Magandang umaga! That's, "Good morning!" in Tagalog. Thanks, Playbill.com, for joining me as we go through a Two-Show Day of Here Lies Love, at The Public Theater. We'll be going to The Philippines and beyond! Now, if I can just get out of bed...
Melody Butiu
My morning wake up call: Organo Gold coffee, and a kale smoothie with banana, mango, berries, hemp protein, flax seed, coconut milk, and a touch of The Bee's Knees by Peanut Butter & Co.
Melody Butiu
Jillian is about to beat me like I owe her money. Let's get our sweat on!
Melody Butiu
I love to cook my own meals for dinner break.
Melody Butiu
I've been eating mostly plant-based foods since December, and have enjoyed experimenting with new recipes. Today, I'm making a roasted cherry tomato sauce...
Melody Butiu
...over brown rice pasta, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, and Upton's Italian Seitan.
Melody Butiu
My castmate, Renée Albulario, gave me a recipe for Coconut Chia Seed Pudding, which is a delicious snack!
Melody Butiu
Yum!
Melody Butiu
Okay! Time to head to The Public Theater! Thanks to Craig Ryan Freeman, sound mixer master, for the Here Lies Love tank top he designed! Perfect for the summer.
Melody Butiu
Why, hello, neighbor and wardrobe team member, Anna Stainback! Let's catch the train, shall we?
Melody Butiu
I spend the first half of the ride doing MindValley's Envisioning Meditation, by Vishen Lakhiani. It helps me get centered, connected, grateful, forgiving and ready for the day ahead.
Melody Butiu
Today's entertainment on the train: "My Girl." I've got sunshine on a cloudy day...
Melody Butiu
Here we are! Another day at the office.
Melody Butiu
Our super colorful poster! David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's immersive disco musical about the rise and fall of Imelda Marcos is a revolutionary, on-your-feet dance party! Come boogie with us!
Melody Butiu
The bright, beautiful lobby at The Public Theater.
Melody Butiu
Hey, there Kate Wallace and Ryan Gohsman, stage management super duo! They're putting up announcements and the sign-in sheet on our call board. Don't forget to sign in!
Melody Butiu
In the dressing room!
Melody Butiu
ACV and my personal steamer: saving grace at the end of a long week. Oh, and I keep Cards Against Humanity at the theater for the occasional cast and crew throw down.
Melody Butiu
Janelle Velasquez rolls out her muscles and flashes her million dollar smile!
Melody Butiu
Team Lighting! (L-R) Tedy Isaacks, Jeremy Lane, and Jeff Nielsen. Our audience stands and dances throughout the show, while we perform on and these moving platforms throughout the space. Set design by the brilliant David Korins.
Melody Butiu
Production Assistant Power! (L-R) Birthday girl Sara Sahin, Catie Davis, and Alannah O'Hagan. They push around platforms, handle live video cameras through the crowded dance floor, and catch me when I'm being dragged off-stage.
Melody Butiu
Fight call with George Salazar, Fight Captain Billy Bustamante, and Alannah O'Hagan (That's her arm, pulling me back).
Melody Butiu
A pause to hug the beautiful Natalie Cortez, who plays Aquino's mom, with a little Billy Bustamante added for good measure.
Melody Butiu
More fight call rioting with Natalie, Janelle, and Billy.
Melody Butiu
Marissa Rae Niederhauser, Kate Lee, Dana Jacks, Alanah Shepardson, Thomas Gibbons and Lexa Burton are some of our awesome audience wranglers! They wear bright pink jumpsuits, dance with the crowd and move people around to make sure they don't get run over
Melody Butiu
Since Sara Sahin, our birthday girl, doesn't care for sweets, we celebrate with hummus, grape leaves, and tabouli from her favorite joint, Mamoun's on St. Mark's Place! Delicious!
Melody Butiu
Renée and Carol singing "Happy Birthday!" It makes for a good vocal warm up before the show
Melody Butiu
Time to get ready! Natalie Cortez and Maria-Christina Oliveras putting their pretty faces on!
Melody Butiu
More HLL gorgeous girls. From front to back: Renée Albulario, Debralee Daco, Janelle Velasquez, Jaygee Macapugay and Carol Angeli!
