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The LionOpening Date: Jan 4, 2017
Closing Date: Feb 19, 2017 (dates reflect Geffen Playhouse run) Air date: Dec 2018 Medium: online Where to watch: BroadwayHD |
Stage Production Notes
A autobiographical solo musical written and performed by singer-songwriter Benjamin Scheuer. Scheuer tells the turbulent story of his family and his own brush with mortality, with his supporting cast of six guitars.
In 2010, Benjamin Scheuer and his band Escapist Papers made an album called “The Bridge”. During the making of the album, Scheuer was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma.
A autobiographical solo musical written and performed by singer-songwriter Benjamin Scheuer. Scheuer tells the turbulent story of his family and his own brush with mortality, with his supporting cast of six guitars.
In 2010, Benjamin Scheuer and his band Escapist Papers made an album called “The Bridge”. During the making of the album, Scheuer was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma.
After completing treatment, Scheuer began performing songs from the album, with the premier performance taking place in January 2012 as part of the Lincoln Center Songbook Series.
Under the direction of Sean Daniels, “The Bridge” was developed into a show, receiving workshops at Weston Playhouse Theatre Company in Vermont, and Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut.
Under the title The Bridge, the one-man musical was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at C nova between July 31 and August 26, 2013.
TW Culture reviewer Katharine Wootton described The Bridge as “charmingly boyish and disarmingly brutal in its honesty.” Writing for Musical Theatre Review, Chris Grady concluded “this is a new piece of musical theatre storytelling by a class act that deserves a long international life.”
For his performance, Scheuer received the What’s On Stage Musical Theatre Network Award for Best Lyrics and ASCAP Cole Porter Award for Songwriting.
Now titled The Lion, the musical premiered in the United States on June 10, 2014 at New York City Center Stage II. Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club, the musical played a limited 5 week engagement, closing on July 13, 2014.
Writing for The Boston Globe, Jeremy D. Goodwin stated the show “lives somewhere in between the forms of musical, cabaret performance, and song cycle.”
The off-Broadway run was awarded the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Show, the Theatre World Award for Exceptional Off-Broadway Debut,
The Lion opened at the St. James Theatre in London on August 21, 2014 where it played a limited engagement until September 7, 2014.
The off-West End run garnered Scheuer an Off West End Award (Offie) for Best New Musical.
In 2015, The Lion returned to off-Broadway, playing at the Lynn Redgrave Theatre from February 8 until March 29, 2015.
Scheuer embarked on a US national tour in 2015. As with the off-Broadway and off-West End performances, Scheuer continued to garner glowing reviews for the show.
The Lion played 500 performances across the United States. The final tour stop was the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, where the show opened on Jan 4, 2017.
In a review for Stage and Cinema, Tony Frankel noted “no one can deny there is something comforting, mesmerizing and life-affirming going on here.”
The Lion closed at the Geffen Playhouse on February 17, 2017.
Under the direction of Sean Daniels, “The Bridge” was developed into a show, receiving workshops at Weston Playhouse Theatre Company in Vermont, and Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut.
Under the title The Bridge, the one-man musical was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at C nova between July 31 and August 26, 2013.
TW Culture reviewer Katharine Wootton described The Bridge as “charmingly boyish and disarmingly brutal in its honesty.” Writing for Musical Theatre Review, Chris Grady concluded “this is a new piece of musical theatre storytelling by a class act that deserves a long international life.”
For his performance, Scheuer received the What’s On Stage Musical Theatre Network Award for Best Lyrics and ASCAP Cole Porter Award for Songwriting.
Now titled The Lion, the musical premiered in the United States on June 10, 2014 at New York City Center Stage II. Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club, the musical played a limited 5 week engagement, closing on July 13, 2014.
Writing for The Boston Globe, Jeremy D. Goodwin stated the show “lives somewhere in between the forms of musical, cabaret performance, and song cycle.”
The off-Broadway run was awarded the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Show, the Theatre World Award for Exceptional Off-Broadway Debut,
The Lion opened at the St. James Theatre in London on August 21, 2014 where it played a limited engagement until September 7, 2014.
The off-West End run garnered Scheuer an Off West End Award (Offie) for Best New Musical.
In 2015, The Lion returned to off-Broadway, playing at the Lynn Redgrave Theatre from February 8 until March 29, 2015.
Scheuer embarked on a US national tour in 2015. As with the off-Broadway and off-West End performances, Scheuer continued to garner glowing reviews for the show.
