Recovery Takes Center Stage

BENJAMIN LERNER’S PERFORMER COMES TO BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY ON SEPTEMBER 3

By Dr. Joshua Sherman

“Do you think you can reach more people one-on-one as a recovery counselor—or through your music?”

That was the question I asked Benjamin Lerner in November 2018, when the rapper, classical pianist, and recovering addict walked into my life.

“Through my music,” he replied.

“Then let’s do that,” I said.

Since then, what began as a shared belief in the power of music to heal and connect has grown into a full-scale, multi-media recovery campaign, anchored in honesty, driven by service, and fueled by Benjamin’s unrelenting commitment to lifting others up through his story. From the start of the campaign, we’ve seen firsthand how one voice, when used with courage and purpose, can open the door for countless others. Another promising new door has opened, and Benjamin is poised to walk through it with the same courage and authenticity he has applied throughout his journey of recovery. 

Top, Lerner's debut album, CLEAN, Middle, Lerner's 2024 EP, Keep Moving Forward, Bottom, Lerner's 2025 EP, Run Towards The Truth, (Photo and album art courtesy of Old Mill Road Media)

On Wednesday, September 3, Benjamin will make his Berkshire debut at Barrington Stage Company’s Boyd-Quinson Stage in Pittsfield, for the world premiere of his one-man concert, Performer. It draws from everything that has come before it in his multi-platform recovery campaign, channeling elements of music, storytelling, and advocacy into one powerful night of song, reflection, and purpose. More than nine years after Benjamin celebrated continuous recovery from IV fentanyl, crack cocaine, and alcohol, he will tell his story to a new audience, bringing the Berkshire community together in a performance that celebrates recovery, resilience, and community betterment.

The CLEAN Campaign

The event at Barrington Stage Company (BSC) marks a milestone in Benjamin’s creative journey, as well as the ongoing evolution of his recovery campaign that began years ago. In 2018, Benjamin released his debut album, CLEAN. The album was written, produced, recorded, and mixed at Old Mill Road Recording in East Arlington, Vermont. It was a bold fusion of classical piano and rap, designed to tell the unflinching story of Benjamin’s descent into addiction and subsequent recovery. The collaboration was borne not only from the creative synergy with our respective roles as producer and artist, but also from our shared commitment to community wellness—mine as a practicing physician, and Benjamin’s as a recovering addict determined to speak on behalf of all people and communities affected by the opioid epidemic. That project laid the groundwork for everything that would follow—both artistically and in terms of public outreach. The release of CLEAN in February 2020 marked the start of a campaign that has fostered open, transparent, and supportive conversations surrounding recovery in our local community and throughout the world. 

In the years since, Benjamin has shared the message of recovery in every way possible, from the launch of his autobiographical CLEAN Column, which ran in the Vermont News Guide from 2020 to 2025, to his radio show CLEAN Jams, which continues to air every Thursday at 11 p.m. on the legendary Vermont-based alternative radio station, 102.7 WEQX. He’s spoken and performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall in New York City and The Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C., and worked closely with Vermont-based nonprofits to lift up voices in recovery and open dialogue around substance use disorder. 

Throughout it all, we’ve watched that message continue to spread and resonate with larger audiences. Since expanding the reach of the campaign into short-form video content in late 2022, Benjamin’s social media reels have gone viral, generating over 150 million views and building a combined digital following of more than 350,000 people. What began as a deeply personal project has become a national movement. 

The overwhelming response to Benjamin’s daily videos that range from poignant spoken-word reflections to original short-form recovery rap verses over piano, sparked a surge of requests from his growing online audience for longer-form music releases. That demand led directly to the creation of Keep Moving Forward and Run Towards The Truth, two EPs that expanded upon the lyrical themes and emotional resonance of his viral verses. Released in November 2024 and February 2025, respectively, both EPs offer a deeper look into Benjamin’s inner world: his vulnerabilities, his victories, and the nuanced layers of his continued growth in recovery. 

The second EP, Run Towards The Truth, features a powerful guest verse from Pittsburgh rapper Colicchie, on “Impostor Syndrome.” An outspoken pioneer of the modern recovery rap movement, Colicchie’s recovery-focused rhymes have earned him a global following, inspiring Benjamin’s commitment to double down on his own advocacy. Their collaboration, borne from mutual respect and shared purpose, brought together two artists who have both used their music to change the narrative around addiction. Their partnership is a testament to the unifying force of honest storytelling in hip-hop—a genre that can serve as a beacon for healing and hope in communities that need it most. 

Now, with Performer, Benjamin brings that journey center stage in a way that feels both deeply intimate and profoundly universal. Blending rap, classical piano, spoken word, haunting melodies, and personal narratives, the performance walks audiences through his harrowing addiction story and the strength he found in recovery through an immersive, multimedia, musical experience. “We are excited to welcome Benjamin for his debut at the Barrington Stage Company,” says BSC Artistic Director Alan Paul. “The arts are a powerful force for change and can significantly impact society, and we are eager to share his voice with our community.”

A Legacy of Service

The concert also serves as a triumphant continuation of his family’s enduring musical legacy. Benjamin is the Great-grandson of Irving Berlin, one of America’s most celebrated songwriters. Berlin’s compositions, including “God Bless America” and “White Christmas,” are woven into the nation’s cultural fabric. Berlin also used his music as a vehicle for service, raising millions for World War I and World War II, with morale-boosting revues like Yip, Yip, Yaphank and This Is the Army, and touring the globe in support of the troops. In much the same spirit, Benjamin now brings his music to communities on the front lines of another crisis—the opioid epidemic. 

And just as Berlin’s work supported organizations fighting for causes that he believed in, such as the U.S.O., Performer will benefit three vital Berkshire-based nonprofits: BSC’s Musical Theatre Lab, which supports new theatrical voices; the George B. Crane Memorial Center, a peer-driven recovery resource hub in Pittsfield; and Living in Recovery, a community-led organization helping individuals reclaim their lives in recovery through mutual support and empowerment. (See “Giving Back” on page 96.) The concert is scheduled just a few days after International Overdose Awareness Day and kicks off the start of National Recovery Month in September. 

All of this work—whether it’s happening in a theater, a community event, a recording booth, or an online post—remains rooted in the belief that has guided Benjamin’s campaign from its earliest beginnings: Recovery deserves to be celebrated, not hidden.

FOR MORE ON 

BENJAMIN LERNER: 

benjaminlerner.com