Center Stage Records has released the world premiere recording of Into the Sun to streaming and digital music platforms November 7.

With book, music, and lyrics by Michael Gubser, Into the Sun is a historical drama inspired by the World War I poet-soldiers—including Wilfred Owen, Rupert Brooke, Siegfried Sassoon, John McCrae, May Wedderburn Cannan, Edith Sitwell, and William Butler Yeats, many of whom died in war, but live on in their widely anthologized poems.

“I am thrilled to release Into the Sun on Center Stage Records,” says Gubser in a statement. “It is the product of many years of work. Of course, the ultimate goal of any musical is the stage, but a musical album is a kind of culmination. Many people discover musicals through albums, which allow them to relive the characters and story again and again. There are many musicals I loved for years through the albums before I ever saw them onstage. I hope the songs from Into the Sun will thrill listeners and stick with them for a long time, and that they tell a moving story, now over 100 years old, about young men and women who march off enthusiastically to World War I, face the terror of modern warfare, and then make the heroic decision to mount an antiwar resistance and stand up to military authority. Whether you are moved to see the show or just to listen and re-listen to the songs, I hope this album conveys the intense emotions of the characters in a way that speaks to our fears and enthusiasms today. My huge gratitude to the wonderful British and American singers and producer who brought these songs to life. This reflects their effort as much as mine.”

The album was produced by Joe Purdue and Michael Gubser. It features performances by Michali Dantes, Michael Gubser, Natasha Hoeberigs, India Rose, Toby Shellard, Olivia Mae Ward, Peyton Weil, and Harry Winchester.

Into the Sun has been performed at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, the Kennedy Center Page-to-Stage Festival, Montclair State University, James Madison University, the International College of Musical Theatre in New York City, and the Journey Theatre/Triune Entertainment in Warrenton, Virginia.