The London solid of Your Lie in April: the musical

In early June I sat down with the 4 central solid members of the upcoming London manufacturing of Your lie in April: The musical, which begins a twelve-week West Finish run on the Harold Pinter Theater from June 28. That is the English-language model of the musical, which initially premiered in Tokyo in 2022. American composer Frank Wildhorn plans to carry the musical to New York sooner or later.

As many ANN readers know, Your lie in April is the story of two teenage musicians. Kosei was as soon as a baby prodigy as a pianist, however now he’s tormented by recollections of his deceased mom and can’t play a notice. Till Kosei meets Kaori, an excellent violinist who wants a pianist to accompany her. She is a free spirit, a counterpart to Kosei’s neurotic perfectionism. Can she save him from his demons?

After all, there’s way more to inform, resembling the angle of Tsubaki, Kosei’s childhood buddy, who harbors her personal secret emotions for the boy. And what precisely is the April lie referenced within the title?

Initially a manga by Naoshi Arakawa in Month-to-month Shonen Journal, Your lie in April was later tailored into anime by A-Photos in 2014.

The upcoming London manufacturing will characteristic Mia Kobayashi as Kaori, Zheng Xi Yong as Kosei, Rachel Clare Chan as Tsubaki and Dean John-Wilson because the fourth foremost character, college soccer star Ryota. Zheng Xi Yong is a classical pianist who performs dwell on stage, whereas John-Wilson beforehand took on the position of L in two London live performance performances of Obituary: The musical in August 2023. Like Your lie in April: The musical, Obituary: The musical was composed by Frank Wildhorn.

Though that is Kobayashi’s stage debut, the opposite three actors beforehand appeared in the identical roles when Your lie in April: The musical gave three performances on the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London final April.

The vast majority of the next interview comprises minimal plot spoilers. Nonetheless, as famous within the textual content, the final two questions comprise important spoilers for the ending of the story.

What’s your background in musical theatre?

ZHENG XI YONG (Kosei): I educated in musical theater on the Royal Academy of Music in London. And in relation to this present, I began enjoying the piano after I was six. I seemed Your lie in April after the present was introduced. I simply noticed that they introduced this anime musical starring classical piano. There wasn’t even any information about auditions but. I watched the classical items that Kosei performs within the anime and realized them upfront in case I needed to play them throughout the audition, however I by no means did!

Mia, the opposite actors beforehand appeared within the London “live performance” performances of Your lie in Aprilwhich was performed briefly in April. How had been you chosen for the position of Kaori?

MIA KOBAYASHI (Kaori): It was by means of my agent; I acquired an audition for it. The primary spherical was singing two songs that Kaori sings after which my very own pop music in my repertoire. I sang ‘Someone to Love’ (the Queen musical) We’ll rock you – a little bit of a belter! I used to be known as again for the second spherical, which included two extra Kaori songs and a scene of some good forwards and backwards with Kosei to see the chemistry. And I did a dance routine.

I believed, “Usually these auditions are a few rounds,” so I hoped to get a name that I would been requested to go to the subsequent spherical… (However) I simply acquired a name that I acquired the half. So it was solely two rounds and it was very fast. I used to be so stunned; it did not actually sink in.

Rachel, your musical expertise contains Obituary on the stage.

RACHEL CLARE CHAN (Tsubaki): My first job out of drama college was Obituary: The musical in London. I used to be Sayu, Mild’s little sister. She performs extra of a task within the musical than within the anime or manga. It was actually enjoyable.

Dean, you’ve got had lots of stage expertise, together with L in Obituary: The musical.

DEAN JOHN-WILSON (Ryota): It was nice to create the position of L right here in London. It’s nice to work on anime characters, to breathe life into them, to take them off the web page and present individuals their human aspect.

How do you see Your lie in Aprilas a bit of musical theatre?

RACHEL CLARE-KHAN: It brings classical music into the theater world. They’re so integrated into one another; it’s actually distinctive. As a result of the story revolves round two classical musicians, it is rather good to see parts of classical music items within the tales. Whereas it comprises primary parts like unbelievable duets and exquisite, lush melodies, I feel it has fairly a novel sound. And every character has a really particular person means of expressing themselves by means of music. They bring about their very own colours to the palette and it is tremendous liberating.

ZHENG XI YONG: I feel it is wonderful how nicely Frank has mixed classical music with pop. It isn’t only a present that goes on pop, basic, pop, basicClassical music is woven into the pop songs he wrote and even into the underlying themes of Debussy, Chopin and Beethoven.

MIA KOBAYASHI: We did somewhat workshop with Frank Wildhorn over Zoom, and he was actually speaking about, “Minimize all that musical theater coaching.” That’s a daring assertion, but it surely has to do with the way in which I used to be educated to be by the guide when it got here to studying a music: I’m going to hit this notice, it’s going to go like this, it’s going to go like that. However now it’s like, “You hear the music, you let it circulate, do what you need and see the place it takes you.”

