“It’s very interesting that when we did the show before, people criticized the show for attacking the Marcos family. And now it’s turned around…,” says show creator and musician David Byrne.
This is where love liesthe disco pop musical about the rise of the Marcos family in the Philippines in the 1960s and 1970s, officially opens on Broadway on July 20.
While the current production prides itself on featuring Filipinos on Broadway, some netizens are questioning the fact that a “funny” musical has been made about the bloody Marcos dictatorship.
In an interview courtesy of This is where love lies co-producer Giselle Tongi, the musical’s cast and creative team share their thoughts on taking on a project with a lot of historical baggage:
Here are some key excerpts from the interviews:
Lea Salonga who plays “Aurora Aquino”
“I feel anything that can illuminate parts of our history, I feel like that’s always important, even if it’s an ugly part of history, even if it’s a part of history that’s filled with heartbreak and pain and bad memories.”
“Everyone will have a different experience of martial law. Everyone will have a different level of experience with EDSA. What I remember from the EDSA revolution was this sense of catharsis on the part of many people and hope.
“But what is happening in the present may not always be related to what happened in the past because remember the EDSA revolution is 1985, the victory of Bongbong Marcos is 2022. There are many things , which happened between them. So we have to look at that as well.”
David Byrne, concept and music/lyrics
“It’s very interesting that when we did the show before, people criticized the show for attacking the Marcos family. And now things have turned around and people who haven’t seen the show yet are criticizing it for perhaps glamorizing the Marcos family.
“There is some truth in that. In my understanding, the Marcoses were a glamorous couple. Filipinos were thrilled to be represented by this glamorous couple who impressed the whole world. And in a sense, the Filipino people were thus seduced.
“And then the Filipino people are in a way very betrayed by these people when they go to the dark side. I want the audience to have the same experience of being seduced. They feel, oh, isn’t that wonderful? Look how beautiful they are. Look how beautiful and how wonderful this is. And then they feel like, well, hey, we were tricked.
Ariel Jacobs who plays “Imelda Marcos”
“There is a lot of information about Imelda Marcos and much of it was brought out by the Marcos regime. And much of it is told by primary sources and people who were affected by the Marcoses.
“Right now I’m very happy that the company of This is where love lies provides the entire cast with a wealth of information that comes from primary sources. So we can figure out where the real information is, where the misinformation is, and figure out for ourselves what will help us tell that story as accurately as possible.”
Conrad Ricamora who plays “Ninoy Aquino”
“I am looking at every material that Ninoy has available. He shot a lot of video in his life and I watch and review this. I am currently reading his book, Testament from a prison cell, that he wrote during the seven years he was in prison. And just consuming everything that he wrote, every material that was available and just letting it into my skin and bones and then performing it every night.”
Jose Lana who plays “Ferdinand Marcos”
“The challenge of researching President Ferdinand Marcos is that much of the history written about him is not true.
“I had to do so much research on who wrote the part of the story I was reading to make sure: Who is this person in that world? Are these truths made up? And also, even Marcos’ personal diary that he wrote, he wrote things in there that were false because he changed the dates because he was obsessed with the number seven and he wanted, knowing that his diary would be read in the future, he would change things to make them look better for him. And even to this day his war stories of his valor are very much in question.
“So I think that’s the purpose of our show, is to bring back information and try to tell the truth about what happened and the truth about who these people are and the bad choices that they made, so that we can we hold history accountable.”
Clint Ramos, lead producer and costume designer
“The gift this show gave me was a kind of almost eternal reading of our history. You know, my connection to this regime, my connection to the struggle against this regime, my connection just as a Filipino, growing up under martial law, all of that…
“I also feel like (co-producer) Jose Antonio Vargas and I feel like we’re really wrapping our arms around this and making sure that the Filipino agenda doesn’t get lost. Because as we know, the Philippine agenda, the Philippine experience is broad. It is multi-layered. It is nuanced. There are so many ways to be Filipino and be proud to be Filipino. And we are happy to be riding, being a part of this Philippine renaissance that is happening globally.” – Rappler.com