The Lion Begins at MRT

Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT)'s new Artistic Director Sean Daniels opens his first season at the helm of the company with "The Lion," a solo-musical written and performed by Benjamin Scheuer and directed by Daniels. After highly-praised runs in Edinburgh and London, two Off-Broadway productions, and several awards, "The Lion" is beginning a two-year national tour that launches from MRT. The gripping musical takes the audience on one man's musical journey from boyhood to manhood, through pain and healing, to discover the redemptive power of music.

The 80-minute play will run from August 26 - September 20, with press performances at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm on Sunday, August 30. Press are also welcome to attend the Opening Night performance on Saturday, September 29 at 8:00 pm, though seating is limited. All performances will be held at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre, located at 50 East Merrimack Street in historic downtown Lowell. Tickets range from $60 - $23 and are on sale now at www.mrt.org or by calling 978-654-4678.

Daniels and Scheuer first met during in 2013 at Goodspeed Musicals' winter writers' retreat. What began there in Connecticut continued for several years as the pair transformed four songs and a story into a musical that captivated audiences and critics on two continents. They also caught the attention of theatrical producer Eva Price (a Chelmsford native, whose parents were long-time subscribers to MRT). Now her company, Maximum Entertainment, in partnership with other visionary producers, is touring the production to regional theatres around the country to cities that include Washington D.C., Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh.

According to Daniels, "I always knew I wanted to start the season with the show Ben and I built together. My hope is that in launching the national tour at MRT, I can show local audiences the type of work we'll be making here, and give them a taste of what the future holds."

"The Lion" tells the autobiographical story of Scheuer losing his father at a young age and later fighting (and winning) a battle with stage IV Hodgkins Lymphoma. That battle is also chronicled in the book "Between Two Spaces," which features photography by Riya Lerner and text from Scheuer's journals. Half of the proceeds from the book are donated to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

"The Lion" won "Best New Musical" from London's Offie Awards and "Outstanding Solo Performance" from the Drama Desk Awards. Scheuer also earned a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance in New York. The Off-Broadway production also received nominations from the Lucille Lortel Awards and the Outer Critics Circle Awards.

The prestigious London newspaper The Stage called it "Absolutely the best original musical of the year so far, on either side of the Atlantic... I doubt I'll see another show this year so poignant, so personal, so heartfelt, so sincere and so simply staged as 'The Lion' - a masterpiece." The New York production was hailed by broadwayworld.com as "The first must-see of the season" and the Huffington Post said, "See it now. See it again. The best musical I've seen this year." Charles Isherwood made the show a Critics Pick in the New York Times, citing "a directness and good humor that only the hardest-hearted could resist."

Scheuer was also invited to ring the opening bell at NASDAQ and appeared on the Charlie Rose Show on PBS.

Scheuer and Daniels were joined on the creative team by Scenic Designer Neil Patel, Lighting Designer Ben Stanton (Tony Award nominee), Sound Designer Leon Rothenberg (Tony Award winner), and Costume Consultant Jennifer Caprio.

Tickets range from $60 - $23 and are available at www.mrt.org or by calling 978-654-4678. A Senior discount is offered for 10% off adult ticket prices. Student tickets are $15. Group discounts are available for groups of six or more by calling 978-654-7561. $5 Night: Wednesday, August 26, at 7:30 pm. Patrons may purchase tickets for $5, cash only, at the Box Office between 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm. Limit 2 tickets per person. Lowell Night: Wednesday, September 2 at 7:30 pm. Lowell residents may purchase tickets for $10 at the box office from 4:30 pm-7:30 pm. Proper ID required, limit 2 per person. A Military Discount of $10 off per ticket (up to four tickets per production) applies to any performance for active duty, retired, veteran, and reservist members of the military.