ABSTRACT
Here Lies Love is an album, and stage-show, based on the real-life story of Imelda Romualdez Marcos, wife of the former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Based on biographical research on the former lady of the Philippines and governor of Metro Manila, Here Lies Love traces a novel interpretation of Imelda's life story, from her youth in rural Philippines through to the Marcos-imposed martial law and their conjugal dictatorship. Here Lies Love, the "revolutionary musical experience" or disco-opera, premiered at New York's Public Theater in April 2013 and opened in London's National Theatre in 2014. The disco-opera setting of Here Lies Love is marked by some noticeable, structural differences to the album version of the song. Here Lies Love represents a Western elucidation of Filipino living history. David Byrne explains that his fascination with the Imelda narrative began after hearing of her love of disco.
