Benj Pasek News

Now, Atlanta's only professional musical theatre, the Atlanta Lyric Theatre, is producing Pasek and Paul's first show, EDGES. Written after the pair was disappointed by casting decisions at Michigan, the show speaks to the yearning, the excitement, and the fear that often overwhelmes individuals as they transition into adulthood.

This month, Lyric Studio Theatre in the Square will stage EDGES, a song cycle written by Tony nominated Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (DOGFIGHT, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, DEAR EVAN HANSEN) in their sophomore year at the University of Michigan.

BoHo Theatre closes out its groundbreaking 11th season with the musical Dogfight by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Peter Duchan, directed by BoHo Artistic Director Peter Marston Sullivan. Based on the 1991 Warner Brothers film, Dogfight explores the power of compassion in the face of cruelty and malice. The play features a rousing score and an emotional heart that shows musical theatre at its finest.

The Center for the Arts is pleased to announce its 2016 Season - a 'Season of Celebration' as the company celebrates its 20th Anniversary. The season is comprised of eight Main Stage shows and three Gallery shows.

BroadwayWorld has just confirmed complete casting for Secong Stage's upcoming world premiere production of INVISIBLE THREAD, a new musical by Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews, in association with American Repertory Theater, directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Finding Neverland, Pippin). 

The musical tells the story of a marine about to head to Vietnam for the war that saw an estimated 1.5 million casualties. Birdlace (Tiziano D'Affuso), and his fellow marines Boland (Harrison Smith) and Bernstein (David Landstrom) are on leave in San Francisco when they plan a party, like the soldiers before them, called 'The Dogfight.' All the soldiers put money in a pot and compete by bringing the ugliest girl and dancing with her at the party.

The Flat Rock Playhouse announced today the plays, musicals and Music on the Rock concerts slated for the 2016 Season as well as a streamlined subscription package plan.

The Dramatists Guild Fund and Program Chairs Michael Korie, Laurence O'Keefe, and Diana Son are proud to announce the 2015-2016 Class of Dramatists Guild Fellows. Five playwrights and eight musical theater writers were selected from over 150 applications.

DOGFIGHT, the Justin Paul & Benj Pasek musical that tells a tender but brutal story of young people meeting in a situation that is destined for heartbreak, began at The Keegan Theatre on August 22, opens tonight, August 25, and runs through September 19, 2015. Christina A. Coakley & Michael Innocenti direct the production, with a libretto by Peter Duchan, musical direction by Jake Null and choreography by Kurt Boehm. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

In this acclaimed musical adaptation of the film, three young Marines set out on the eve of their deployment in 1963 for one final night of debauchery, carousing and a little trouble. A "dogfight" ensues to determine who can find the most unattractive girl to bring to the party. Corporal Eddie Birdlace picks Rose, an awkward, idealistic waitress, who will rewrite the rules of the game and teach him the power of love and compassion.

Families, set your holiday entertainment dials for excitement, because Chicago musical theater powerhouse, the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, is turning one of the most iconic holiday movies ever made into a larger-than-life musical blockbuster, November 25-January 3.

The new musical DOGFIGHT premiered Off-Broadway in 2012 with a breathtaking score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, accompanied by a thought-provoking book by Peter Duchan. A sensational adaptation of Nancy Savoca's 1991 film by the same name, the musical blends comedy and drama into a tale of love, friendship, and personal growth. Bayou City Theatrics' Houston Premiere of DOGFIGHT runs tonight, August 14, to August 30 at the Kaleidoscope.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director, Casey Reitz, Executive Director), in association with Stacey Mindich Productions, will present the New York premiere of the critically acclaimed new musical, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, featuring music and lyrics by the Tony and Emmy nominated composing team Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (Dogfight, A Christmas Story), book by Steven Levenson (Showtime's Masters of Sex), and direction by three-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif (Rent, Next to Normal, Grey Gardens, If/Then). 

Adapted from the 1991 film, Dogfight premiered Off-Broadway in 2012 and riding off the back of its short run, won two awards including 'Outstanding Musical' the following year. The European debut featured at the Southwark Playhouse last year and has enjoyed several regional productions since. The musical is currently playing at the beautiful Old Joint Stock in Birmingham which is a perfect setting for a stunning show.

Do not miss a summer surprise of this poignant and provocative new musical.

Dogfight, the Justin Paul & Benj Pasek musical that tells a tender but brutal story of young people meeting in a situation that is destined for heartbreak, opens at The Keegan Theatre on August 22, 2015. Christina A. Coakley & Michael Innocenti direct the production, with a libretto by Peter Duchan, musical direction by Jake Null and choreography by Kurt Boehm.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater presents DEAR EVAN HANSEN, which opened last night, July 30, in the Kreeger Theater (read the reviews!) for a run through August 23. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

Let's see what the critics had to say...

I am happy to report that there's a lot to like in this drama with comedic undertones. If it is to have a future – whether in New York or elsewhere – there's a more than solid foundation from which to build.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, presents DEAR EVAN HANSEN, opening tonight, July 30, in the Kreeger Theater, for a run through August 23. BroadwayWorld has highlights from the show below!