Pasek and Paul facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pasek and Paul
Pasek (left) and Paul in 2009
Background information
Genres	Musical theatre
Members	Benj Pasek Justin Paul

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are a famous American songwriting team. They are known together as Pasek and Paul. They write songs for musicals, movies, and TV shows.

Benj Pasek usually writes the words (lyrics) for their songs. Justin Paul usually writes the music. But they both get credit for creating both parts. They both went to the University of Michigan. In 2007, they won a special award called the Jonathan Larson Grant. This award celebrates talented composers and lyricists.

In September 2024, Pasek and Paul achieved something very rare. They became EGOT winners. This means they won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award.

Their Journey in Music

Starting at the University of Michigan

Pasek and Paul began working together when they were freshmen at the University of Michigan. They both had small roles in a school musical. This inspired them to write their own show called Edges. It was a collection of songs about growing up and finding your way in the world. Edges first opened in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on April 3, 2005.

On May 14, 2006, they performed their songs in New York City for the first time. It was a concert called Become: The Music of Pasek & Paul. Many famous performers sang their songs. They also helped write music for an off-Broadway musical called White Noise: A Cautionary Musical in 2006. They finished their college degrees in musical theatre in December 2006.

Musicals for the Stage

Early Shows

Their musical Edges became very popular online. Within a few years, it was performed over 200 times around the world. It was shown in countries like Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and South Korea.

Pasek and Paul wrote the songs for a musical version of Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach. This show first opened in 2010. They also wrote for other early musicals like If You Give A Pig A Pancake and Duck For President. They wrote the music and lyrics for the 2012 musical Dogfight. They also contributed to A Christmas Story, The Musical, which was nominated for a Tony Award in 2013.

Dear Evan Hansen (2015)

Pasek and Paul wrote the music and lyrics for their hit musical Dear Evan Hansen. The idea for the musical came from a sad event at Pasek's high school. The story was written by Steven Levenson. The show was directed by Michael Greif and starred Ben Platt.

Dear Evan Hansen first opened in Washington, D.C., on July 30, 2015. It then moved to Off-Broadway in March 2016. It finally opened on Broadway on November 14, 2016. At the 71st Tony Awards, the musical was nominated for nine awards. It won six awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score for Pasek and Paul. In 2018, Dear Evan Hansen won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The show set new records at the Music Box Theatre. It became the longest-running show ever at that theater on Broadway.

The musical also opened in London's West End on November 19, 2019. It was nominated for seven Laurence Olivier Awards in 2020. It won three, including Best New Musical. Pasek and Paul won the Best Original Score for the show.

Music for Television

Pasek and Paul have written original songs for several TV shows. In 2007 and 2008, they wrote music for the Disney Channel show Johnny and the Sprites. Their songs were used in six episodes.

Their songs were also featured on season 2 of NBC's Smash in 2013. These songs even made it onto the Top 25 on the iTunes Pop Charts.

Pasek and Paul wrote the song "Runnin' Home to You." Grant Gustin sang it in The Flash musical episode "Duet." This episode was a crossover with Supergirl. Melissa Benoist also sang the song in a Supergirl crossover episode.

They also wrote songs for an episode of the Hulu show Only Murders in the Building. One song, "Look for the Light," was a duet sung by Meryl Streep and Ashley Park. Another song, "Which of Pickwick Triplets Did It?," was a fun, fast-paced song. It was performed mainly by Steve Martin and also by Matthew Broderick and Martin Short. Pasek and Paul won a Primetime Emmy for this song in 2024. In 2025, they wrote another song, "Sometimes All You Need Is a Song," for the 78th Tony Awards.

Songs for Films

Pasek and Paul wrote the song "Get Back Up Again" for the 2016 movie Trolls. They also wrote five original songs for the 2016 animated movie Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz.

They wrote the lyrics for the musical movie La La Land. Justin Hurwitz wrote the music for this film. La La Land first showed at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2016. Their song "City of Stars" won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 2017. Both "City of Stars" and "Audition" were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. They won the Academy Award for "City of Stars." In February 2023, it was announced that they would work on a stage musical version of La La Land.

Pasek and Paul wrote the songs for the 2017 musical movie The Greatest Showman. This film was about the Barnum & Bailey Circus. It premiered on December 8, 2017. Their song "This Is Me" won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. A stage musical version of The Greatest Showman is planned to open in 2026. Pasek and Paul will write new songs for this show.

Working with Alan Menken, Pasek and Paul wrote lyrics for two new songs for Disney's 2019 live-action movie Aladdin. The movie also included original songs from the 1992 animated film.

Pasek and Paul also helped turn Dear Evan Hansen into a movie. They wrote two new songs for the film. One was "The Anonymous Ones," written with Amandla Stenberg. The other was "A Little Closer." The movie premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2021. It was released in theaters on September 24, 2021.

The duo also wrote songs for the 2022 movie Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. This film was based on a children's book. They also wrote songs for Spirited, released in November 2022. Pasek and Paul wrote new songs for Disney's live-action remake of Snow White, which was released in March 2025.

In July 2025, it was announced that Pasek and Paul will write new music for an upcoming animated movie. It will be based on the classic Dr. Seuss story, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" This movie is expected to be released in 2028.

About Their Lives

Benj Pasek's mother is Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor. He went to the University of Michigan and Friends' Central School.

Justin Paul also went to the University of Michigan and Staples High School. Justin Paul is married and has four children.

Musicals They Wrote

Movies and TV Shows They Wrote For

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Pasek y Paul para niños