His ‘Lion’ eyes are gleaming
Personal losses pile up in the musical memoir “The Lion,” but creator and star Benjamin Scheuer makes the one-man show an irresistible winner. A cherished childhood memory about a a toy banjo gets things started. st That homemade instrument m leads to a big-boy’s guitar and a the joy of making music. Scheuer’s S co-stars are a half dozen d guitars, and he plucks and strums st the heck out of them.
Jubilation subsides when his dad d dies suddenly in 1996, leaving in 13-year-old Ben and his two brothers b and mother reeling. It’s the th first of a number of rough realities, re including love gone wrong w and cancer.
Are we having in fun yet? Actually, A yes. Scheuer S beams charisma c and pours p joy into 15 story st songs in the th show about broken b people and a hearts mending. m
Melodies are pretty. Lyrics are conversational c and playful — “unfatten” fa rhymes with “Manhattan”? Who’d guess?
Directed by Sean Daniels, the staging is intentionally spare to keep the focus on the star. The material is poignant but it’s never a pity party. Even Scheuer’s handsome suit — he says his clothes are his “armor” — is the color of a clear blue sky. That’s fitting for an autobiography swirling with storm clouds. When things tilt toward becoming maudlin, Scheuer gets a gleam in his eye and lightens things up.
Take his observation about reactions to his gaunt, chemowracked physique. In New York, “people will come up to you and be like, ‘Oh my God, you look amazing.’” Today he’s at his healthy weight — and still looks pretty amazing. He matches his show.