For Immediate Release: August 26, 2014
BROADWAY COMPOSERS BENJ PASEK & JUSTIN PAUL HOLD CONCERT & MASTERCLASSES AT CAROUSEL THEATRE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Vancouver BC- Carousel Theatre for Young People (CTYP) is delighted to announce Tony-nominated songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul will visit Vancouver from December 7-9, 2014, in conjunction with the opening of their new, anticipated musical – James and the Giant Peach. In addition to attending CTYP’s Gala Opening for the beloved production, Pasek and Paul will perform an intimate concert on Monday, December 8 @ The Waterfront Theatre, featuring their music from Edges, DogFight, James and the Giant Peach, A Christmas Story, The Musical and more. While in the city, the duo will also teach a series of coveted daytime masterclasses for musical theatre performers – the perfect ‘early’ Christmas gift for the theatregoer in your family.
Tickets for An Evening with Pasek and Paul will go on sale Wednesday, September 10 through the CTYP Box Office at (604) 685-6217 or online at www.carouseltheatre.ca. VIP tickets, which will include a private reception following the performance, coupled with a chance to meet Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are $150 (includes tax receipt for the amount allowable under the CRA). Regular Tickets: $50. A limited number of tickets for students currently enrolled in full-time theatre programs at Capilano University, Studio 58, UBC and SFU will be available for $25, in person only at CTYP, on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Pasek and Paul’s masterclasses will take place on Monday, December 8 and Tuesday, December 9. This will give performers an opportunity to work, one-on-one, with the talented duo on the specialized craft of musical theatre performance. Pasek and Paul’s popular classes have been held in London, Vienna, Adelaide, New York, Hamburg and Oslo. For more information on masterclasses, pleases email Artistic Director of CTYP at: [email protected].
ABOUT BENJ PASEK AND JUSTIN PAUL: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are the Tony-nominated songwriters of the Broadway musical, A Christmas Story, The Musical, which opened in November 2012 and enjoyed a critically acclaimed, record-breaking run at the Lunt- Fontanne Theatre. In addition to the Best Original Score Written for the Theatre nomination, A Christmas Story, The Musical also received Tony nominations for Best Book of a Musical and Best Musical. The holiday musical was named one of the Top 10 Plays and Musicals of 2012 by TIME magazine, shared recognition as the Best Musical of 2012 in USA TODAY, and received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Musical and an Outer Critics Circle nomination for Outstanding New Broadway Musical. Pasek and Paul’s score for A Christmas Story, The Musical also received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Music.
Pasek and Paul are also the composers of the off-Broadway musical Dogfight, which premiered in July 2012 at Second Stage Theatre. The show received a nomination from the Drama League for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical, was the winner of the Lucille Lortel Outstanding Musical Award and received Outer Critics Circle nominations for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical and Outstanding New Score. As television songwriters, their original songs were featured on season two of NBC’s Smash and rose to the top 25 on the iTunes Pop Charts. The duo made their debut as songwriters with their widely acclaimed musical Edges. Other theatrical works include James and the Giant Peach, Duck for President and If You Give a Pig a Pancake.
ABOUT BENJ PASEK AND JUSTIN PAUL (continued): Their musical work for TV can be seen on Sesame Street and Johnny and the Sprites (a Disney television series). Performances of their songs have been featured on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The View, Good Morning America, CBS’ Sunday Morning, VH1’s Big Morning Buzz, The Rosie Show, Fox & Friends and more. Pasek and Paul are the recipients of the 2011 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theatre from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a 2011 Sundance Institute Fellowship, the 2011 ASCAP Foundation’s Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, the 2011 ASCAP Songwriters Fellowship Award and a 2007-2008 fellowship from The Dramatists Guild. They are the youngest recipients of the Jonathan Larson Grant (2007) in the foundation’s history. They have participated in ASCAP’s Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project and were named one of The Dramatist magazine’s “50 to Watch” in contemporary theatre.
They are currently at work on an original musical with playwright Steven Levenson and director Michael Greif and a new musical for Disney Theatricals with playwright Rick Elice. Benj and Justin are proud graduates of the University of Michigan.
ABOUT CAROUSEL THEATRE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: Founded in 1976, Carousel Theatre for Young People (CTYP) is a vital member of Vancouver's thriving cultural community, dedicated exclusively to presenting works that delight, inspire and expand young minds, while drawing families closer together. Under the artistic leadership of Carole Higgins, CTYP enchants audiences with award- winning performances that are informative, entertaining and consistently maintain high levels of artistic excellence. Valuing arts as fundamental in a child’s development, CTYP supports the next generation by hosting classes and workshops that enrich and educate, while promoting values of inclusion, mentorship, and a deep appreciation for theatre.
For more information on Pasek and Paul masterclasses, please email Artistic Director of CTYP at: [email protected].
For tickets to An Intimate Evening with Pasek and Paul, please visit the CTYP Box Office at (604) 685-6217 or online at www.carouseltheatre.ca
-30-
______
For further media information, contact
Laura Murray I T. 604.558.2400 I C. 604.418.2998