THE LION's Benjamin Scheuer to Return to City Theatre with New Songs

City Theatre is adding a musical CityEvent to the fall production calendar. Benjamin Scheuer, writer and star of the hit show The Lion, returns to Pittsburgh for a series of concerts with his band, featuring drummer BrIan Wolfe of Sufjan Stevens and bass player Geoff Kraly of paris_monster.

Scheuer, "a mesmerizing guitarist" (The Washington Post), will share brand new songs as well as re-imagined material from The Lion. Scheuer's album "Songs from THE LION" debuted on the Billboard Top 10. Performances are November 11-13, 2016 on the Main Stage at City Theatre in the South Side.

Scheuer's The Lion, directed by Sean Daniels, explores the songwriter's true story of loss, heartbreak, and recovery, and ran at City Theatre earlier this year. Critics and audiences alike praised Scheuer's keen storytelling skills, "gasp-worthy technique" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), and "enormous charm as a performer" (Pittsburgh City Paper). He is currently performing the show at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, where his musical style has garnered comparisons to Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley, and Smiths front man, Morrissey (San Diego Union Tribune).

"During his run of The Lion last spring, Benjamin deeply connected with Pittsburgh and the City Theatre audiences. He hosted song-writing master classes, visited UPMC Children's Hospital, met with students, appeared at local open-mic nights, and chatted with each and every patron who wanted to meet him after the show," said Managing Director James McNeel. "So, we're thrilled to have him return for this limited concert run-this time with a band and additional songs-and allow the community another unique opportunity to experience his talent and inspiring personal story."

A limited number of VIP cabaret table seating options are available starting at $100 per ticket and include a post-show reception with the artists. Regular and premium seats start at $35 and $50 respectively; some limited-view seats are available for $25, while supplies last. Tickets are on sale now. Contact 412.431.CITY (2489) or visit citytheatrecompany.org.

Benjamin Scheuer is the recipient of the 2015 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance and a 2015 Theatre World Award. The animated music videos for Benjamin's songs "Weather The Storm, "The Lion," and "Cookie-tin Banjo" have won prizes at the Annecy Film Festival, British Animation Awards, Encounters Film Festival, Crystal Palace Festival, and Buenos Aires' ExpoToons Film Festival. The album Songs from THE LION was released on June 3, 2016 (Warner/ADA). With photographer Riya Lerner, Benjamin is co-creator of the art book "Between Two Spaces," from which 50 percent of proceeds go to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. Benjamin has toured with Mary Chapin Carpenter and performed at venues including Royal Albert Hall in London and Lincoln Center Theater in New York. He has been a writer-in-residence at Goodspeed, Weston Playhouse, and the Johnny Mercer Songwriting Workshop, and been commissioned by Williamstown Theatre Festival. Benjamin lives in New York City. The Lion is on tour through February 2017.

City Theatre is now in its 42nd season. Located in the historic South Side, City Theatre is Pittsburgh's home for bold new plays, commissioning and producing work by playwrights including Daniel Beaty, Jessica Dickey, Christopher Durang, Michael Hollinger, Willy Holtzman, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and Madeleine George. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Tracy Brigden, Managing Director James McNeel, and the Board of Directors, City Theatre's mission is to provide an artistic home for the development and production of contemporary plays of substance and ideas that engage and challenge a diverse audience. CityTheatreCompany.org

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