That feels like a mirrored image of how your character Kaori performs music.

MIA KOBAYASHI: That’s it. I began out as Kosei, by the guide, and now I’ve utterly rotated!

Some readers could have seen the musical in London in April. How will the upcoming model be totally different?

DEAN JOHN WILSON: We now have a brand new physique within the room, which can instantly change the three who’ve already performed the roles. We have now an extended interval to rehearse in order that we will form sure moments, issues which will have been pushed apart or not labored out as nicely within the quick time period. There is a greater price range, so there can be lots of cool projections and nice stuff with set design, lighting and costumes. It is a greater present.

Is there dancing within the new model?

ZHANG XI YONG: Some characters dance greater than others; it simply will depend on the story. The ensemble members…

MIA KOBAYASHI: The ensemble has a sick routine!

RACHEL CLARE KHAN: They do wonderful choreography, it is actually enjoyable to look at.

Have any of you met Your lie in April earlier than this manufacturing?

MIA KOBAYASHI: I grew up with a Japanese mom. Though I used to be born and raised right here in England, I went to Japan for a number of weeks yearly, all the time in April. I grew up with Studio Ghibli issues like Stretch And Therapeutic. However each time I went to Japan, I’d see these posters of a lady with a violin and a boy with a piano. As quickly as I heard in regards to the present, I googled it and that picture I all the time noticed was there.

Rachel, your character Tsubaki has an enormous crush on Kosei within the anime and manga. Is that also the case within the musical?

RACHEL CLARE KHAN: Very a lot so. I feel she’s so relatable as a result of everybody has that have of being utterly in love with somebody and possibly not getting the identical emotions. I feel that’s what makes her so endearing: seeing her journey, rising up with Kosei and wanting to precise her emotions. I feel within the musical she offers with it somewhat bit greater than we see within the anime. We see her take a special method to letting him know. That’s actually enjoyable and fascinating to play with.

Dean, does your character Ryota resemble the anime character?

DEAN JOHN-WILSON: Yeah, I feel we took a number of issues from the supply materials and stayed true to them. Ryota is the soccer captain of his college. He’s a complete womanizer; he simply desires to be liked by each lady, or not less than he thinks so. That’s type of what I began enjoying with; A minimum of, that is what he thinks. He thinks he is cooler than he really is and thinks he can get simply anybody, which is why he thinks he can get Kaori.

(The final questions have MAJOR SPOILERS for the ending of Your lie in April.)

Some viewers could surprise if Kaori spends all her time supporting Kosei, regardless of the whole lot we later find out about what she’s going by means of herself. How do you’re feeling about that?

MIA KOBAYASHI: I feel each particular person has their very own view on life. Once you’re informed you solely have a restricted time, you do the whole lot you need to do in life, like skydiving and swimming with sharks. You reside life to the fullest earlier than it is over, and for Kaori that was enjoying with Kosei. And I feel as an alternative of being destructive about that, we must always have a good time the truth that she is so selfless. Though it’s restrictive time for her, she thinks about another person and desires to spend her final time with him; that is what makes her really feel like she’s lived life.

ZHENG XI YONG: It’s such an altruistic sense of function in life, to assist somebody that she cares about a lot. However the present additionally talks about music and the reminiscence of you residing on by means of the music of others. So in a means, she will get to dwell on as a result of she influenced Kosei and altered his life.

The manga author Naoshi Arakawa stated he was “doubting” in regards to the ending of the story (as acknowledged in an ANN interview carried out by Deb Aoki at Anime Expo 2016). Do you assume the ending may have been happier?

RACHEL CLARE KHAN: I feel everybody can solely want for a happier ending; i feel everybody will get so hooked up to those characters, so it is actually heartbreaking to see the way it seems. However it’s a stunning reflection of actual life; your life has ups and downs and heartbreaks, and everybody will encounter them a technique or one other. I feel that is why it has the next that it does, as a result of it isn’t afraid to deal with these issues head on.

MIA KOBAYASHI: After I first noticed the anime, I used to be type of like, “Oh, two deaths. To start with, the mom…” I used to be like, “Is Kosei going to dwell?” It is very heartbreaking. However I feel the rationale why Kaori is so forward is as a result of she is aware of what she desires, and there is not any time, however nobody is aware of. Within the anime, it is so fascinating how her persona adjustments, and he or she goes from RAW-RAW-RAW to utterly completely happy. And that is as a result of time is ticking behind her thoughts, and he or she desires to get this completed.

I really feel like if all of it labored out and so they lastly acquired to play collectively and he or she acquired to dwell, it could be like, “Oh, that was a blip. Let’s dwell life!” It would not actually work. The ethical of the story is she had a time restrict; she knew what she wished; she acquired by means of it; time’s up after which it is over.

ZHANG XI YONG: I simply assume it is stunning that she was so younger and knew how one can dwell life with out regrets. And I feel that in itself is a vital ethical, to dwell life to the fullest.