David Byrne reaches hiring agreement over ‘Here Lies Love’ Broadway musical

David Byrne has reached an agreement with a musicians union over his Here Lies Love Broadway musical.

• READ MORE: David Byrne: “I have a little bit of hope. Not every day, but some days”

The musical is based Byrne and Fatboy Slim‘s double album of the same name, which was released in 2010 and documents the life of Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines.

It was previously held at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in 2012, New York’s Public Theater in 2013, London’s National Theater in 2014, and the Seattle Repertory Theater in 2017.

But a new Broadway production, which is set to premiere on July 20 with previews beginning next weekend, received an objection from the American Federation of Musicians’ Local 802 last month over the show’s plan to use pre-recorded music.

The union claimed that it violated a contract clause requiring that at least 19 musicians are hired for all musicals staged at the Broadway Theater. Responding to criticism in The New York Times, a spokesperson for the production claimed that the decision to use pre-recorded music was “part of the karaoke genre inherent to the musical and the production concept.”

At the time, Byrne issued a statement of his own defending the production choices, explaining the “dance club track-act immersion” as part of the show’s nontraditional staging.

But it has now been agreed that the production will go ahead with 12 musicians, all of whom are union members.

We are proud to announce that “Here Lies Love” will have live music in the form of 12 musicians. Please see our statement on the agreement we’ve reached: pic.twitter.com/DTA52d5OWV

— Local 802 AFM (@Local_802_AFM) June 9, 2023

“Broadway is a very special place with the best musicians and performances in the world, and we are glad this agreement honours that tradition,” said Tino Gagliardi, Local 802’s president and executive director, in a statement.

Producers for Here Lies Love added via Pitchfork: “On behalf of our entire cast, company and creative team, we have reached an agreement with Musicians Union Local 802, per the collective bargaining agreement. We look forward to welcoming audiences to experience the revolutionary musical experience that is Here Lies Love at the Broadway Theatre beginning on Saturday, June 17.”

The original 22-track double album ‘Here Lies Love’ featured a host of guest vocalists, including Florence And The Machine‘s Florence Welch, Santigold and Tori Amos.

Meanwhile, St Vincent and Byrne recently performed a cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Chemical Love’ together live.

The post David Byrne reaches hiring agreement over ‘Here Lies Love’ Broadway musical appeared first on NME.