Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Team Up With Julian Shapiro-Barnum for CELEBRITY SUBSTITUTE Series
The series features celebrity guests who “substitute teach” their world-famous skills to a public elementary school class.
Along with Recess Therapy's Julian Shapiro-Barnum, EGOT winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have created the new digital series Celebrity Substitute. The series features celebrity guests who “substitute teach” their world-famous skills to a public elementary school class of cute, quirky, and hilarious kids.
Each episode follows host Julian Shapiro-Barnum as he visits a public school with a celebrity and explores the unexpected connections between the young kids and the superstar, and the ways in which a master in their field figures out how to be a teacher. Each weekly episode is 5-8 minutes long, intended for episodic viewing on YouTube and multiple social snippets on TikTok and Instagram.
The first three episodes in the series will feature the stars of upcoming film We Live in Time, Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, rapper, singer, and dancer LISA from BLACKPINK, and two-time Olympian Jordan Chiles. The first episode premieres Tuesday, October 22.
Celebrity Substitute is also deeply committed to supporting and advocating for teachers and students. The series aims to empower educators and help students achieve their dreams by investing directly in essential resources and tools, and in each episode Julian and the celebrity guests partnered with Amazon to fulfill each school's Amazon Wish List - providing essential learning supplies and resources. From notebooks and art supplies to STEM kits and more, clearing these Amazon Wish Lists equips teachers and students with the tools they need to set up an enriching learning environment.
Celebrity Substitute is created and executive-produced by Julian Shapiro-Barnum, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul and directed by Jake Wilson. Watch a trailer for the show below!
JULIAN SHAPIRO-BARNUM is a 25 year old comedian and actor known for his viral online show, “Recess Therapy.” The show has garnered over 7 million followers across platforms. His “Corn Kid” interview (with 6 billion impressions) was the most shared and watched video of the summer of 2022.
Pasek and Paul are the Tony Award-winning songwriters behind such shows as Dear Evan Hansen, Dogfight, and A Christmas Story. For the screen, they wrote songs for La La Land, The Greatest Showman, and Spirited. They have also written new songs for Disney's upcoming live-action remake of Snow White starring Rachel Zegler.
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