Golden Globe Nomination and Hit Broadway Show for Friends' Central Alum and Ardmore Native Benj Pasek '03

Wynnewood, Pa. – The Tony-, Emmy-, and now Golden Globe-nominated songwriting duo Pasek and Paul, featuring Friends’ Central alumnus Benj Pasek ’03 and songwriting partner Justin Paul, burst onto the Broadway scene once again this week with their original new hit musical Dear Evan Hansen. Already racking up over $10 million in advanced ticket sales, Dear Evan Hansen opened with rave reviews from audiences and critics alike on December 4. The latest in Pasek and Paul’s exciting list of accolades is a Golden Globe nomination for the original song "City of Stars" in the highly anticipated upcoming film La La Land, which stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. La La Land, which opens on December 16, was written and directed by Damien Chazelle (Whiplash) and features music by Justin Hurwitz and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

Dear Evan Hansen, which The New York Times describes as “A gorgeous new musical for anyone with a beating heart,” stars Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect), a teenager who only wants one thing – the chance to finally fit in. A one-of-a-kind musical, Dear Evan Hansen highlights the struggle to be seen and heard in the chaos of the high school experience. A New York Times Critics’ pick last week, critic Charles Isherwood calls Dear Evan Hansen a “gorgeous heartbreaker of a musical … Rarely – scratch that — never have I heard so many stifled sobs and sniffles in the theater … a haunting score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.” Read the full NYT review here. Washington Post critic Peter Marks reviews Dear Evan Hansen as “On Broadway and on the money … a marvelous score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.” Read the full Washington Post review here.

Keep your eye on this pair, as Pasek and Paul are in the midst of a number of exciting high-profile projects. In addition to La La Land, Pasek and Paul have an original song in the movie Trolls, currently in theaters, and they are writing the music for an upcoming film with Hugh Jackman called The Greatest Showman, which tells the story of P.T. Barnum, founder of the circus that became Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Dear Evan Hansen photo – DearEvanHansen.com

Pasek and Paul photo – Getty Images

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Friends’ Central School is a Quaker, independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day school for students in nursery through grade 12. Located on 41 acres across two campuses in Wynnewood, Pa., Friends’ Central cultivates the intellectual, spiritual, and ethical promise of our students. Guided by our Quaker values, since 1845, we have been educating for excellence, inspiring tomorrow’s leaders, honoring each individual, and encouraging our students to peacefully transform the world.