From La La Land to NYC- Benj Pasek & Justin Paul Rule 2016 on Stage and Screen!
By: Nicole Rosky Dec. 22, 2016
Whether it be on Youtube, the stage, the screen (big or small), you've been listening to the music of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul for years. And you're not going to stop hearing from them anytime soon.
This month alone, the Tony-nominated duo celebrates two major accomplishments- the Broadway debut of their latest musical (Dear Evan Hansen) and the release of their new movie musical (La La Land). Both projects have already earned critical accolades, the latter leading the pack with a whopping seven Golden Globe nominations earlier this week (including a nod for their original song with Justin Hurwitz, "City of Stars").
They are currently working on The Greatest Showman (FOX); Medusa (Sony Pictures Animation). Their numerous honors include: Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theatre (American Academy of Arts and Letters), ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, Jonathan Larson Award.
How exactly did they get here? BroadwayWorld chatted with Benj and Justin in 2013, while both Dear Even Hansen and La La Land were in development:
Now let's take a journey through their past with selections from some of our favorite Benj and Justin tunes!
In 2005, the duo composed Edges- a song cycle that confronts the trials and tribulations of moving into adulthood and examines the search for love, commitment and meaning. It was written by Benj and Justin when they were students at the University of Michigan and has since had dozens of productions throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
In 2007, they teamed with Broadway veteran John Tartaglia to write music for six episodes of the Disney Channel's Johnny and the Sprites, including music for one story in the series' premiere episode.
Pasek and Paul wrote the score to the musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, which premiered at the Norma Terris Theatre at Goodspeed Musicals in 2010. The cast recording features Megan Hilty, Christian Borle, Skylar Astin, Brian d'Arcy James, Jackie Hoffman, Mary Testa, Luca Padovan, Marc Kudisch, Daniel Breaker, and Sarah Stiles.
In 2012, their musical Dogfight had its world premiere at Second Stage Theatre, where it won the Lortel Award for Best New Musical. The show was directed by Joe Mantello, choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, and starred Lindsay Mendez, Derek Klena, Josh Segarra, Nick Blaemire, Annaleigh Ashford.
Season two of NBC's Smash featured three songs by Pasek and Paul: "Caught in the Storm," "Original," and "Rewrite This Story."
The duo gifted music to a holiday classic in 2010 when they began work on A Christmas Story. After it's Broadway debut in 2012, the show went on to be nominated for three Tony Awards in 2013, including a nod for Best Original Score.
Old Navy got a little bit of help from Pasek and Paul in 2014, when they helped to launch back to school season with "Unlimited."
Dear Evan Hansen lit up this Broadway season when it opened earlier this month at the Music Box Theatre. A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he's always wanted: a chance to finally fit in.
In theatres now- La La Land is written and directed by Academy Award nominee Chazelle. The film tells the story of Mia (Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams.
Catch La La Land in a theatre near you today!
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