Benjamin Scheuer News

Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) will present the world premiere of The Heath by Lauren Gunderson, one of the most produced playwrights in America (Silent Sky, I and You, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley) from February 13 to March 10 at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre at Liberty Hall, according to Artistic Director Sean Daniels and Executive Director Bonnie J. Butkas.

Boston Ballet major gifts officer Laura Frye, who previously served as Director of Development at Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) for three seasons, will return February 19 to steer the not-for-profit theatre's fundraising efforts, according to Artistic Director Sean Daniels and Executive Director Bonnie J. Butkas.

A decidedly different tale of surviving the Holocaust.

BroadwayHD, the world's premiere online streaming platform delivering more than 250 premium live productions to theatre fans globally, today announced that the Geffen Playhouse production of the Drama Desk Award-winning piece The Lion will debut on the platform December 6.  The Lion will join Pulitzer Prize-winning show Long Day's Journey Into Night, and Pulitzer Prize Finalist Play Thom Pain, as the third title to stream on the platform, in partnership with Geffen Playhouse.  The show is directed by Kevin S. Bright, an Emmy Award Winning Executive Producer of the hit television series Friends and produced by Gil Cates Jr (Executive Director of Geffen Playhouse) and Eva Price (Tony-Winning Broadway Producer), and Executive Produced by Bright, Candice Abela Mikati and Fouad Mikati.

Manhattan Theatre Club's New York premiere of The Niceties, written by Eleanor Burgess and directed by Kimberly Senior (Disgraced), begins performances tomorrow at The Studio at Stage II - Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Series at New York City Center (131 W. 55th Street). Opening night is set for Thursday, October 25.

We are pleased to announce that Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) was selected to participate in the Barr-Klarman Massachusetts Arts Initiative - as announced earlier today on The Barr Foundation's blog. A partnership between two Boston-based foundations - Barr and The Klarman Family Foundation - the initiative is a $25 million, six-year investment in 29 arts and cultural organizations from across Massachusetts. Participating organizations receive flexible, multi-year operating support grants, in addition to training and technical assistance from TDC, a nonprofit consulting and research firm. MRT's engagement in the initiative begins with two grants totaling $450,000 from Barr and the Klarman Family Foundation over three years - making it the largest foundation or government grant in the theatre's 40-year history.

Benjamin Scheuer, critically acclaimed New York-based singer/songwriter, returns to London September 18 at 7PM for a unique solo concert at Live at Zedel at The Crazy Coqs. Tickets are on sale now. Scheuer previously performed his heartfelt one-man musical THE LION at the St. James Theatre in London and received widespread praise.

Williamstown Theatre Festival recently celebrated the playwright Martyna Majok. Majok's play Cost of Living won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2018 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play. Michael John LaChiusa will create a musical adaptation of Cost of Living under the auspices of Williamstown Theatre Festival's Andrew Martin-Weber New Play & Musical Commissioning Program, with special funding from The Ted & Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund.

Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced the artists in residency for the 2018 summer season. This year's artists include WTF Commissioned Artists Benjamin Scheuer (The Lion), Bess Wohl (Small Mouth Sounds), Sharyn Rothstein (By The Water), Max Posner (Judy), and more.

Just announced, Manhattan Theatre Club will produce the world premiere of Sugar in Our Wounds, a new play by Donja R. Love and directed by Saheem Ali (Twelfth Night for the Public Theater's Mobile Unit), as part of MTC's upcoming 2017-2018 season.

Just announced, Manhattan Theatre Club will produce the world premiere of Sugar in Our Wounds, a new play by Donja R. Love and directed by Saheem Ali (Twelfth Night for the Public Theater's Mobile Unit), as part of MTC's upcoming 2017-2018 season.

Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) has announced details about additional programming and events for the 2018 summer season.

The Friars archives and Wikipedia have finally been corrected. Nineteen Eighty Eight was a watershed year for women. They gained membership to numerous private men's clubs that heretofore were off limits to women. The Friars, being one of the more famous of the bunch had an article heralding the event written by a less than factual reporter for The New York Times. The paper of record, in an early forerunner of fake news only listed the first 7 women and overlooked number 8...Jamie deRoy who was in that initial group, along with Liza Minnelli, Joan Rivers, Brooke Shields, and other prominent female entertainment figures was not mentioned.

A stellar cast of Broadway's finest performers will be on hand Wednesday, April 11, when The New York Friars Club honors show business tour de force Jamie deRoy at a celebration marking her 30th anniversary as one of the Club's first eight female members. The event, Jamie deRoy, 30 Years a Friar, will be at The Friars Club, 57 East 55th Street, starting at 6 PM for cocktails, 7 PM for dinner and 8:30 PM for the show.

Acclaimed singer/songwriter, guitarist and playwright Benjamin Scheuer is set to perform his award-winning one-man show, THE LION, at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture in New York City on April 30. Proceeds from the special one-night-only performance will benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Metropolis Opera Project opens up shop again after a six year hiatus with Tosca in collaboration with Opera Ithaca at the historic Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Sunday, February 18th at 4pm.

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The Kleban Foundation just presented the 28th Annual Kleban Prize for Musical Theatre. Adjudication in the 2018 Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre lyricist category resulted in a tie between Alan Schmuckler and Amanda Yesnowitz, and the 2018 Kleban Prize for the most promising musical theatre librettist has been awarded to Christian Duhamel. 

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica and Eva Price present Small Mouth Sounds by Drama Desk Award winner Bess Wohl (Pretty Filthy), and directed by Tony Award nominee Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) for three weeks only, January 11 through 28 with a press opening on January 12.