Broadway Access Review -
Here Lies Love

Pre-Show:

• There’s a lot to take in! The projections are moving a lot, the arc lights are moving a lot all over the audience, the disco ball is spinning… it’s a nightclub. I recommend coming early to give you time to acclimate

• When the DJ appears, around 12 min to showtime, the music gets louder

The Show: (it is a 90 min run time with no intermission)

• The show starts with a loud noise and flashing lights behind the DJ, he then says “Are you ready?” which is followed by bright blue flashing lights on the mezz (these appear a second time). When he says “go” there is a bright pink flash

• Opening number (American Troglodyte) - primary color is red with a little blue mixed in; after “livin’ that simple life” there is a white strobe for like ~5-10 seconds

• Here Lies Love - primary color is pink, this song is an eye break (though the stage LED pink uplights are kinda bright - the primary color is almost always on those uplights in every song, sometimes it is really bright and often not. I won’t note it unless it’s super noticeable to save space); the clap of thunder has a long lightning strobe after it

• Child of the Philippines - primary color is yellow, only flashy vibes come from the projections

• Opposite Attraction - primary color is pink, flashes are mostly projections

• Rose of Tacloban - eye strain break! Everything is dark except the traditional stage (there are 2 small camera flashes, they’re obvious)

• “Ooh Manila” - lots of white and black flashes

• A Perfect Hand - only light is the black and white tvs around the screens and the light of the camera following Marcos through the crowd (low bass and bright light at the end of the song - gets very bright when they kiss)

• Eleven Days - primarily pink/red though it goes blue in some moments; bright white flash at the end into a blackout; everyone gets up and dances

• When She Passed By - eye strain break! Basic stage lighting with blue stage LED that changes to yellow

• Sugartime Baby - primarily blue/green - when the bathing suits happen there is a moving wash of green over the audience; two small camera flashes (they’re obvious) and a raining flower projection at the end that may be dizzying

• Walk Like a Woman - pink, this number is super chill

  • “There’s nothing wrong with your heart” - loud train sound and white flashes on the sides

• Don’t You Agree?/Pretty Face - white strobe the entire train sequence (maybe 15-20 sec), white strobes & moving lights (it’s really bright here) when they win the election

• Dancing Together - low bass at the start, primary colors are red/green/purple but primarily red, lots of sparkles, green wash over audience at the end

• Fabulous One - neon yellow around the edges of the screens and pink/purple on the disco ball - when he goes down the ladder the music gets a lot louder and the lights all get brighter (loud noise as lights move after this song)

• Men Will Do Anything - low bass - slow flashing lights on the stage when the singer gets there - flashing LED red and purple and projections when the bed gets moved - bright white at the end of the song

• Star and Slave - eye strain break! Typical stage lighting and then moving through the audience

• Poor Me - primarily pink and yellow, pretty chill

• Please Don’t - primarily pink/purple, moving arc lights on the audience and semi-flashy projections - after “we’re friends for life” is another dance party with all colors flashing and louder music/bass (this happens a second time before the song ends)

• Solano Avenue - pink flash when Estrella drops the envelope; thunder & lightning in the middle of the song (like in HLL)

• “Our country” - blackout, followed by lots of white and black strobes, some smoke/haze, and very loud crashes/booms for maybe 60 seconds

• Order 1081 - eye strain break! Mostly dark, with the exception of the beige LEDs on stage

• There is a loud noise when they close Aquino’s cell

• Seven Years - this number is onstage only; Imelda is very sparkly; white/blue stage LEDs when he separates from the stage

• Audio moment - very loud with red & blue moving lights followed by a loud blackout

• Gate 37 - eye strain break! Though there is a gunshot and fuzzy lighting with low bass at the end of the song

• Just Ask the Flowers - blue lights pointed at the audience, then a blue wash; headlights on the center platform as it moves; loud bang at the end of the number (beige stage LEDs get really bright right before this)

• Why Don’t You Love Me? - primarily red, beige LEDS onstage get brighter near the end

• Helicopter noise for like 20+ seconds with lots of white strobes and moving air

• God Draws Straight - eye strain break! Super chill stripped down stage moment

• Bows - music gets louder and we go back to nightclub energy - there are flashing lights on the audience from the stage when the platform comes out with the main 3 and it gets more strobey after they bow - loud dance number to finish out the show which ends with bright white light and confetti streamers!