Melody Butiu
Sneaking a peek on the boys. From front to back: Vincent Rodriguez III, Enrico Rodriguez, Jeigh Madjus, and Julian Leong.
Melody Butiu
Our Wondrous Wardrobe Team! From front to back: Liz Wilson, Rachel Brown, Liz Lee, and Anna Stainback. Rachel, our amazing wardrobe mistress, is just not having me.
Melody Butiu
There's the smile I know and love!
Melody Butiu
Ruthie Ann Miles, who plays Imelda Marcos, with her beautiful baby, Abigail. Those cheeks!
Melody Butiu
From L-R: George Salazar, Jose Llana (Ferdinand Marcos), and Conrad Ricamora (Ninoy Aquino), laugh it up in the green room.
Melody Butiu
Who's ready for a laundry basket rocket ride?! George flies little Abbs around the room.
Melody Butiu
Micala Nuss gets ready to mic me up!
Melody Butiu
Places! Time to head to the disco!
Melody Butiu
Welcome to Millennium! This is a shrine to Imelda at the entrance of the club.
Melody Butiu
With a show as non-stop as HERE LIES LOVE, it's hard to find a moment to snap pics. Here's one, somewhere in the middle, in one of our quick change booths. Estrella is ready for "Please Don't," and "Solano Avenue."
Melody Butiu
"Pogi-na-pogi!" These guys and gals are so good looking, I had to say it twice! Our dance captain, Renée, is ready to go over some notes after our first show, but these folks want to show us some sass first.
Melody Butiu
My friends, Dr. Bob and Chris Urata, flew in all the way from Juneau, Alaska, to see the show! They were my host family when I performed at The Perseverance Theatre many moons ago.
Melody Butiu
Dinner break chow down! Ryan Platt (head of props), Jaygee Macapugay and Tao Li (video crew).
Melody Butiu
Grabbing a coffee break and girl time with the lovely Jaygee Macapugay, swinging superstar! She's going on as Imelda tonight.
Melody Butiu
We are one big, fun-loving family! Sharing a laugh in between shows.
Melody Butiu
Enrico dances the Tinikling (a traditional Filipino Dance, usually done with bamboo poles rhythmically slapping together), with a bag of pork rinds. Yes, you read that correctly.
Melody Butiu
I grab a few pics before half hour of our 9:30 show. Costumes!
Melody Butiu
Butterfly sleeves, all in a row. These traditional, beautifully detailed Filipino pageant gowns were designed by the incomparable genius, Clint Ramos.
Melody Butiu
The world leaders in the prop closet. On the Millennium dance floor, you might find yourself dropping it like it's hot with Ronald Reagan or Prince Charles.
Melody Butiu
This is where DJ perches high above to get the party going!
Melody Butiu
Vincent turned the boys' dressing room into a Mini Millennium, complete with black light, laser light show, bumpin' beats and a bar. Rockin'-est dressing room EVER!!
Melody Butiu
I'm re-touched, and ready to get dressed for show #2!
Melody Butiu
More fun with pork rinds. They can never have enough pork rinds. Janelle, a vegetarian for many years, is not impressed.
Melody Butiu
The Philippine Royal Family. Video design by Peter Negrini. I snapped this quick one before the start of the show.
Melody Butiu
Checking out the house through a monitor off stage. They're packed in and ready to party!
Melody Butiu
The Marcos effigy is watching you.
Melody Butiu
Time to celebrate. Congratulations on a fantastic week! Cheers to you, Natalie, Julian, Billy, Enrico, Maria-Christina and Jose!
Melody Butiu
Dance party! Yes, the shows are done, but we ain't goin' nowhere! Conrad, Enrico, Jeigh, and I get our groove on.
Melody Butiu
Love these boys! Jeigh and Enrico cutting it up. Notice how Enrico had an outfit change mid-party? That's how he rolls.
Melody Butiu
Finally home, I have a Skype date Alan Combies, my gorgeous man and partner in all things awesome, who's holding down the fort at our home in Manhattan Beach, CA. That's last year's Here Lies Love poster behind him.
Melody Butiu
Here lies a sleepy head! Good night, playbill.com! Thanks for going on this ride with me today! Come party with us downtown! www.herelieslove.com
Melody Butiu
