Off-Broadway Review: “The Lion”

The writer and star of The Lion, Benjamin Scheuer, enters the stage of the Lynn Redgrave Theatre with a mane of wild, tussled hair. He sits and sings a song about a toy banjo his father made for him. With his pleasant face and the intimate atmosphere, you may think you’re in for a sweet sort of folk music concert. But, you would only be about half right.

Mr. Scheuer takes us on an autobiographical journey from his childhood to present day, with many demons lurking beneath the friendly surface. The innocence of his first experiences playing guitar with his Dad begin the story. Tensions between father and son set the narrative in motion. Music is their sole connection, and as hints of depression and rage enter the picture, this connection grows uneasy.

To go into too many plot details would absolutely spoil the fun and heartbreak of experiencing the twists live. The less you know going in the better. But, safe to say that seemingly innocuous moments offer glimpses of a darker side to his family life. He asks one friend “What do you do when your Dad breaks one of your toys?” and the friend “looks at me like I’m insane”. The following tale of hostility, loss, love, sex, and illness carry the audience through depressing lows and triumphant highs. Though his father is not around for his adult life, his presence looms large over Ben and the way he matures.

A solo performance dealing with heavy themes of the actor’s life has the potential to come off as self indulgent at every turn. Thankfully, Scheuer performs with an openness and gusto that allows the audience in, instead of keeping them at bay during private moments. He possesses a simplicity in style, devoid of pretensions. It allows you to root for him and cry for him.

Seven different guitars serve as the only instruments of the evening. Each symbolizes a different period of his life, including a hilarious and touching segment on an electric guitar (during his teenage days as an “awesome” angst ridden rocker). Almost more powerful than his sweet and appealing singing voice, is his ability with each ax. The guitar solos in all of his self-penned songs appear to exist as an extension of the performer, with power and emotion rushing out of the guitars like waterfalls. Ben Stanton adds to the atmosphere, creating stunning stage pictures with evocative lighting design.

“What makes a Lion a Lion” is the refrain asked several times during the musical, from youth to adulthood. As you may probably guess, it is essentially the same as asking “what’s in a man”? At times this theme is a bit too pointed, for the easy going type of storytelling at play. But I was willing to completely forgive it as Scheuer takes us through life’s devastating blows, one after another.

Becoming a man. Becoming a lion. Whether you choose to look into the symbolism or not, watching Benjamin Scheuer learn how to roar makes for one of the most beautiful nights of theatre you could ask for.

The Lion
Lynn Redgrave Theater at Culture Project
45 Bleecker Street, Manhattan
Directed by: Sean Daniels
Written and Performed by: Benjamin Scheuer
Run Time: 70 minutes, no intermission