I wanted to do a short post that recommends MRT’s new show “The Lion”. I was able to see the show in previews on Wednesday and it’s unlike anything I’ve seen on stage before. It’s an autobiographical one-man show and a musical at the same time, which is pretty amazing. Ben Scheuer sings and plays through his life story with the help of a series of guitars, telling his story of his relationship with his father and his relationship with music. By turns raucous, joyful, sillly, and sad, it’s a surprising and memorable show. Its heart is an impressively raw and physically demanding performance from Scheuer, even more so when you consider how challenging it must be to work through the emotions of your own life on stage night after night. Highly recommended.
I got to see the show a few days early because this year I’m a part of a new program Merrimack Repertory Theater is doing called “The Cohort Club”. It’s an idea MRT’s new Artistic Director Sean Daniels brought with him from Rochester, and it involves opening their doors to a set of community members to let them see how a show takes shape. You can read more about the program here if you’re interested, and you can expect to read more about MRT on our blog as their season unfolds.
If you’re still thinking about The Lion, you can hear the first song of the show here, read what The Sun and Howl have to say about it, or read Boston Globe’s review here, but beware that they do reveal more than I do of the story you can expect to hear Scheuer tell. The New York Times also reviewed the show when it was off Broadway last year (calling Scheuer “cuter than a dozen kitty videos”!). But if you’re thinking about it, just go. It’s something special.
The Lion is Playing from now until September 20th, you can get tickets here. On September 2nd, tickets are only $10 if you live in Lowell.
Learning Lowell 