The Lion played 500 performances across the United States. The final tour stop was the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, where the show opened on Jan 4, 2017.
In a review for Stage and Cinema, Tony Frankel noted “no one can deny there is something comforting, mesmerizing and life-affirming going on here.”
The Lion closed at the Geffen Playhouse on February 17, 2017.
Filmed Production Notes
The Lion was filmed live during its run at the Geffen Playhouse.
At the end of 2018, it was announced that the capture would be available to stream on BroadwayHD, where it remains available to view.
The Lion was filmed live during its run at the Geffen Playhouse.
At the end of 2018, it was announced that the capture would be available to stream on BroadwayHD, where it remains available to view.
Learn more about composer and performer Benjamin Scheuer on episode 24 of the Filmed Live Musicals podcast. Available on all podcast apps.
The Lion PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse, LA
Producer: Gil Cates Jr., Eva Price
Book, Music and Lyrics: Benjamin Scheuer
Director: Sean Daniels; Film: Kevin S. Bright
Scenic Design: Neil Patel
Costume Consultant: Jennifer Caprio
Lighting Design: Charles Dabiezes
Sound Design: Leon Rothenberg
Cast:
Benjamin Scheuer
Theatre: Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse, LA
Producer: Gil Cates Jr., Eva Price
Book, Music and Lyrics: Benjamin Scheuer
Director: Sean Daniels; Film: Kevin S. Bright
Scenic Design: Neil Patel
Costume Consultant: Jennifer Caprio
Lighting Design: Charles Dabiezes
Sound Design: Leon Rothenberg
Cast:
Benjamin Scheuer
Sources
Books
Articles
Websites
- The Lion Program, Geffen Playhouse, (Dec 2016) Accessed via: https://issuu.com/geffenplayhouse/docs/the_lion_program-issuu
Articles
- Chris Cooke, “Musical Theatre Network Awards Presented,” TW Culture (Aug 23, 2013)
- Editorial Staff, “Benjamin Scheuer's The Lion to Premiere on BroadwayHD,” TheaterMania (Dec 5, 2018)
- Jessica Gelt, “Benjamin Scheuer and a life told in heartbreaking song at the Geffen,” LA Times (Jan 3, 2017)
- Jeremy D. Goodwin, “‘The Lion’: a musical memoir of hurt and healing,” Boston Globe (Sept 2, 2015)
- Tony Frankel, “Los Angeles Theater Review: THE LION (Geffen Playhouse in Westwood)” Stage and Cinema (Jan 7, 2017)
- Chris Grady, “The Bridge – C Nova,” Musical Theatre Review (Aug 12, 2015)
- Charles Isherwood, “Songs and Scars From Father to Son,” The New York Times (June 26, 2014)
- Tom Millward, “Benjamin Scheuer's The Lion plays St James Studio,” London Theatre (June 23, 2014)
- Peter Ranscombe, “Benjamin Scheuer: The Bridge,” The Lancet Oncology, Vol 14, Issue 11 (Oct 2013), p.1054
- Robert Simonson, “Benjamin Scheuer Tames The Lion: Chemo, Family, Obsession and a Cookie-Tin Banjo,” Playbill (July 8, 2014)
- Christopher Wallenberg, “Benjamin Scheuer’s ‘The Lion’ a musical trek through pain and regret,” Boston Globe (Aug 22, 2015)
- Lydia Willgress, “Top 5 musicals based on true stories at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013,” The List (Aug 7, 2013)
- Katharine Wootton, “The Bridge (Benjamin Scheuer),” TW Culture (Aug 2, 2013)
- Lyle Zimskind, “The Lion,” Stage Raw (Jan 10, 2017)
Websites
- Benjamine Scheuer, Accessed via: https://www.benjaminscheuer.com/
- Between Two Spaces, Accessed via: https://betweentwospaces.com/
- Geffen Playhouse, “The Lion,” Accessed via: https://www.geffenplayhouse.org/shows/the-lion/
- The Lion Musical, Accessed via: http://thelionmusical.com/#home
- Manhattan Theatre Club, “The Lion: 2013-14 Season” Accessed via: https://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/shows/2013-14-season/the-lion/
- Manhattan Theatre Club, “The Lion,” Accessed via: http://shows.manhattantheatreclub.com/thelion/
- Stacey Mindich Productions, “The Lion,” Accessed via: https://staceymindichproductions.com/production/the-lion/#about
Written by Luisa Lyons (December, 2020)