Westport Country Playhouse will present “Pasek & Paul: Waving Through Westport,” a fundraising concert with Oscar, Grammy, Tony, Emmy, and Olivier award-winning songwriters and producers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, on Monday, June 23, at 7 p.m.  The composing team, best known for their work on “La La Land,” “The Greatest Showman,” and “Dear Evan Hansen,” will host a night filled with iconic songs and behind-the-scenes tales. They will be joined by Broadway talents Lindsay Mendez (“Merrily We Roll Along,” “Carousel”), Alex Newell (“Glee,” “Shucked”), and Joy Woods (“Gypsy,” “The Notebook,” “Six”).

Paul, a Westport, Connecticut, native, will be recognized for his achievements by his hometown with an official proclamation presented at the event by Westport’s First Selectwoman Jen Tooker, declaring “Justin Paul Day.”

“Justin Paul is not only a hometown hero – he’s also a true treasure to all of us at the Playhouse!,” said Mark Shanahan, Playhouse artistic director. “His 2023 concert was a landmark event—one of the most memorable and talked-about nights in Playhouse history. Those powerhouse, crowd-pleasing Pasek and Paul hits filled our theater with unmatched energy and heart, as the walls practically shook joy and excitement. I can’t wait to see what Justin, Benji and their friends have cooked up for us this time! We’re so grateful for their support and love for the Playhouse.”

Tickets are $165, $195, and $250; limited availability. A Meet and Greet with the artists is sold out. All proceeds from this fundraising event will support the non-profit, professional, producing theater – its work on stage, with schools, and throughout the community. 

Pasek and Paul have each won two Tony Awards for “Dear Evan Hansen” and “A Strange Loop”; two Grammy Awards for “Dear Evan Hansen” and “The Greatest Showman”; two Emmy Awards for “Sesame Street” and “Only Murders in the Building”; two Golden Globe Awards for “La La Land” and “The Greatest Showman”; an Oscar for “La La Land”; and an Olivier Award for “Dear Evan Hansen.” Among their countless honors, they became the youngest winners ever of the Jonathan Larson Award and the first writers for stage or screen to be honored with the ASCAP Vanguard Award.

Lindsay Mendez is a 2024 Tony Award nominee for her portrayal of Mary Flynn in the Broadway production of “Merrily We Roll Along.” For the Off-Broadway run of “Merrily…” at New York Theater Workshop, she earned the Outer Critics Circle Award as well as Drama Desk and Lortel nominations. Mendez won the Tony, Drama Desk, and OCC awards for “Carousel” as Carrie Pipperidge. 

Alex Newell received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for the role of Lulu in “Shucked.” They rose to national prominence as Wade “Unique” Adams on “Glee,” a historic role that brought transgender and gender-nonconforming characters to mainstream television. Broadway credits include Asaka in “Once on This Island.” 

Joy Woods was nominated for a 2025 Tony Award for the role of Louise in “Gypsy.” Other Broadway credits include “The Notebook” and “Six.” Off-Broadway work includes “Little Shop of Horrors” and “I Can Get It for You Wholesale.” She trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC.

Ben Frimmer of Weston, producer and director of the event, is a member of the Playhouse board of trustees. He is a co-producer of Broadway’s “John Proctor is the Villain.” Frimmer has been teaching theatre arts for the Westport Schools for over 30 years. In 2023, he produced another Playhouse fundraiser, “An Evening with Justin Paul and Friends with Kelli O’Hara and James Naughton.”