I just love this duo ice skating routine to my musical setting of 1 Corinthians 13 “Love Never Fails”
PAN the Musical – Full Show Online Premiere
PAN the Musical. Book, Music, Lyrics and Orchestrations by Conrad Askland
PAN the Musical, my second full-length original musical, will be available to watch online starting Sunday November 21, 2021 at 5pm PST/8pm EST
PAN is all original music and lyrics based on the classic story “Peter and Wendy” by J.M. Barrie. Join Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Wendy and the Lost Boys in Neverland.
This is the classic Peter Pan story but of course I added a few twists and turns into my adaptation. A family-friendly musical theater show that was very well received by audiences at its premiere.
The filming is from the 2013 community theater premiere performance run, live on-stage at the Historic Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon, WA. Directed by Joe Bowen and presented by META Performing Arts
You can find my interview on PAN the Musical, trailer excerpts and my other video and musical creations on the Conrad Askland YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/ConradAskland
Witches the musical – Full Show Online Premiere
Witches the musical will have its online premiere starting October 24, 2021 at 5pm PDT. Watch on my YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC59dIPKHWw
Witches was my first original full length musical and its topic is the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The show incorporate a lot of the historical record surrounding the trials and also mixes in a lot of musical theater fantasy to the mix.
This is a free event but also a fundraiser for the Historic Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon, WA which has been operating since 1926. In the video description is a link to donate directly to the Lincoln. 100% of all donations go directly to the Lincoln Theatre. Designate “Witches the Musical” in the donation box.
Askland’s Romeo and Juliet the musical – When Shakespeare meets musical theatre
Conrad Askland presents: Romeo and Juliet (The Musical).
When William Shakespeare meets musical theatre.
*Original article on the BandCampDiaries website at: https://thebandcampdiaries.com/post/652902300001714176/conrad-askland-presents-romeo-and-juliet-the
June 2021 – It’s safe to say that Conrad Askland is not your average artist and composer. His creativity transcends “traditional” music release formats, in favor of a broader approach, which touches so many different genres and influences. From pop and uptempo folk-inspired dance music, down to musical theatre and plays, anything goes. Conrad has recently released a brand new project, Romeo and Juliet (The Musical). Any theatre enthusiast will tell you that tacking a Willam Shakespeare work is not easy, especially when it comes to turning such a well-known classic into a musical with a different twist! Thankfully, Conrad really managed to accomplish something amazing with this one, and listeners won’t be disappointed, even those who might not be familiar with the original version of Romeo and Juliet! If anything, this adaptation could be a great incentive for someone to go and pick up the collected works of The Bard! This happens to be Conrad’s third full-length musical theater project, and it still stands out as one of his most distinctive achievements. Although the musical play premiered in 2015, it was released as a full-length Youtube Video over at the artist’s official channel, linked at the bottom of this article.
This amazing project is a perfect example of what it’s like to produce great musical theatre pieces with a focus on great scoring inspired by neoclassical music composers.
Continue reading “Askland’s Romeo and Juliet the musical – When Shakespeare meets musical theatre”
The “I Like Chocolate” Song
Words and Music by Conrad Askland (ASCAP). “I Like Chocolate” © 2007 Conrad Askland.
I ascribe by the motto of “What was funny in third grade will always be funny.” This is MAYBE the silliest song I’ve ever written, and I’ve written a LOT of very silly songs.
I almost never write a song “just to write a song.” There’s always a reason for a song when I write it. I’m very utilitarian, or practical, in that way. “I Like Chocolate” was written for a very specific reason: to make third-graders laugh. And here’s the story all about that…
PTGA on the Big Screen January 30, 2020
On Thursday January 30, 2020, the Historic Lincoln Theatre will show Pray the Gay Away® the musical on the big screen. This event is free and open to the public. Join us as we celebrate the cast and crew that brought this new theatrical work to the stage at the very same Lincoln Theatre. Doors open at 6:30pm and showing starts at 7pm. Open festival seating, first-come first-served and it’s free!
We will have some limited edition merchandise for sale to benefit our local chapter of Skagit PFLAG and the writer, Conrad Askland, will be on hand to meet audience members.
Pray the Gay Away® the musical sold out at the Lincoln back in November 2019, so this is your chance to see it if you couldn’t get tickets back then. We felt so bad turning so many people away when it sold out, so please join us! PTGA brought the painful world of gay conversion therapy to the stage that was a hit with audiences.
It all started in Skagit County at the Lincoln Theatre. Join us for a celebration of the cast and crew that brought this show to the stage.
Official PTGA website: https://ptgashow.com/
Pray the Gay Away® the musical SOLD OUT!
All shows SOLD OUT! Pray the Gay Away® the musical Nov. 8-24, 2019 at Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon, WA. I am thrilled at the overwhelming support and ticket demand for my fourth original full-length musical.
Thank you so much to our Pacific Northwest audiences for supporting this show and its mission. Its become bigger than we ever could have imagined. We are in a whirlwind with all the comments and social media buzz coming in. It’s overwhelmingly beautiful.
We do know one thing: audiences are hungry for the experience and message of this show. It is obvious that somehow this show needs to reach more people. We have confidence the people of the Pacific Northwest will find a way to make that happen. The Great People of the Pacific Northwest. You are the best!
Show website at: https://ptgashow.com/
Composer website at: http://conradaskland.com
PTGA Review: La Conner Weekly News
The first review is in from La Conner Weekly News on the premiere run of Pray the Gay Away® the musical at the Historic Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon, WA from Nov. 8-24, 2019. Thank you to Ken Stern for taking the time to watch our show and write the review.
Review Excerpts:
‘Pray the Gay Away” a must see
“By definition world premieres are ambitious. This one is audacious.”
“This is a colorful, high energy production that had a supportive full house audience applauding throughout.”
“This play is a powerhouse of history and current events”
Conrad Askland “has created a tour de force”
“The production values are first rate”
Opening Night Photos from Pray the Gay Away® the musical on Nov. 8th, 2019
Show photos from opening night of Pray the Gay Away® the musical on Friday, November 8th, 2019 at the Historic Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon, WA. Presented by Theater Arts Guild. Book, Music and Lyrics by Conrad Askland. Photos by Gary Brown.
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Cascadia Weekly article on Pray the Gay Away® the musical
Thank you to Amy Kepferle for her article in the November 6, 2019 issue of Cascadia Weekly about my fourth full-length original musical Pray the Gay Away®.
Read the article on the Cascadia Weekly website at http://www.cascadiaweekly.com/cw/currents/a_musical_with_a_mission
Excerpt:
Cascadia Weekly: The play takes place in the 1980s. Same-sex marriage is now legal, and people have more rights than they used to regarding who they love. That said, what do you think the similarities are between now and then when it comes to accepting people for who they are?
Conrad Askland: The reason I am doing this production is that what you are saying should be true. We should be on the “other side” of this issue. The truth is, gay conversion therapy is still being widely practiced in the United States, and the Supreme Court is currently deciding whether the Civil Rights Act applies to the LGBTQ+ community. I personally do not see this as just an issue of gay rights, I see it as an issue of basic human rights, which the LGBTQ+ community should be fully a part of. This divide, this dehumanization, is part of the citizens of the United States defining what our culture is and what we want to stand for.
PDF of article: