The incredible story of the pianist “1900”, who was born aboard a ship and never once set foot on land, has been touring Greece since 2018, presented originally and innovatively in every corner of the country.
Conceived, artistically directed and produced by performer, pianist and producer Melachrinos Velentzas, Lemon has, for eight consecutive years, continued to find its stage primarily in remote and underserved regions, making art accessible to communities across Greece where opportunities for cultural experiences are limited.
This multifaceted artist presents Lemon in unconventional spaces situated between land and sea, creating a unique experience for audiences: aboard boats, on shipwrecks and moored vessels, along the banks of rivers and lakes, inside an abandoned village school, in a lemon grove and many other extraordinary and unique locations. These are places where, in many cases, a cultural event is being presented for the very first time. Because theatre exists wherever there is an audience.
The story of the legendary pianist “1900” has been experienced by more than 26,000 spectators through 195 performances across Greece. For the Lemon team, every performance is unique, adding one more lemon to the crate of this independent production. Lemon embraces the needs of each community it visits, connecting the many points of our shared cultural map.
The story unfolds at the beginning of the twentieth century aboard the steamship Virginian, which sails the transatlantic route from Europe to America. A newborn baby is abandoned by his immigrant parents in a lemon crate placed on top of the grand piano in the first-class ballroom. The sailor who discovers him gives him his own name, Danny Boodmann, along with the nickname T.D. Lemon (after the lemon crate), and adds “1900” to commemorate the year he was found.
Danny Boodmann T.D. Lemon 1900 grows up to become the greatest pianist on the Ocean. His only true friend, the trumpeter Tim Tooney, urges him to leave the ship and set foot on land, encouraging him to discover a different life.