After the meet, Lawler would not go to Athens, but he returned to Harvard ready to nurture the script that would soon become “Genie.”
Lawler and Scheuer were brought together by way of the Cabot open email list, when Lawler posted a message seeking a musical collaborator.
Though Scheuer responded cautiously, unsure of what he’d be getting himself into, the pair gelled immediately upon meeting.
“James is a force of nature,” Scheuer says. “He controls the air in the room, and as far as I can tell from watching him swim, he controls the water.”
Lawler is quick to return the praise, less effusively but with equal sincerity.
”We’ve gotten on really well, Ben and me,” Lawler says.
As for working with an athlete, Scheuer declares he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I’m glad he’s a good swimmer,” Scheuer says. “There’s nothing worse than writing a musical with somebody non-aquatic.”
Considering the success of “Genie,” it seems like Scheuer has a point.