‘Lion’ purrs in hope, regrets
I spent much of “The Lion,” singer-songwriter Benjamin Scheuer’s one-man musical at the Geffen Playhouse, inwardly commiserating with my twentysomething self. She hung out in so many coffee shops all those years ago, strung out on caffeine and poetry slams, waiting in vain for someone exactly like Scheuer to walk in with his guitar.
Scheuer plays this guitar — actually six of them throughout his show, with different tunings for different moods — as if he invented the instrument: fearlessly, effortlessly. Also, not only does he have the looks of a rock star, with his thick, dirty-blond hair, dreamy half-smile and debonair blue suit, but he comes across as devastatingly soulful.
In songs and anecdotes that focus on his complicated relationship with his family, he tells a story of suffering, regret, despair and hope in a conversational tone with a playful touch. His style and offbeat, intelligent lyrics have been compared to Paul Simon’s.
He also includes a bittersweet love story about a girlfriend named Julia who found his old acoustic guitar under his bed and asked him to write a song for her. At the time, Scheuer had forsworn the acoustic guitar for personal reasons and was playing only electric guitar (skillfully, as he demonstrates) in public — but he complied out of love. The resulting song, “Laugh,” which he triumphantly performed live at the New York club CBGB, helped him to rediscover his acoustic soul.
Scheuer apparently developed “The Lion” by performing in Greenwich Village cafes, and although the show is billed as a musical, Sean Daniels’ intimate direction and Neil Patel’s simple set design evoke those origins. It’s a continuous surprise — albeit a pleasant one — not to be distracted mid-chord by the grinding of beans or the hiss of a milk frother.
What elevates “The Lion” above typical coffee-house performances — beyond the theater setting — is its craftsmanship, both in the songwriting and in the experience as a whole. The performance is only about 70 minutes and is deceptively straightforward. But the vibe of casual, unrehearsed immediacy masks the narrative complexity of a novel or an opera, along with layered themes that reverberate musically and emotionally.
The Geffen engagement is the last stop on a two-year “Lion” tour and the last time, Scheuer says, he will perform the piece live.
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