David Byrne and big-beat master Fatboy Slim’s new musical, “Here Lies Love,” owes less to the Great American Songbook than to the disco. With their booming bass and propulsive rhythms, the songs make you want to get up and dance.
And at this show, you can do just that.
For this fully immersive experience, director Alex Timbers (“Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”) reconfigured the Public’s LuEsther Hall as a standing-room-only, 360-degree environment. The actors are in constant motion all over the space, and so is the audience.
“Here Lies Love” is a terrific time — that leaves a slightly sour aftertaste.
After all, this feel-good musical is about former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos. Yes, she dressed fabulously and boogied down at Studio 54, but she also stood by her man when he jailed protesters and embezzled billions from their impoverished countrymen. Could “Elena Ceausescu on Ice” be far off?
Ruthie Ann Miles has the demanding job of playing Imelda from her youth to middle age, and she’s in turn magnetic, sexy and poignant.
We first meet the future icon of footwear — the shoe collection goes unmentioned, by the way — as an innocent schoolgirl, sharing her dreams with her best friend, Estrella (Melody Butiu).
The fairy tale comes true when Imelda falls for Ferdinand Marcos (José Llana). Together they form a hot couple, rocking matching swimsuits before plundering the Philippines. We experience that last, uncomfortable bit at a remove, from the impassioned speeches of opponent Ninoy Aquino (Conrad Ricamora).
Having nonmusical scenes may have helped with the political nuances and to boost the emotional content, but “Here Lies Love” is almost entirely sung-through. (Byrne introduced a concert version at Carnegie Hall in 2007, then a couple of years ago he and Fatboy Slim released a concept album featuring many of the numbers that are in the current show.)
But this hits you later, because it’s impossible not to be swept away by the momentum. This is the rare production in which every piece of the puzzle slides smoothly in its place, from Annie-B Parson’s choreography to the fiery performances to the high-energy songs — live but backed by recorded tapes, which is fitting since Filipinos are famously fond of karaoke.
At “Here Lies Love,” it’s best to just bask in the moment.