Jaygee Macapugay to assume the role of Imelda Marcos

Jaygee Macapugay will assume the leading role of Imelda Marcos in David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's hit musical Here Lies Love, from 20 October 2014. Ruthie Ann Miles will play her last performance on 18 October.

The full cast of Here Lies Love includes Ruthie Ann Miles (Imelda Marcos), Jose Llana (Ferdinand Marcos), Conrad Ricamora (Aquino), Melody Butiu (Estrella), with Renee Albulario, Carol Angeli, Natalie Cortez, Debralee Daco, Kelvin Moon Loh, Jaygee Macapugay, Jeigh Madjus, Maria-Christina Oliveras, George Salazar, Janelle Velasquez and Tobias Wong.

The musical played an extended run at the Public's LuEsther Hall in 2013, and is currently back at the same venue for an open-ended commercial run which began previews on 14 April 2014, officially opened on 1 May, and is currently booking through to 15 November 2014. There had been earlier rumours that Joey Parnes Productions and the Public Theater had been considering a Broadway premiere of the musical.

Here Lies Love was conceived by David Byrne, and features lyrics by Byrne, music by Byrne and Fatboy Slim, with additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo.

The musical opened to excellent reviews: "Exciting new poperetta (NY Times); Finally — a new musical that's so exhilarating and such a great time that it's easy to recommend it without hesitation (NY Daily News); Irresistible, the most joyful evening you can imagine (The Record); One of the most exciting, complex musicals of the season (Time Out NY).

Directed by Alex Timbers and choreographed by Annie-B Parsons, Here Lies Love "deconstructs the astonishing journey of Filipina First Lady Imelda Marcos and her meteoric rise and subsequent descent into infamy."

Press notes desribe the musical as "neither a period piece nor a biography, neither a play nor a traditional musical but a wholly immersive theatrical event combining songs influenced by four decades of dance music, adrenaline-fueled choreography, and a remarkable 360-degree scenic and video environment to go beyond Imelda's near-mythic obsession with shoes and explore the true tragic consequences of power and responsibility.

The creative team features set design by David Korins; costume design by Clint Ramos; lighting design by Justin Townsend; sound design by M. L. Dogg and Cody Spencer; and projection design by Peter Nigrini.

The World premiere of Here Lies Love opened at the Public's LuEsther Hall on 23 Apr 2013, and was originally scheduled to close on 05 May 2013, but four extensions saw the show run through to 28 Jul 2013.

The show is also currently running at London's National Theatre, where previews began on 30 September 2014, with an official opening set for 13 October and a limited run through to 8 January 2015.

- by Tom Millward