This spring, Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) will celebrate one of its most successful seasons and look ahead to the future at its annual fundraising event, the 2016 Set the Stage Celebration. The evening will feature musical performances by Benjamin Scheuer, whose performance of The Lion kicked off Sean Daniels' inaugural year as MRT's artistic director and broke several box office records. Scheuer will perform a mix of songs from The Lion and others previously unheard by MRT audiences. Joining Scheuer will be Charissa Bertels, whose one-woman musical, My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend, was recently announced as the closing production of MRT's 2016-17 Season. Bertels is currently on the national tour of the Broadway musical If/Then.
Benjamin and I talked over smoothies at a Logan Circle coffee shop, an appropriate venue to discuss a show and music that Benjamin originally thought was just a "coffee shop gig with slightly better talking." Now, that coffee shop gig has gone from a little cub to The Lion, Benjamin's award winning solo show, currently touring the US after a sold out NYC run in 2015. DC audiences are meeting Benjamin and his music at Arena Stage this spring through April 10 '16. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, availability is limited, but Arena has added extra seats to the Kogod Cradle to accommodate slightly larger audiences.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre is unveiling a newly-expanded Young Company, which will encourage area students' participation in the theatre and connect them with leading theatre professionals from around the country. The new program begins with a two-week intensive summer program and continues throughout the year with access to MRT's staff and visiting artists. The Young Company is the first initiative of the recently formed MRT Education Department, led by local theatre educator Amy Menkin.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre continues its 2015-16 Season with the world premiere of "The Realness: a break beat play," the latest work from renowned playwright and hip-hop artist Idris Goodwin. The love story at the center of "The Realness" lets us view the seismic events of the mid-90's hip-hop scene insightfully, through a compassionate human lens. Audiences will see this world through the eyes of T.O., who immerses himself in the hip-hop culture he's only observed from the safety of the suburbs, and falls hard for a captivating MC. Wendy Goldberg, head of the National Playwrights Conference at The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, will direct. The production is supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts' Art Works program.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre hosts the regional premiere of Mat Smart's TINKER TO EVERS TO CHANCE, a play for die-hard baseball fans. Focused on a mother and daughter who bond over their shared love of the Chicago Cubs, it resonates with members of Red Sox Nation who understand the roller coaster emotions of hope and disappointment associated with loving a star-crossed team, but may be less engaging for non-aficionados of the sport.
'I AND YOU' is now being performed at 59E59 Theaters through February 28th. Written by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Sean Daniels, the show is excellent and poignant.
59E59 Theaters welcomes playwright Lauren Gunderson (Bauer) back to the 5A Season with NY premiere of her award-winning play I AND YOU, directed by Sean Daniels, and produced by Merrimack Repertory Theatre in association with Richard Winkler. I AND YOU opens tonight, January 27, for a limited engagement through Sunday, February 28.
MRT stages the first of three world premieres with Artistic Director Sean Daniels' play THE WHITE CHIP, a dark comedy about his own alcoholism and recovery. By sharing his personal story, he hopes to help someone else going through the same thing; by lightening the mood, he makes the story entertaining and accessible.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre continues its 2015-16 Season with the regional premiere of "Tinker to Evers to Chance," the touching new work from playwright Mat Smart about mothers, daughters, and baseball. The story spans a century of Chicago Cubs fandom, and resonates with honest questions about love, heartbreak, and hope. MRT Artistic Director Sean Daniels will direct.
Long Wharf Theatre presents, in conjunction with Eva Price, THE LION, written and performed by Benjamin Scheuer, directed by Sean Daniels, now through February 7, 2016. BroadwayWorld has a first look at Scheuer onstage below!
Award-winning singer/songwriter Benjamin Scheuer's solo musical The Lion makes its Washington, D.C. debut at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Scheuer uses his guitar-actually, six guitars-to take audiences on a rock 'n' roll journey and tell a heartwarming coming-of-age story that explores his transition from boyhood to manhood. Called an "irresistible winner" and "deeply moving" by New York Daily News, The Lion is presented in association with Eva Price and runs February 26-April 10, 2016 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle.
Long Wharf Theatre presents, in conjunction with Eva Price, THE LION, written and performed by Benjamin Scheuer, directed by Sean Daniels, from tonight, January 6 through February 7, 2016. The play will take place on Stage II. The press opening will take place on January 13, 2016 at 7:30 pm.
The first of three world premieres scheduled in Merrimack Repertory Theatre's 2015-16 Season is set to open early next month. THE WHITE CHIP is a dark comedy about the science of addiction written by Sean Daniels, MRT's Artistic Director and is based on his own struggles with alcoholism and path to recovery. The autobiographical story will be produced with a creative team that features an impressive list of artists who have many Broadway credits and a total of seven Tony Award nominations and one win between them.
Long Wharf Theatre presents, in conjunction with Eva Price, THE LION, written and performed by Benjamin Scheuer, directed by Sean Daniels, from January 6 through February 7, 2016. The play will take place on Stage II. Tickets are $25-$85. The press opening will take place on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 7:30 pm.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced awards totaling more than $27.6 million in its first funding round of fiscal year 2016, including an Art Works award of $20,000 to Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) in support of the upcoming world premiere production of "The Realness: a break beat play" by Idris Goodwin.
The first of three world premieres scheduled in Merrimack Repertory Theatre's 2015-16 Season is set to open early next month. THE WHITE CHIP is a dark comedy about the science of addiction written by Sean Daniels, MRT's Artistic Director and is based on his own struggles with alcoholism and path to recovery. The autobiographical story will be produced with a creative team that features an impressive list of artists who have many Broadway credits and a total of seven Tony Award nominations and one win between them.
59E59 Theaters will welcome playwright Lauren Gunderson (Bauer) back to the 5A Season with NY premiere of her award-winning play I AND YOU, directed by Sean Daniels, and produced by Merrimack Repertory Theatre in association with Richard Winkler.
