It’s so cool that it has extended beyond the original production.”
Pasek is equally enthusiastic about the duo’s Tony-nominated adaptation of the holiday classic A Christmas Story, which Dallas Summer Musicals has booked for a December run at Fair Park Music Hall. A photo he shared on Instagram shows him and Paul beaming with pride as they hold up their Emmys, with Pasek's caption simply reading: “Ummmmm…”
The excitement was palpable, with celebratory messages pouring in under his post from stars like Gal Gadot and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
It’s a marriage in a way: Sometimes it’s rocky, [and] you have highs and lows. I think that is a gay narrative. People have an instant connection with this protagonist. Tickets here: https://www.gmccharlotte.org/stars-are-out
Benj Pasek, the gay half of the B’way team Pasek & Paul, talks about the North Texas debut of their musical ‘Dogfight’
SCOTT HUFFMAN | Contributing Writer scott_in_dallas@yahoo.com
From the moment he read the back of the DVD release, self-professed theater geek Benj Pasek, 29, was intrigued with the idea of turning Dogfight — a 1991 film about a group of young Marines who, on the eve of deployment to Vietnam, contribute money to a pool that will be awarded to the one who brings the ugliest girl to a party — into a musical.
“When you describe the plot, people go, ‘Ugh!’” Pasek says.
According to Billboard, it took just under seven years and seven months from their first EGOT win to achieve this milestone, breaking the previous record held by Robert Lopez, who reached EGOT status over the course of almost a decade.
Pasek and Paul have long been trailblazers in the entertainment industry. “To me, that was all very embarrassing,” Pasek says.
Backstage after the Emmy win, Pasek seemed almost at a loss for words. For us it basically just became permission to run up and stalk every person we are obsessed with. The University of Michigan School of Music also joined in the jubilation, posting their own congratulatory note: “Congratulations and go Blue!”
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news story about LeBeouf’s June 26 arrest for disruptive behavior.
Looking back, I can’t believe that [the producers] let us do that. I think it’s a cool thing to share that with someone.”
Dogfight opened off-Broadway to rave reviews in 2012 and was nominated for several awards (winning the prestigious Lucille Lortel Award for outstanding musical), but the production opening this week at WaterTower is the first outside of New York.
When Shia LeBeouf was recently ousted from a Broadway performance and handcuffed by police, Pasek happened to be walking by. I didn’t know that my acknowledgement [on Twitter] would make me an eyewitness. “But, to me, [Menzel] is a bigger celebrity than anybody. The subject matter is sort of dark, and it is a challenging show. They began collaborating on songs their freshman year in a basement practice room of their school.
Last night, during the Creative Arts Emmys, Benj Pasek and his creative partner Justin Paul, who have been best friends from their days at the University of Michigan, clinched the rare EGOT status with their Emmy win.
Pasek, who is openly gay, and Paul were honored for writing the original music and lyrics for the song “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?” from Hulu’s hit series “Only Murders in the Building.” Their victory not only places them among the elite group of EGOT winners — which includes such luminaries as Elton John, Viola Davis and Audrey Hepburn — but also sets a new record for the fastest ascent to EGOT status.
A social media junkie, Pasek posted a comment about the scene on Twitter — a tweet that became the source for a Yahoo! In early 2010, that show’s producers awarded the assignment to Pasek and Paul after holding songwriter auditions.
“We went crazy and didn’t sleep for like an entire year,” Pasek recalls.
"So you could be in Iowa or Singapore, and you could see your content immediately without having to go to New York."
"Waving Through a Window", Dear Evan Hansen
Original Broadway Cast Recording, 2015
"Come To a Party", Dogfight
Original Cast Recording, 2012
Works:
Edges
Roald Dahl’s James and The Giant Peach
Dogfight
Smash
The Flash
A Christmas Story
La La Land
Dear Evan Hansen
The Greatest Showman
Awards:
Jonathan Larson Award, American Theatre Wing, for Dogfight, 2007
Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater, American Academy of Arts and Letters, 2011
Lucille Lortel Award for outstanding musical, League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers, for Dogfight, 2013
Drama Desk Award for outstanding lyrics, Drama Desk, for Dear Evan Hansen, 2016
6 Tony Award for Dear Evan Hansen, 2016
(with Steven Levenson) Obie Award for musical theatre, Village Voice/American Theatre Wing, for Dear Evan Hansen, 2016
(with Justin Hurwitz) Golden Globe Award for best original song, Hollywood Foreign Press Association for "City of Stars," La La Land, 2017
(with Justin Hurwitz) Academy Award for best original song, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, for "City of Stars," La La Land, 2017
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Two musical-theater composers are putting Michigan on the map in a major way, thanks to a recent impressive achievement — earning EGOT status.
“This is a show that we started working on our first year in the city.
"What was so revolutionary about Facebook and YouTube was this democratization of who could have access to putting stuff online, and being able to see it right away," Pasek continued. Don't miss it!!