Author Archives: dannyashkenasi

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About dannyashkenasi

I'm a composer with over 40 years experience creating music theater. I'm also an actor, writer, director, producer, teacher and general enthusiast for the arts.

AFRAID. ONLINE FILM AWARD for P&P

Posted on September 7, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Update (9/9/22): Afraid. Online film awards gives “The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” the award for Best Horror Film (over 25 minutes). Click here for full awards listing UPDATE 11/22/2023 – The certificate card from Afraid.Online Filk awards … Continue reading →

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P&P’s INDEPENDENT HORROR MOVIE AWARD

Posted on September 6, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

“The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” won a Best Actor Award and was nominated for Editing, Special Effects and Music by the Independent Horror Movie Awards

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P&P Screening in NEW YORK this Friday

Posted on September 6, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

“The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” will screen this Friday at 6:15pm as part of the New York True Venture Film Festival You have another chance to see my second singing horror short screen in NYC. The New … Continue reading →

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BEST HORROR MUSICAL IN CYPRUS

Posted on August 31, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

3 AWARDS for THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM – a musicabre from THE CYPRUS HORROR SOCIETY The Cyprus Horror Society will screen an award-winning selection of short films this Saturday, including yours truly’s “The Pit and the Pendulum – a … Continue reading →

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Watch OPERA KIDS on September 5 and beyond

Posted on August 30, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

“Opera Kids” is a documentary about the Creating Original Opera program that I had taught and also helped develop starting in 1990. I write about the film, directed by Max Sturm, who first experienced the program as a participating 5th … Continue reading →

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P&P for FREE on FRIDAY!

Posted on August 25, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

FOTOFILM INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL IS SCREENING “THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM – A MUSICABRE” ONLINE FOR FREE ALL DAY FRIDAY AUGUST 26 “THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM – A MUSICABRE” is also nominated for BEST HORROR SHORT The 3rd … Continue reading →

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The FILM FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE at INDIE GATHERING, CHAIN NYC and NYACK

Posted on August 20, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Over the course of five days this past week “The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” screened in film festivals in Cleveland, New York City and Nyack. This blog post is about all three. I was in New York … Continue reading →

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P&P WEDNESDAY in KOLKATA and NYACK

Posted on August 15, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Last Friday and Saturday “The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” screened in festivals in Cleveland and New York City respectively (more on that in a-soon-to-be-posted blog piece), but Wednesday just said “hold my beer”, because on Wednesday, August … Continue reading →

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BRONX ZOO

Posted on August 11, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Ed and I took a day trip to the Bronx Zoo. Never been before, or at least not been since childhood, many decades ago. It is over an hour’s ride by subway from our place in Brooklyn, but well worth … Continue reading →

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P&P at CHAIN NYC FILM FESTIVAL

Posted on August 5, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre will screen August 13, 1:30pm as part of the Chain NYC Film Festival “The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre“, my second musical short film adaptation of a classic Edgar Allan … Continue reading →

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P&P’s WORLD PREMIERE FILM AWARDS

Posted on August 2, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

WORLD PREMIERE FILM AWARDS GIVES FOUR AWARDS TO THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM – A MUSICABRE BEST MUSICAL BEST DRAMA BEST EXPERIMENTAL BEST COSTUMING

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P&P – Day 5 – The Pendulum Swings

Posted on July 28, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Filming the Deadly Progress of the Pendulum The most famous image from Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story “The Pit and the Pendulum” is of the sword swinging back and forth, coming down ever closer over the hapless protagonist tied … Continue reading →

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MONTAUK EXCURSION

Posted on July 19, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Overnighting in the Far East of Long Island to Attend the Screening of “The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” at the Offshore Art and Film Festival Me on the Long Island Railroad last Friday – a three hour … Continue reading →

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P&P at the OFFSHORE FILM FESTIVAL

Posted on July 13, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

“The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” is playing as part of the Offshore Film Festival, enjoying its inaugural year in the tony vacation town of Montauk at the far eastern tip of Long Island. The festival runs today … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday, Ed, Here’s Your New Viola/Piano Duet!

Posted on July 12, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Ed’s birthday is today, and, as every year of the past 29 years that we’ve been together, I compose a viola/piano duet for him on his birthday. He plays viola, I play piano. Each one of these duets is called … Continue reading →

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P&P SILVER MASK AWARD

Posted on July 10, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

“The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” received the award for Best Horror Short from Silver Mask Live Festival Silver Mask Live Festival requested that I send them selfies with my award certificates, so I obliged:

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