In a not-so-surprising development, “Here Lies Love” is bidding adieu to Broadway, a demise met with mixed feelings. 

While it’s a feather in the cap for the Philippines to have a homegrown musical and an all-Filipino cast on the illustrious stage, one can’t help but ponder why the seats remained as empty as the promises of a politician.

Is Broadway fatigued with the Marcos saga, or have theater-goers rejected the notion of a theater experience without plush seats? Perhaps the Great White Way isn’t ready for a show that challenges the hegemony of cushioned comfort. 

Could it be that American audiences, accustomed to Les Misérables-style epics, find “Here Lies Love” a bit too shallow and a tad too brown?

Or, just maybe, the viral video of Lea Salonga cold-shouldering a fan had more impact than anticipated. Did her icy dismissal freeze the enthusiasm of potential theatergoers, leaving them colder than a New York winter? 

Whatever the reason, “Here Lies Love” is a testament to the fact that even a musical can’t escape the drama of Broadway politics. After all, “Miss Saigon” was met with protests when it first arrived in New York.