Pasek and Paul

Pasek and Paul

Benj Pasek (left) and Justin Paul
Background information
Genres Musical Theatre
Website pasekandpaul.com
Members Benj Pasek
Justin Paul
Benj Pasek
Born (1985-06-09) June 9, 1985
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Occupation(s) Composer, lyricist, singer
Justin Paul
Born (1985-01-03) January 3, 1985
Westport, Connecticut, United States
Occupation(s) Composer, lyricist, singer

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. 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.[26]

Dear Evan Hansen

Their musical, Dear Evan Hansen premiered at the Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.) on July 30, 2015, 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 made its Off-Broadway debut in March 2016 (previews) at the Second Stage Theatre 's Tony Kiser Theatre. Again directed by Grief, most of the Arena Stage cast appears in the Off-Broadway production.[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

References

  1. 1 2 "Jonathan Larson Awards". Broadwayworld.com, February 16, 2007
  2. ↑ "Pasek and Pauls New Song for 'Smash' Sung by Katharine McPhee" playbill.com
  3. 1 2 "UM Musical Theatre Department.News Of Graduates.2011 - 12". University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, accessed July 27, 2012
  4. ↑ "Larson Grants Recipients". americantheatrewing.org, accessed July 27, 2012
  5. ↑ "Biography of Benj Pasek". MTIshows.com, accessed July 27, 2012
  6. ↑ "5th Avenue Theatre Presents 'A Christmas Story'". Broadwayworld.com, November 9, 2010
  7. ↑ Jones, Kenneth. "John Rando Will Direct 'Christmas Story' Tour; John Bolton, Gene Weygandt, Rachel Bay Jones Star". Playbill, September 30, 2011
  8. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. " 'A Christmas Story, The Musical!' Will Be Unwrapped at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in November". Playbill, July 26, 2012
  9. ↑ Tonyawards.com
  10. ↑ Dramadeskawards.com
  11. ↑ Playbill. September 25, 2012
  12. ↑ Jones, Kenneth. "'Dogfight', New Musical About Cruelty and Hope, Opens in NYC; Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena Star". Playbill, July 16, 2012
  13. 1 2 Jones, Kenneth. "Musicals by Duchan, Pasek, Paul and Gerle Win 2011 Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater". Playbill, February 14, 2011
  14. ↑ "The Piano Lesson, The Whale & Dogfight Honored at 2013 Lucille Lortel Awards". Broadway.com, May 6, 2011
  15. ↑ Cox, Gordon. "Off Broadway musicals outnumber Broadway shows in the tuner category". Variety, April 23, 2013
  16. ↑ "'Edges' - Show Details, October 20, 2008". torontolivetheatre.com, accessed July 27, 2012
  17. ↑ "'Edges A Song Cycle' - Sydney Production (OPENS MARCH 25)" theatre.asn.au, 16 March 2010
  18. ↑ "Pasek and Pauls 'Edges'".Broadwayworld.com, October 5, 2011
  19. ↑ "Music Theatre Professor Directs Production in Denmark". elon.edu, July 11, 2011
  20. ↑ Edges fredericiateater.dk Archived December 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  21. ↑ "Edges coming to Paris". AMT Live. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  22. ↑ Tay, Rebecca. "Fringe Review. Edinburgh Fringe 2010. 'Edges - the Musical'". fringereview.co.uk, 19 August 2010
  23. ↑ "Toronto Premiere of 'Edges'". Broadwayworld.com, September 18, 2008
  24. ↑ "Ateneo Blue Repertory Presents Musical Revue 'Edges'". Broadwayworld.com, July 18, 2010
  25. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "'Pasek and Paul's Edges to Play Sondheim Center with Alvin, Bashor and Hanlon". Playbill.com, February 15, 2008
  26. ↑ Jones, Kenneth. "'James and the Giant Peach, the Musical', Blossoms With the Help of Pilobolus, Oct. 21". Playbill, October 21, 2010
  27. ↑ Rothstein, Mervyn. " Next to Normal 's Michael Greif Stirs Up More Family Drama With Dear Evan Hansen" Playbill.com, July 6, 2015
  28. ↑ Gioia, Michael. "Pasek and Paul's Dear Evan Hansen, About the High School Struggle to Fit In, Premieres in D.C." Playbill.com, July 30, 2015
  29. ↑ Marks, Peter. "Dear Evan Hansen: Original story, high hopes for Benj Pasek and Justin Paul" Washington Post, July 10, 2015
  30. ↑ Clement, Olivia. "Pasek and Paul’s 'Dear Evan Hansen' Bows in New York", Playbill, March 26, 2016
  31. ↑ "Onstage. If You Give A Pig A Pancake, January 24, 2010". Penn State, accessed July 27, 2012
  32. ↑ "'One Night Stand' Documentary Feat. Cheyenne Jackson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Mandy Gonzalez et al. Makes NewFest Premiere, 7/24". Broadwayworld.com, July 24, 2011
  33. ↑ "Festival Centre’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival presents Along the Way: An Evening with Pasek and Paul. Australian Exclusive". Adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au, 14 April 2010
  34. ↑ "Musical Theatre Master Class with Pasek & Paul". AMT Live. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
  35. ↑ "Pasek & Paul's EDGES". Broadway World. June 7, 2013.
  36. ↑ Moving-stage.com
  37. ↑ Musicalvienna.at
  38. ↑ "The 16th Annual ASCAP Foundation Awards Honor Stephen Schwartz (December 7, 2011)". ascap.com, accessed July 27, 2012
  39. ↑ "Pasek Justin Paul Win Songwriters Fellowship Award for 'A Christmas Story'". Broadwayworld.com, October 19, 2011
  40. ↑ "Sundance-Institute Announces Artists Selected for 2011 Playwrights Retreat". Sundance.org, accessed July 27, 2012

External links

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