Justin Paul: Composer, 'La La Land', 'The Greatest Showman' and Facts You Need To Know

If you haven't seen 'The Greatest Showman,' then you need to catch it before it leaves the theater. If you missed it, you'll need to look for it on Redbox or on DVD and trust us, this is one film you need to see! Directed by Michael Gracey, this musical drama grossed over $340 million dollars worldwide, meaning of course, that it did quite well. Gracey had an amazing team that assisted in the making of this film, including composer Justin Paul. Paul composed the song 'This is Me,' for the film that was inspired by the story of P.T. Barnum’s Barnum & Bailey Circus. Paul’s composition is a vital part the movie that stars Zach Efron and Hugh Jackman, as P.T. Barnum. The song itself has brought the audience to their feet at the end the show, some dancing and clapping along with the music. Justin Paul is 33 years old, born in Missouri and raised in Connecticut. He attended the Music Theater of Connecticut School of Performing Arts and Coleytown Middle School as well as Staples High School. Both schools are located in Westport, Connecticut. He also studyied at the University of Michigan where he acquired a BFA in Musical Theatre in 2006. Alongside with his friend, Benj Pasek, Paul worked on several projects composing music for several films. Some of his most notable films include: 'Dear Evan Hansen', 'La La Land(Easy Piano)', 'James and the Giant Peach', and of course, 'The Greatest Showman.' He has made a decent net worth as a composer in the Hollywood film industry.

Justin Paul and Benj Pasek wrote nine songs for the movie, 'The Greatest Showman' but the song that grabbed the most attention was 'This is Me.' The song was introduced to the audience early through the movie’s official trailer and it appears as though Paul’s creation sounds like an anthem for the disenfranchised, marginalized, the bullied and the outcast. In a year that people were people are searching for diversity, this song would of course expect some awards from the likes of Oscar 2018. True to their hope, it's been nominated for an Oscar 2018 award. Paul’s 'This is Me' is vital to the plot in the fanciful biopic that Barnum uses to showcase the human 'oddities' which some critics dismiss as 'freaks.' One of the 'oddities' is a Bearded Lady played by Broadway singer and actress, Keala Settle. In the middle of the film, Barnum shuns his discoveries momentarily and even slams the door in the faces of high society. Paul said that the Bearded Lady found her own sense of power and self-pride throughout the film despite the fact that she was presented as a 'freak.' Paul also added that the characters realized who they were and that they would do anything to claim their own their identity. They marched through the streets, passed the protesters and went back to the circus home where they performed before a packed house. Settle got the part when she attended an early workshop of the songs. After she sang the lyrics of the second verse, she turned her back from the studio glass and faced Paul then singing the last verse to him. Paul started to cry and Settle was crying too. The whole room knew that the song was extraordinary and that Paul had written something amazing. No wonder Justin Paul was nominated for an Oscar 2018, this song is truly amazing.

Through coincidence and lucky timing, Paul and his partner happened to be in LA in 2013 when Paul was scheduled to meet someone at Fox. He was scheduled to meet with someone doing a musical. Paul was told that since he was a Broadway guy, he would talk with the music man who then introduced Paul to Gracey, the director of 'The Greatest Showman.' Within a few days, Paul was in a room with Gracey who pitched the film without even knowing who Paul was. He told Paul what his vision was going to be and Paul agreed to write the music for the film.

Paul described P.T. Barnum as a fantastic, larger than life kind of person who wasn’t actually defined by the world that he was part of. Paul added that Barnum was a dreamer who wanted the world to exist in a way that it could be, rather than the way it was. Paul stated that when a character becomes so inspired by their emotions the only thing they want to do is speak to the world, accepting the fact that singing only exists to help express the feelings of the outcast and forlorn.

Paul stated that when composing an original musical, it meant that there was no any story already in place to refer to and everything could continue to shift at any given moment. He gave an example of 'This is Me' wasn’t meant for Lettie alone but she made it a big song. Paul takes a lot of time to investigate different story lines and characters to find the best places where songs could go and he cuts out songs that aren't working. It takes a lot of time, because one often has to write new things, go back to the old ones, and finally weave in something that makes sense. So, yes, it was a challenge for Paul to write the music but he was certainly up the task.

According to 'Net Worth Post,' Justin Paul has a net worth of $9 million dollars. He has made his net worth from being a composer of songs in films such as 'Dear Evan Hansen,' 'La La Land(Easy Piano)', 'James and the Giant Peach,' 'The Greatest Showman,' and many other films.

Paul’s work is somewhat not seen but heard but it has won him many awards. Hopefully, he will take home the Oscar 2018 award.