Democracy Dies in Darkness

Like many new Broadway shows, ‘Here Lies Love’ struggles to stay alive

A sluggish environment complicates the business fortunes of productions birthed on Broadway since the pandemic

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Arielle Jacobs, center, plays Imelda Marcos, with the cast of “Here Lies Love.” (Billy Bustamante, Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman)
7 min

NEW YORK — One afternoon last week, the ticket-holder line outside the Broadway Theatre, where “Here Lies Love” is running, stretched two blocks. Unfortunately for the David Byrne and Fatboy Slim musical, the crowd was queuing for the show on the next block: “Late Night With Stephen Colbert.”

Such has been the frustrating early days of “Here Lies Love,” a pulsatingly alive musical that has seemed to have everything going for it since its official opening in July: stellar reviews, world-famous songwriters, an immersive party atmosphere, proven appeal in previous productions. The expectation by producers was that the fall would be smooth sailing. Instead, “Here Lies Love” is struggling to stay alive. Its weekly running costs (about $700,000) have exceeded its weekly box-office take ($500,000 to $620,000). Which means it is losing money at a point in the run when it needs to be raking it in.