U-M alumni and songwriting team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul win Lucille Lortel Award

According to Playbill.com, the musical theater songwriting team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul - who began their artistic collaboration while both were students at the University of Michigan - won a Lucille Lortel Award (for outstanding musical) on Sunday, May 5 for their original score for the Off-Broadway musical, "Dogfight."

The award came on the heels of the duo's first Tony Award nomination (for the score from "A Christmas Story: The Musical"), as well as additional nominations for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.

"Dogfight" opened at the Second Stage Theater in July 2012, and features a book by Peter Duchan. Inspired by the River Pheonix film of the same name, the show focuses on a group of Marines who celebrate their last night Stateside by competing to recruit the ugliest date each can find to attend a party.

Jenn McKee is an entertainment reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.