Last week, we learned that former ‘Glee’ star and Broadway sensation Darren Criss would be stepping into the shoes of the menacing maestro known as the Music Meister for the upcoming ‘Supergirl’/‘The Flash’ musical crossover titled ‘Duet’. But now, we know who will be be bringing nefarious notes to life behind the scenes.
According to Yahoo!, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have contributed a song titled ‘Runnin’ Home To You’ (which will naturally be performed by Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen) to the highly anticipated two-part Arrowverse event. If the names of the award-winning songwriters don’t ring any bells, then their most recent work in the Oscar-nominated film ‘La La Land’ surely will. But aside from penning the tunes ‘City of Stars’ and ‘Audition’, they’ve also written music for ‘A Christmas Story: The Musical’, the short-lived NBC Broadway series ‘Smash’, and the acclaimed new musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’. On Pasek and Paul’s involvement in the March 20th and 21st episodes, executive producer Andrew Kreisberg had this to say:
“Benj and Justin are the premiere song-writing duo of our time. Not only are they two of the most talented people Greg and I have ever met, they are also two of the nicest. To have them be a part of our musical episode is beyond our wildest expectations. We hope everyone falls in love with the song they wrote for us as much as we did.”
In addition to the amazing Pasek and Paul, ‘Supergirl’ and ‘The Flash’ network-mate Rachel Bloom will provide a track for the episodes as well. The co-creator and star of ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ (which is one of the best shows on television today due to it’s masterfully unique comedic approach, catchy songs, and poignant message) told Buzzfeed that she was excited to lend her expertise to The CW’s corner of the DC Universe as soon as she heard that they were making a musical:
“As soon as I heard that they were doing a musical crossover, I e-mailed Mark Pedowitz who connected me to Greg [Berlanti] and Andrew [Kreisberg]. I immediately offered them my services. As soon as they picked one of my song ideas, I hopped on the phone with my old ‘Robot Chicken’ boss Tom Root and we brainstormed and, based on that brainstorm, I wrote up the song ‘Super Friends’ I am so excited to contribute more to the upward trend that is musicals in television and film. Music can be one of the most amazing and efficient forms of storytelling and character development. Also, it was really fun to write a comedy song for two superheroes.”
With top talent such as Pasek, Paul, and Bloom all contributing to ‘Duet’, the episodes are surely shaping up to be something amazing. And now that we know a little bit about what stars Gustin and Melissa Benoist will be singing, it’ll be interesting to see what’s in store for the other cast members like Jesse L. Martin, Jeremy Jordan, Victor Garber, and John Barrowman.
What do you think about the roster of talent providing songs for the musical crossover between ‘The Flash’ and Supergirl’? Are you surprised to see such heavy hitters in modern musicals to be lending a hand? And what are the chances of Lin-Manuel Miranda jumping in to write a verse or two? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments.
Despite being a “professional writer”, Ben likes run-on sentences far too much. For more of his attempts at being funny and the occasional insightful thought, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.