Benjamin Scheuer's THE LION to Open Off-Broadway this Winter

Producer Eva Price announced today that The Lion, the gripping, autobiographical solo show written and performed by Benjamin Scheuer, will play an extended engagement Off-Broadway this winter, following an award-winning run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and sold-out productions at the Manhattan Theatre Club and London's St. James Theatre. The Lion, directed by Sean Daniels, begins previews at the Lynn Redgrave Theater at Culture Project (45 Bleecker Street) on Tuesday, February 3, 2015, with an official opening night set for Sunday, February 8, 2015. The show is set to run through March 29, 2015.

"The Lion is one of those rare and unforgettable shows that disarms you, enthralls you, and then never leaves you; experiencing the show as an unknowing audience member was one of my all-time greatest theatrical experiences," Price said. "Artists like Benjamin come along once or twice in a generation, so it is an honor to share this joyful new musical with New Yorkers looking to be inspired by this uplifting and extraordinary story."

Called "an irresistible winner... deeply moving" by the Daily News, The Lion is Scheuer's raw, true story of love, loss, family loyalty, and the redemptive power of music. From his complicated relationship with his father, to beating Hodgkins Lymphoma at 29 years old, The Lion is an inspiring coming-of-age story at its finest from a songwriter who, according to the New York Times, "gets to the heart of the matter."

The Lion will play the following performance schedule: Wednesdays at 7:30 PM, Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 5 PM & 8 PM, Sunday at 3 PM. Tickets are $26 - $75 and are now available via www.TheLionMusical.com.

To watch Scheuer perform from the show as part of the New York Times' "In Performance" series, click here: http://tinyurl.com/p5pd3fg and for a look at the title song's award-winning animated music video, visit http://vimeo.com/60453523.

BENJAMIN SCHEUER (Writer/Performer). Scheuer is the recipient of the 2013 ASCAP Foundation Cole Porter Award for songwriting and the 2013 Musical Theatre Network Award for Best Lyrics. He has performed his work at The Royal Albert Hall; Lincoln Center; City Center; Symphony Space; Merkin Hall; Joe's Pub, 54 Below, Birdland; the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Usher Hall; The St. James Theatre, London; and the Bluebird Café, Nashville. The animated video for Scheuer's song "The Lion" (dir. Peter Baynton) premiered at the 2013 Annecy Film Festival in France (Special Jury Award for Best Commissioned Film), London's 2013 Crystal Palace International Film Festival (Best Music Video, Best Animated Video) and the 2014 British Animation Awards (Public Choice For Best Music Video). With his band Escapist Papers, Scheuer has released two albums: "Escapist Papers" and "The Bridge" (produced by Geoff Kraly). Scheuer is currently working on the album "Songs from THE LION." He has been a writer-in-residence at the Goodspeed Opera House and the Weston Playhouse, and is an alumnus of the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project. With photographer Riya Lerner, Scheuer is the co-creator of the book "Between Two Spaces." He lives in New York City. BenjaminScheuer.com, @BenjaminScheuer

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