David Byrne and Fatboy Slim musical to make New York premier

David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's Here Lies Love is scheduled to make its New York city debut at The Public Theater in April 2013.

The musical, which explores the life of Filipino First Lady Imelda Marcos, was developed from a concept by Byrne, who also wrote the lyrics, and music by Fatboy Slim and Byrne. The production will be directed by Alex Timbers who recently helmed Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Performances will be April 2 through May 5, 2013 at the LuEsther Theater.

In Here Lies Love, Byrne and Fatboy Slim tell the story of Imelda Marcos's meteoric rise and subsequent descent into infamy, all within a throbbing dance club environment. This immersive spectacle combines disco beats, choreography by Annie-B Parson, and a 360-degree scenic and video environment, all the while moving beyond Marcos's oft-discussed obsession with shoes to explore questions of power and responsibility. This marks the first theatrical production of Here Lies Love, which was first presented as a song cycle at the Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts in 2006 and in concert at Carnegie Hall in 2007.

Nonesuch Records released the double-disc song cycle recording of Here Lies Love in 2010, featuring a who's who of indie rockers, dancefloor divas, and established stars, including Tori Amos, Steve Earle, Cyndi Lauper, Natalie Merchant, Kate Pierson of the B-52's, Sharon Jones, Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine, Santigold, and St. Vincent. The Wall Street Journal calls it "a fountain of funk and dance music that's entirely accessible." Both the standard and the deluxe editions of the album are available from Nonesuch Records.