrne's original concept album. These additions provide moments for reflection within the show's fast-paced, sung-through structure.

The Mark Taper Forum production features a predominantly Filipino cast and creative team, with many having prior experience with the musical. The show aims to spark conversation and reflection, particularly for the large Filipino community in Los Angeles, without glorifying the Marcoses.