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” →

Love Never Fails (Reprise) from PTGA

“Love Never Fails (Reprise)” from the musical Pray the Gay Away®. Music by Conrad Askland (ASCAP).

In the 2019 performance run, “Love Never Fails (Reprise)” was the closing song in my musical Pray the Gay Away®. The story is a very heart-felt project aimed at bringing an understanding of the painful world of gay conversion therapy to mainstream audience. The PTGA team and myself worked in partnership with PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) to bring support and awareness to our local audiences. We also provided a lot of information about The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Prevention) to our audiences with information in the programs and materials that The Trevor Project supplied to us.

Continue reading “Love Never Fails (Reprise) from PTGA” →

Agnus Dei Miserere

 

“Agnus Dei” music by Conrad Askland. Originally released by Road Records on the CD “New Faces Vol. 4”. Vocalists Carlotta Diggs (alto) and Karen Etheridge (soprano). Agnus Dei © 2001 Conrad Askland (ASCAP).

Some of my favorite Agnus Dei music is by Samuel Barber, Mozart and Schubert. As a child boy soprano I sang many masses by the great composers and always loved the sound of original Latin music texts. The Agnus Dei is traditionally one of the movements from the Catholic mass.

My version of the Agnus Dei was always intended as more of a character piece for film. I wrote it in 3/4 time with traditional orchestral snare rolls and cymbal crashes that I think gives it a slightly Viennese and aristocratic feel. Because of the aristocratic feel, I always pictured this song playing as an underscore to a screen element that is both dark and carefree. For example, a scene where The Joker is unleashing his mayhem with glee, when Hannibal Lecter is enjoying his glass of Chianti while his plans are unfolding, or yes, an underscore to Trump taking his mask off on the White House steps pretending he is Superman.

Continue reading “Agnus Dei Miserere” →

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…

Continue reading “The “I Like Chocolate” Song” →

Romeo and Juliet the musical – Online Premiere – Full Show (English)

I’m excited to announce that my musical “Romeo and Juliet” is now available to watch on YouTube (Full Show – English)

I composed the music for this stage production entirely to the original text of William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. The RJ musical premiered on stage January-February 2015 at the Historic Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon, WA. This video is from the live stage performance on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2015.

Continue reading “Romeo and Juliet the musical – Online Premiere – Full Show (English)” →

The Lord’s Prayer Song – Orchestral Music for Soloist and Choir

The Lord’s Prayer – Music by Conrad Askland (ASCAP). © 1997. Orchestral music for soloist and choir.

The lyrics for my rendition of the Lord’s Prayer are from Matthew 6:9-13 which cover through “but deliver us from all evil.” As Wikipedia would have you know: “Other ancient authorities add, in some form, For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord%27s_Prayer

Continue reading “The Lord’s Prayer Song – Orchestral Music for Soloist and Choir” →