Benj Pasek

Both artists are graduates of the University of Michigan and winners of the American Theatre Wing\'s 2007 Jonathan Larson Award, which honors achievement by composers, lyricists and librettists.\n', ' Pasek and Paul started working together as freshmen at the University of Michigan where they completed their BFA degrees in musical theatre in December 2006. Both got "background" roles in the school\'s musical theater production, which inspired them to write the series of songs turned into a show, Edges. While Pasek usually writes lyrics and Paul usually writes music, they opted to share credit for both elements of the songwriting.\n', ' While still in college they wrote Edges, a song cycle about the trials and tribulations of moving into adulthood and the search for meaning. Premiering in Ann Arbor, Michigan on April 3, 2005, it proved popular on social media and within several years it had over 200 productions worldwide, with countries including Australia, South Africa, Denmark, France, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Philippines, and the United States.\n', '