Logan Johnson performs "Along the Way" from Pasek and Paul's musical Edges. He sings about bringing home a class rabbit named Murphy in third grade despite his parents' allergies, accidentally killing it, and learning that everyone makes mistakes and life moves on.
—about young adults at the metaphorical edge of their lives. Tony nominees Benji Pasek and Justin Paul, known as Pasek and Paul, wrote Edges in 2005 during their sophomore year at University of Michigan. Their works also include A Christmas Story, Dogfight, Dear Evan Hansen, and James and the Giant Peach. Their original songs have also been featured on NBC's Smash. Although the show has never had a Broadway run, the show has had hundreds of productions across the world. And in 2007, Pasek and Paul won a $20,000 John Kolars Award, becoming the youngest to have ever won the award, which was established by the estate of Rent composer Jonathan Larson to encourage composers, lyricists, and book writers at the beginning of their careers. In the song "Along the Way," Logan Johnson reflects his character's mistakes he's made in the past in preparation for his future.
Third grade in Miss Adams' class, an emotionally scarring time I'm still trying to forget. And it's not like I was a loser, it's not like I didn't pass. See, it has to do with what happened to poor Abe, our class pet. We had this tradition on every Friday. One of us was picked to take him home. Exciting, right? Well, I finally asked Miss Adams, could this be my day? I thought maybe if I'm verbal, I could go home with this durable tonight. But my dad is allergic and my mom is very phobic. It's a real thing. I knew exactly what the situation would require.
My mom showed up for carpool.
I stuffed pork loin in my pocket. I forgot about him till my nanny found him in the dryer. Whoops. I fixed it the whole next week, too afraid to tell all my friends that poor, poor baby was dead. Katie Thompson told me that killers burn in hell, but Miss Adams took my hand and she said— Oh, life goes on. Things will be okay. And though Murphy's gone, tomorrow is a brand new day. Everyone makes a couple mistakes somewhere along the way.
In case you're wondering, this just wasn't the one time it works.
This is a brief list of all the reasons I kind of suck. I wrecked my mother's car. I lost my cousin in a mall, and I killed a fish and a plant and a squirrel. I replaced my father's autograph to Mickey Mantle's ball and drove my bike into a 9-year-old girl. But she's alright, and I just keep telling myself, oh, life goes on, things will be okay. And though she broke her arm and all her teeth are gone, tomorrow is A brand new day. Everyone makes a couple mistakes somewhere along the way. Looking back, I can't pretend I don't see the trend. I'm not dependable. I'm aware I can't take care of things. Well, I'll aware what being careless brings. See, for him and the bike crash, they're just samples, small examples, of the same sick, vain, and stupid things I've did. That's why I'm so afraid to raise a kid. So why would you choose me to raise a kid? Oh, I'm afraid. Maybe he's not turning out okay. Or I'll forget him. But if I start to need him,
