(NYO) Lumpia Shanghai, pork skewers marinated in a classic banana ketchup-based BBQ sauce, and beef sliders dressed with a traditional slaw on ube buns. These were among the dishes that the actress, Melody Butiu, suggested we try at the Lower East Side eatery, Kayle, which specializes in on-the-go Filipino fare. It’s a steamy, humid morning when we meet a few hours before she’s due at the Broadway Theater ahead of a two-show day of the ambitious new musical, Here Lies Love, which opened on July 20.
Butiu plays Estrella Cumpas in the show—written by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim—which tells the story of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, the former president and First Lady of the Philippines whose reign lasted from 1965 to 1986. In her role, Butiu portrays something of a caregiver to Imelda whose storytelling purpose is to show how an earnest and optimistic young woman could turn her back on her past in pursuit of power, wealth and position… Read More
