Photo: Harold Julian
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 today that Arielle Jacobs (In The Heights, Aladdin, Between The Lines) will lead the show’s Broadway cast in the role of former Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos.
Jacobs’ casting was unveiled exclusively this morning by Vogue Philippines: https://vogue.ph/lifestyle/entertainment/front-and-center-arielle-jacobs-to-star-in-here-lies-love/
“I’m so honored to be able to tell this story and to step into the shoes of Imelda Marcos, literally and figuratively,” said Arielle Jacobs. “Here Lies Love is a very transformative and powerful opportunity for everyone involved, and I think will also be the same for everyone who comes to experience the production.”
Alex Timbers said, "Arielle blew us away in the casting process. She combines such charisma, wit, strength, and fierce intelligence that it was immediately clear to all of us she should lead our Broadway company."
Here Lies Love tells the story of Imelda Marcos' rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution. As previously announced, Jose Llana (The King and I, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and Conrad Ricamora(“How to Get Away with Murder,” The King and I, Soft Power – Grammy nominations) will recreate their original roles as Ferdinand Marcos (Imelda’s husband and the tenth president of the Philippines whose 20-year dictatorship spanned 1965-1986; he lived in exile in the United States until his death in 1989) and Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino (a Philippine senator, opposition leader and Marcoses' primary critic; his assassination in 1983 ignited the People Power Revolution which finally ousted Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos from power), respectively.
Tony Award winner Lea Salonga also joins the cast in a special five-week-only guest engagement from July 11-August 13. Additional casting will be announced soon.
Developed & directed by Tony Award winnerAlex Timbers, with choreography by Olivier Award nominee Annie-B Parson and additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo, Here Lies Love will transform the Broadway Theatre(1681 Broadway at 53rd Street) into a dance club where the audience is immersed in the story. The musical begins performances Saturday, June 17 ahead of an official opening night on Thursday, July 20.