‘Here Lies Love’ cast’s curtain call with FilAm press
Cast members from (top): Debralee Daco, Randy Gener, Ruthie Ann Miles, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Jaygee Macapugay, Nathaniel P. Claridad and Jose Llana; (bottom) Melody Butiu, Jeigh Madjus, Ugly Kitchen Chef Aris Tuazon, Renee Albulario, George Salazar and Carol Angeli. Photos by Christopher Manuel Esquivel
Led by Jose Llana (who played Ferdinand Marcos), the actors who appeared at a Kapihan-Filipino Mundo-NYC organized event July 20 at The Ugly Kitchen in the East Village were George Salazar, Jaygee Macapugay, Debralee Daco, Jeigh Madjus, Renee Albulario, Melody Butiu, Nathaniel P. Claridad, Carol Angeli and Maria-Christina Oliveras.
Ruthie Ann Miles, who played Imelda Marcos, is Korean American but joined the press conference as well. Miles said an “obsession with shoes” is one thing she shared with the former first lady.
‘Imelda and Ferdinand’ or Ruthie Ann Miles and Jose Llana
Conceived by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, “Here Lies Love,” is the critically acclaimed immersive musical, where the audience members dance along with the actors at an intimate performance space featuring a 360-degree scenic projection environment. The storyline is inspired by Imelda’s meteoric rise and subsequent descent into disgrace.
Actress Debralee Daco offered a powerful insight about how Imelda Marcos, “no matter how negative her image has become, nevertheless transformed her environment to shape her own destiny,” reported Filipino Mundo-NYC curator/organizer Randy Gener, who co-hosted the event with actress Liz Casasola.
Gener continued, “The cast members of truly wanted to reach out to the Filipino American community here in NYC, especially the second and third generation Filipino Americans. That was why they were so passionate about coming out on a hot Saturday afternoon. They went out of their way to communicate with Filipino Americans in the New York/New Jersey area.”
After several performance extensions, “Here Lies Love” closed on July 28.
