WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: Edge of the World

Another show that started as a concept album this week, this time it’s the work of Tony nominee and star of the “Wicked” films Ethan Slater, in his professional writing debut alongside fellow actor Nick Blaemire. After the album's release in 2021, "Edge of the World" had its first ever public performance in 2024, in a stage concert that featured Slater alongside Lilli Cooper and Norbert Leo Butz, both of whom also performed on the original concept album alongside the show's two writers.

The story follows a young boy named Ben, and his widowed father Henry (played by Slater and Butz respectively in the album/concert), who move to an isolated Alaskan outpost for work purposes, and young Ben relies on his vivid imagination in order to stave off the increasing feeling of isolation, due to the remote nature of this new home. Compounding this solitary state is also the lingering grief following the death of his mother, as he finds solace in connecting with nature and the nearby wilderness.

Slater and Blaemire's score has clear folk influences, with Paul Simon having been cited as being a primary inspiration for the music. Given the rise of folk musicals over the past decade or so, with shows like "Hadestown", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Shucked" having experienced terrific success, as well as the upcoming premiere of "Ballad Lines" in London next year, there is no reason why a full staging of this musical couldn't also gain a considerable following.

Click here to download the full concept album of "Edge of the World".