MatPat Will Host Talkbacks at YOUR LIE IN APRIL

Global internet sensation MatPat, an online educator and co-founder of the Theorist YouTube channels with over 45 million subscribers, 9 billion total views, and 120 million monthly views, is to join the new Frank Wildhorn musical Your Lie in April as a Producer.

He will also host two Q & A talks after the performances of the musical - currently in preview at the Harold Pinter Theatre - on July 9 & 10.

Celebrity Producers, who act as a Brand Ambassador for theatre shows, have become popular on Broadway, with Hillary Clinton supporting the suffragette play Suffs, Angelina Jolie (the musical The Outsiders), and Paula Abdul (How to Dance in Ohio), among ­many others. MatPat had a similair Producer role on the Broadway thriller Grey House in the 2023 Broadway season.

Game Theorist creator MatPat, whose real name is Matthew Patrick, announced his Youtube retirement in March after nearly 15 years in the limelight and posting 3,000 theory videos. His Goodbye video has so far been viewed more than 20 million times. 

Your Lie in April is the first West End musical to be adapted from a manga story, one of Japan’s most popular romantic stories and greatest tearjerkers. The story of love and loss set in the world of classical music competition, it began previews at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre on Friday 28 June and runs for a 3-month season (Press Night Friday 5 July).

Kōsei is a brilliant young piano prodigy, dubbed the “Human Metronome” for his mechanical accuracy, who has won many prestigious competitions. But his mother’s sudden death leaves him bereft and unable to play music. That changes when he strikes a friendship with the brilliant violinist Kaori, who slowly encourages him to perform again. As Kaori continues to lift Kōsei’s spirits, he realises that he loves her. But is their relationship doomed? Your Lie in April is an epic love story about two young people trying to navigate their way in the world of classical music, underscored with Frank Wildhorn’s lushly, romantic music.

Your Lie in April has music by multi-Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award nominated Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, Bonnie & Clyde) with Lyrics by Carly Robyn Green and Tracy Miller, English Language Book by Rinnie B. Groff. It is directed and choreographed by Nick Winston (Burlesque the Musical, Death Note the Musical, Fame, Annie) and co-directed by Jordan Murphy, with Music arrangement and Orchestrations by Jason Howland.

Your Lie in April manga, published in 2011, has since sold over 7.5 million copies in 17 countries. It was adapted into a 22-part anime TV series in 2014, a Japanese live-action film in 2016 and a Japanese stage production in 2017. Frank Wildhorn’s musical opened in Tokyo in 2022, followed by a Japan tour, and smashed box office records. The West End  production is its English language premiere.

MatPat said today: “Anime and manga adaptations are perfect for the stage. The same heightened drama and emotion that defines the theatre are present in every frame of art in your typical manga. It’s my hope that productions like Your Lie in April help introduce a brand new generation to the power of on-stage storytelling. For nearly 15 years, I’ve been working to lead the growth of creators in online video. I’m so excited to venture into the world of theatre and find new ways to introduce audiences to the power of live storytelling. I had a fantastic first experience last year on Broadway with the Tony-nominated Grey House, and I’m excited to continue working in that direction with Your Lie In April. I come from a long theatre background both educationally and professionally before entering the YouTube space, so it’s been incredibly rewarding to have my journey come full circle. I’m excited about the ways that the innovation of new media can combine with the creativity and emotional immediacy of live theatre to help tell a whole new generation of stories.”

Theorist Media, a series of edutainment-focused YouTube channels created by MatPat and his wife Stephanie 15 years ago, has become famous for its “overthinking” of all facets of culture, from in-depth analysis of popular video games like Minecraft and Fortnite to videos focusing on lifestyle topics like fashion, food, and entertainment.

Today, Game Theorists is a YouTube staple, with 19.1 million subscribers on the main channel alone, and hundreds of millions of views every month. MatPat’s career has actually spawned 5 successful Youtube channels - Game Theorists, Film Theorists, Food Theorists, Style Theorists and GT Live - collectively amassing nearly 45 million subscribers and around 18 billion views. This platform has allowed MatPat to cultivate a dedicated globaL fanbase, known as  “theorists” He also created Creators in Fashion, the first live runway event for creator-founded fashion brands,Game Lab, an online reality show exploring video game science, and appeared in the Five Nights at Freddy’s Hollywood movie.