Music lovers and musical lovers, lend us your ears: We've got some updates on several of New York City's pop-music-oriented productions, specifically the Janis Joplin musical A Night With Janis Joplin and David Byrne's conceptual biography of Imelda Marcos, Here Lies Love.
The bad news first: A Night With Janis is without a home. The play will be ending its run at the Lyceum Theatre during February, although an official date hasn't been given. The show had been struggling to fill seats, despite offering tickets at discounted rates. The good news is that the show isn't completely sans future. Producers have claimed the show will continue at an off-Broadway venue beginning in March, but they haven't given any further details.
"We are tremendously proud of this show, and excited about the many people who want to see A Night with Janis Joplin in New York. We are finalizing a wonderful option to move to another venue in New York City," said Michael Cohl, a producer.
Now some good news all around: David Byrne's Here Lies Love will make a commercial comeback. The show was staged as a musical-format production at The Public Theater in the Noho neighborhood of New York City. The play is based on the album of the same name by Byrne and producer Fatboy Slim, and tells the story of Marcos's Philippines through her perspective and that of her childhood housekeeper. The soundtrack was provided by an all-star cast of female vocalists (and of course Byrne). Although the original singing cast won't be featured, the play immerses a small audience (around 200) in the performance, as the cast dances over and around them, as flashing lights emulate the disco era. It was a great album, and promises to be a great live show as well.
