HERE LIES LOVE Extends Run at Center Theatre Group
The show must close on April 5, 2026.
By: Stephi Wild Feb. 11, 2026
Center Theatre Group has announced that its new production of the groundbreaking musical Here Lies Love at the Mark Taper Forum has been extended for two additional weeks and must close on April 5, 2026. The press opening is February 18.
Featuring music by Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winner David Byrne and Grammy Award winner Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love is directed by CTG Brindell & Milton Gottlieb Artistic Director Snehal Desai with choreography by William Carlos Angulo. The production, the first since appearing on Broadway in 2023, is a transformative experience combining disco beats with adrenaline-fueled choreography and an innovative visual design.
Here Lies Love is a groundbreaking musical about former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos' rise to power and the corruption, violence, and authoritarian rule during her time as First Lady and her family's exile amidst the People Power Revolution. The show goes beyond Imelda's near-mythic obsession with shoes to explore true questions of power and responsibility. It is a story fueled by greed, power, and disco that feels as timely today as ever.
The cast features Reanne Acasio as Imelda Marcos, Joshua Dela Cruz as Aquino, Chris Renfro as Ferdinand Marcos, Carol Angeli as Estrella, Aura Mayari as Punong-Abala/Host, and Joan Almedilla as Aurora. The ensemble includes Steven-Adam Agdeppa, Kayla Amistad, Kelvin Co, Joanne Javien Coudriet, Audrey Lyn Crabaño, JeffLorenz Garrido, Sarah Kay, Garrick Goce Macatangay, Danielle Louise Mendoza, Justine Rafael, and Ryan Salazar. The swings are Zandi de Jesus, Johnisa Almariya Breault, and Hayden Rivas.
In addition to providing more opportunities for audiences to see the show's Los Angeles premiere, the extension dates also give Center Theatre Group the opportunity to present two Student Matinee performances for Los Angeles-based students and their schools.
“Before we have even begun previews for Here Lies Love, the show has already proven to be one of the most popular and anticipated Taper shows in the fifty-nine-year history of Center Theatre Group. Having this production feature a powerhouse all-Filipino cast and a predominantly AAPI creative team not only fills me with immense pride and gratitude, but it has also helped welcome new audiences into our theatre who, in the past, may not have fully seen themselves on our stages,” said Snehal Desai, CTG's Brindell & Milton Gottlieb Artistic Director. “LA is home to the largest Filipino community in the country and it's an honor to bring this show, and this powerful new production, to our beautiful city. I can't wait for audiences to experience it—and now they have two more weeks to catch it, or to come back again for more!”
The creative team assembled by Director Snehal Desai includes William Carlos Angulo (Choreographer), Joe Cruz and Jennifer Lin (Co-Music Directors), Arnel Sancianco (Scenic Designer), Jaymee Ngernwichit (Costume Designer), Marcella Barbeau (Lighting Designer), Brian Hsieh (Sound Designer), Yee Eun Nam (Projection Designer), Kaleena Jordan (Hair, Wig, and Make-Up Designer), Janelle Dote Portman (Associate Director), U.J. Mangune (Associate Choreographer), and Ely Sonny Orquiza (Dramaturg), Jim Steinmeyer (Illusion Consultant), and Giselle "G" Tongi-Walters (Community Liaison). Casting by Michael Donovan Casting, Michael Donovan, CSA, Richie Ferris, CSA, and Joe Pinzon (Casting Consultant). The Production Stage Manager is Jill Gold.
2025/26 Season programming at the Mark Taper Forum is made possible through the generous support of the S. Mark Taper Foundation. Additional season support is provided by the Perenchio Foundation.
Center Theatre Group, one of the nation's preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles' leading not-for-profit theatre company, which, under the leadership of the Brindell & Milton Gottlieb Artistic Director Snehal Desai, Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman, and Producing Director Douglas C. Baker, programs the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Center Theatre Group is one of the country's leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics, and circumstances to serve Los Angeles. Founded in 1967, Center Theatre Group has produced more than 700 productions across its three stages, including such iconic shows as Zoot Suit; Angels in America; The Kentucky Cycle; Biloxi Blues; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; Children of a Lesser God; Curtains; The Drowsy Chaperone; 9 to 5: The Musical; and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. CenterTheatreGroup.org
The S. Mark Taper Foundation, founded in 1989, is a private family foundation dedicated to enhancing the quality of people's lives by supporting nonprofit organizations and their work in our communities. The S. Mark Taper Foundation is committed to grantmaking that aligns with the values of diversity, equity and inclusion.
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