Name: | Benj Pasek |
Occupation: | Composer |
Gender: | Male |
Birth Day: | June 9, 1985 |
Age: | 35 |
Birth Place: | Philadelphia, United States |
Zodiac Sign: | Gemini |
Benj Pasek
Brief Info
One half of the successful songwriting duo known as Pasek and Paul who, along with his partner Justin Paul, won a 2017 Oscar for “City of Stars” from La La Land. Benj Pasek’s compositions have also appeared in stage productions of A Christmas Story, Dogfight and Dear Evan Hansen.
Trivia
Physique
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Before Fame
Benj Pasek earned his degree in musical theater from the University of Michigan in 2006.
Biography
Biography Timeline
While still in college they wrote Edges, a song cycle about the trials and tribulations of moving into adulthood and the search for meaning. Premiering in Ann Arbor, Michigan on April 3, 2005, it proved popular on social media and within several years it had over 200 productions worldwide, with countries including Australia, South Africa, Denmark, France, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Philippines, and the United States.
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. Both got “background” roles in the school’s musical theater production, which inspired them to write the series of songs turned into a show, Edges. While Pasek usually writes lyrics and Paul usually writes music, they opted to share credit for both elements of the songwriting.
Their New York City premiere on May 14, 2006 was a benefit concert of original songs titled Become: The Music of Pasek & Paul. Presented by Jamie McGonnigal, performers included Gavin Creel, Cheyenne Jackson, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Steven Pasquale. They contributed to the 2006 off-Broadway musical White Noise: A Cautionary Musical, which won Talkin’ Broadway’s 2006 Summer Theatre Festival Citation for Outstanding Original Score.
Pasek and Paul wrote the score to the musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, which premiered in 2010 through Goodspeed Musicals. Other works include If You Give A Pig A Pancake (2010) and Duck For President for Theatreworks USA, 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 featured in the 2011 documentary film One Night Stand about the process. They wrote the lyrics and music to the 2012 musical Dogfight, also contributing to A Christmas Story, The Musical, which was nominated for a Tony Award in 2013 for Best Original Score.
Their original material was featured on season 2 of NBC’s Smash in 2013, and have risen to the Top 25 on the iTunes Pop Charts.
Pasek and Paul wrote the music and lyrics to their musical Dear Evan Hansen. The musical, inspired by the death of a fellow student while Pasek was in high school, features a book by Steven Levenson. Directed by Michael Greif and starring Ben Platt, it premiered at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. on July 30, 2015. It made its Off-Broadway debut in March 2016 at the Second Stage Theatre, and on Broadway on November 14, 2016, opening three weeks later at the Music Box Theatre. At the 71st Tony Awards, it was nominated for nine awards including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Actor in a Musical for Platt. It won six awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score for the duo. At the 2018 Grammy Awards, Dear Evan Hansen won Best Musical Theater Album. The musical received the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award and a 2016 Obie Award for Musical Theatre.
They wrote the lyrics for the musical romantic comedy-drama film La La Land, which had music written by Justin Hurwitz. The film, in its world premiere, was the opening film at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2016. The film’s track “City of Stars”, with their lyrics and composition by Justin Hurwitz, won the 2017 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. “City of Stars” and “Audition” received nominations for Best Original Song at the 89th Academy Awards, and they won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “City of Stars.”
Paul’s alma mater is the University of Michigan and Staples High School. Paul is married; he and his wife have a daughter, born in 2016.
Pasek and Paul wrote the songs for the 2017 musical drama film The Greatest Showman. About the Barnum & Bailey Circus, the film premiered on December 8, 2017. The duo’s song “This Is Me” won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 90th Academy Awards.
Upcoming Birthday
Currently, Benj Pasek is 37 years, 3 months and 20 days old. Benj Pasek will celebrate 38th birthday on a Friday 9th of June 2023.
Find out about Benj Pasek birthday activities in timeline view here.
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