The Lion
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Cititour.com Review
Not many 30 year olds have had a life worth recounting in a 70-minute solo piece, nor the talent to make their story completely compelling through a series of heartfelt, self-penned songs. But as Benjamin Scheuer stunningly proves in “The Lion,” now being presented at Manhattan Theater Club-Stage II at New York City Center, he’s no ordinary member of the Millenial generation.
A child of privilege (which isn’t made entirely clear in the show), Scheuer is a rebellious, angry 14-year-old with a deep love of music when his father Richard suddenly dies while the two are no longer speaking. He soon leaves America for his mother’s homeland, England, where he doesn’t fit it in at boarding school, and returns to New York as soon as he can.
Over the next dozen years, Ben faces two very large challenges: his longtime girlfriend, Julia, leaves him to travel around the world alone, and, later, he faces a sudden bout with a life-threatening form of cancer. (It’s not a spoiler to say he survived!). These experiences both change his outlook on life, and ultimately allow him to make peace with his late father and his legacy.
As he relates this unusual journey mostly through his songs – played on the seven guitars that dominate Neil Patel’s simply-designed set -- you’re likely to sniffle a bit, as well as smile, guffaw (or maybe even snarf), thanks to Scheuer’s honest delivery, genuine affability, and musical craftsmanship. (It doesn’t hurt that he’s pretty easy to look at for 70 minutes, either.)
Indeed, I would have sworn “Weather the Storm,” in which Rick shares his philosophy of life with Ben’s younger brothers, was a classic 1960s folk song, rather than a Scheuer original. “Saint Rick,” in which Ben tries to reconcile other people’s loving recollections of his dad with his own bitter memories, is as good an “Angry Young Man” song as I’ve heard. The joyous “Laugh,” an acoustic ballad that he wrote for Julia (on a dare), is deliciously infectious. And the title tune, which re-states everything we’ve heard before and sums up the grown-up Ben’s outlook on life, is simply masterful.
Sean Daniels’ simple, often invisible direction suits both the work and the intimate theater, never elevating the show to a level of grandiosity it doesn’t deserve. What “The Lion” does deserve, however, is a longer run than its current one (closing on July 13). Scheuer’s roar needs to continue to be heard throughout our urban jungle.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
http://www.nycitycenter.org/tickets/productionNew.aspx?performanceNumber=8169#.U6uL0LHF65w
Open/Close Dates
Opening 6/10/2014
Closing 7/13/2014
Theatre Info
New York City Center
131 W. 55th Street
New York, NY 10019
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