Frank Wildhorn tackles another Japanese Manga adaptation
★★★★☆
Though it feels as if the Death Note musical concert was a mere few weeks ago (actually staged in August of last year), Frank Wildhorn and Nick Winston have reunited to bring another Japanese Manga to the West End, once again in the staged concert format - though formal runs of both have been heavily teased for the future. And whilst Death Note didn’t quite work on first viewing for me, Your Lie in April hooked me in from the very beginning. This may be Wildhorn’s best yet.
Staying true to the source material, the musical tells of Kōsei Arima (Zheng Xi Yong), a wildly talented high school pianist who after the loss of his demanding mother, has put the world of music behind him, claiming to no longer be able to hear the notes of the keys. It is new student and impressive violinist Kaori Miyazono (Rui Sutton) who tempts him out of his rut, encouraging him to reengage with music but on his terms, worrying less about the score and instead focusing on the power that the music can wield. Her style of playing forces a new perspective on him, changing him for the better. The piece places its focus on the might of music and Frank Wildhorn’s score captures it gracefully.
Leading the production are two exceptionally cast actors in Cheng Xi Yong as Kōsei Arima and Rumi Sutton as Kaori Miyazono. Sharing magnificent chemistry the pair are each electric and complementary performers. Sutton’s vocals glisten with sophisticated control and power. Her evolving renditions of the song ‘Perfect’ are outstanding as her character evolves, the acting through song miraculous. Cheng Xi Yong too brings the house down with his vocals but shines in finding his character’s vulnerability and demonstrating the impact Sutton’s character has on him. A stand-out moment of the show belongs to him. In the second half, he performs a beautiful piece on the piano, unaccompanied and raw. With the spotlight of this show directed towards the innate force music can be, it was not a surprise that this pivotal moment drew the largest reaction of the evening - utterly breathtaking.
A mixture of impactful ballads and energising anthems, Frank Wildhorn’s music offers an infectious quality that tickles the ears. Much of the orchestration is peppered with strong rhythmic guitar and pulsing snare that injects momentum and emotion into the evening, driving the show forward religiously. It is playful too in the gaps between heavier numbers, ‘The Beautiful Game’ is a fun example, performed by the football team (with sleek choreography) and a personal favourite arrived in a cheeky duet between the lead characters ‘Who Put You In Charge Here?’ as they wind each other, sensing their new friendship out for the first time.
Thankfully this staged concert on the whole managed to buck the trend that similar concerts have been plagued with over recent years - that of a struggling technical output. Microphone mishaps and lighting cues were barely an issue, it being near impossible to get perfect with the heavily restricted tech time and it meant we could remain immersed in the elegant story. Simon Sherriff continually draws us towards the piano positioned centre stage with his lighting design, allowing the instrument to appear to glow during significant moments. He has encircled the stage with bold streams of light that bring Justin Williams’s tiered staging to life - the cherry blossom tree carefully placed above the action watching onwards - a mammoth effort from all the design teams.
As someone not entirely won over by Death Note last year, I’ll admit to being sceptical as to this new score and story, but I couldn’t be more wrong. This is a modern pop-ish musical that hits all the right notes for me and the prospect of a full production is something we can all be excited for.
Photography - Mark Senior
