Pasek and Paul

Pasek and Paul
Benj Pasek (left) and Justin Paul
Background information
Genres	Musical Theatre
Website	www.pasekandpaul.com
Members	Benj Pasek Justin Paul

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Tony nominees Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (known as Pasek and Paul) are an award winning musical theatre composing team.^[1] Their works include A Christmas Story, Dogfight, Edges, Dear Evan Hansen, and James and the Giant Peach, and their original songs have been featured on NBC's Smash.^[2] They are graduates of the University of Michigan^[3] and winners of the 2007 Jonathan Larson Award,^[4] named after the late Rent composer, that honors achievement by composers, lyricists and librettists.

University of Michigan

Pasek and Paul started working together as freshmen at the University of Michigan where they completed their BFA degrees in musical theatre in December 2006.^[5]

Works

A Christmas Story, The Musical

In 2010, Pasek and Paul joined the creative team of A Christmas Story, The Musical. The musical opened at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre on December 9, 2010.^[6] Since the Seattle premiere, the show recruited John Rando and choreographer Warren Carlyle to launch a national tour in 2011, concluding at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.^[7] The musical played a limited engagement on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre from November 19, 2012 through December 30, 2012; this was Pasek and Paul's Broadway debut as songwriters.^[8]

The show received three Tony Award nominations in 2013, for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre.^[9] It also received six Drama Desk Award nominations including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Choreography (Warren Carlyle), Outstanding Book of a Musical (Joseph Robinette), Outstanding Orchestrations (Larry Blank), and Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (John Bolton).^[10]

The cast album was recorded and produced by Sony Masterworks and is published through Warner/Chappell Music.^[11]

Dogfight

Pasek and Paul, together with book writer Peter Duchan, adapted the 1991 River Phoenix and Lili Taylor film Dogfight for their musical Dogfight (musical). The musical premiered Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre on July 16, 2012 after previews from June 27 and was directed by Joe Mantello and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.^[12] The show closed on August 19, 2012.

The musical was the recipient of the 2011 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater given by the American Academy of Arts and Letters^[13] and two 2013 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Choreographer (Christopher Gattelli).^[14] It was nominated for 2013 Drama League Awards for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical and Distinguished Performance (Lindsay Mendez).^[15]

The Dogfight Original Cast Album was released digitally on April 30, 2013 and as a CD in May, 2013 by Sh-K-Boom Records.

Edges

Edges is a song cycle about the trials and tribulations of moving into adulthood. It examines the search for love, commitment and meaning. Edges premiered at the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor, Michigan on April 3, 2005.^[3] Social media created a dedicated fan base nicknamed "Edge-heads".^[16] It has had over 200 productions worldwide in Australia,^[17] South Africa,^[18] Denmark,^[19][20] France,^[21] South Korea, the United Kingdom,^[22] Canada,^[23] the Philippines,^[24] and across the United States.^[25]

James and the Giant Peach

Pasek and Paul wrote the score to the musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach. The show premiered at the Norma Terris Theatre at Goodspeed Musicals in 2010 in a developmental production, and was directed by Graciela Daniele and choreographed by Pilobolus (dance company).^[26]

Dear Evan Hansen

Their new musical, Dear Evan Hansen premiered at the Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.) on July 10, 2015 in previews, officially on July 30, running through August 23. The musical involves a traumatic incident in Pasek's life, with the death of a high school student. The book was written by Steven Levenson and Michael Greif directs, with Ben Platt starring as Evan.^[27][28][29]

The musical is expected to make its Off-Broadway debut in the spring of 2016 at the Second Stage Theatre 's Tony Kiser Theatre, with director Greif. Dates and cast will be announced at a later date.^[30]

The musical is a recipient of the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.

Other

Other works include If You Give A Pig A Pancake and Duck For President for Theatreworks USA,^[31] and Dr. Williams, written for the Orchard Project’s 24 Hour Musicals benefit. The show starred Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Cheyenne Jackson. Pasek and Paul were heavily featured in the documentary film One Night Stand about the process.^[32]

Their New York premiere was a concert of songs titled "Become: The Music of Pasek & Paul" and was performed May 14th, 2006 at Joe's Pub at the Public Theatre. The evening was a benefit for the Wylie Foundation and featured performers including Gavin Creel, Cheyenne Jackson, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Steven Pasquale. The evening was produced and directed by Jamie McGonnigal.

Television

Smash

As television songwriters, their original songs were featured on Season 2 of NBC’s Smash, and have risen to the Top 25 on the iTunes Pop Charts. (See: List of songs in Smash)

Johnny and the Sprites

Pasek and Paul wrote music for six episodes of the Disney Channel show Johnny and the Sprites, including music for one story in the series' premiere episode.

Performances

Adelaide Cabaret Festival

In 2010, Pasek and Paul performed at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in Adelaide, Australia.^[33]

American Musical Theatre Live Paris

In 2013, Pasek and Paul performed and hosted master classes in Paris, France at American Musical Theatre Live Paris.^[34][35]

Ronacher Vienna

In 2013, Pasek and Paul hosted a master class at the Performing Center Austria and performed at the Ronacher in Vienna, Austria.^[36][37]

Awards and honors

• 2013 Tony Nominees for A Christmas Story: Best Musical and Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre.
• 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Dogfight: Outstanding Musical.
• 2011 The ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award^[38]
• 2011 Songwriter's Fellowship Award^[39]
• 2011 Richard Rodgers Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters^[13]
• 2011 Sundance Institute Fellowship^[40]
• 2007-2008 Dramatist Guild Fellowship
• 2007 Jonathan Larson Award^[1] (youngest winners in history)

References

External links

• Pasek and Paul website
• Pasek and Paul YouTube channel
• MTC MainStage website, producer of Edges in February 2008
• Toronto production of Edges