Author Archives: dannyashkenasi

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.

P&P ART IS ALIVE NOMINATIONS

Posted on December 19, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

ART IS ALIVE FILM FESTIVAL announced 4 nominations for THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM – A MUSICABRE Best Action/Adventure Short Film Best Male Actor in a Short Film Best Director – Action/Adventure Short Film Best Cinematography – Action/Adventure Short Film … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Poe Musicabres | Tagged Action Adventure, actor, Art is Alive, Award, cinematography, director, Edward Elder, festival, film, Henry Borriello, musicabre, nomination, short film, Stolis Hadjicharalambous, The Pit and the Pendulum | Leave a comment

OREGON ROSE GARDEN

Posted on December 15, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

The same day my cousin and I went to Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, to marvel at the Redwoods and pay our respects at the Holocaust Memorial, we also basked in the splendor of the International Test Rose Garden. Which … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged Amphitheater, Bronze, damask, Garden, International Test Rose Garden, Oregon, Portland, RED, Rose, Roses, Royal Rosarian, statue, Washington Park | Leave a comment

OREGON HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL

Posted on December 8, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

I visited the Oregon Holocaust Memorial in Washington Park in Portland last October. The photos don’t require further commentary.

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Notes in the News, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged arch, Auschwitz, children, cobble stones, doll, family, Holocaust, memorial, Oregon, photography, Portland, stone, suitcase, Wall, Washington Park, World War 2 | Leave a comment

P&P on HORROR ISLAND

Posted on December 1, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

NEW UPDATE: 12/7/22 – The new time for the Horror Island Film Festival has been posted. December 31st. Looks to be the same location as before. It can now be part of your jet setting New Year’s Eve extravaganza: 31 … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged adaptation, Canary Islands, Edgar Allan Poe, Film Festival, Gran Canaria, horror, Island, jet set, Las Palmas, musicabre, musical, short film, Spain, The Pit and the Pendulum | Leave a comment

A TOURIST ON HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD

Posted on November 28, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

I woke up early, still on New York time, the Sunday morning of my Skiptown Film Festival visit in LA. The actors panel I was participating in was scheduled for 1pm, so I had time to play tourist on Hollywood … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged Academy Awards, Alfred Hitchcock, All About Eve, Amy Adams, Bela Lugosi, Ben Hur, Billy Wilder, Boulevard, Brabra Streisand, Brokeback Mountain, Capitol Records, Carrie Fisher, Chinese Theater, Crash, Dolby Theater, Elizabeth Taylor, Fonda, Frances MacDormand, Gene Kelly, Gone With the Wind, Graumans, Harry Potter, Hollywood, Hollywood Sign, Hollywood United Methodist Church, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Jimmy Durante, Joel Grey, Judy Garland, Julie Andrews, Katherine Hepburn, La La Land, Liberace, Lord of the Rings, Lou Costello, Mary Pickford, Meryl Streep, Orson Welles, Oscars, Peter Jackson, Peter Lorre, queen, Return of the King, Richard Burton, ruby slippers, RuPaul, Star Trek, stars, Steven Spielberg, sunrise, Susan Sarandon, The Godfather, Tim Robbins, Titanic, Village People, Vine, Walk of Fame, Walt Disney, Wings, Yma sumac | 1 Comment

“Thank you for making me enjoy a musical, in a special way.”

Posted on November 18, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

THE SPOOKY EMPIRE INTERVIEW Scott C. Biery from Guru Reviews interviewed me in conjunction with “The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” screening at the Spooky Empire Film Festival in Orlando, where my musical Edgar Allan Poe adaptation won … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Poe Musicabres | Tagged adaptation, cello, Edgar Allan Poe, Guru Reviews, horror, interview, masks, musicabre, musical, notes, Scott C. Biery, Spooky Empire, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart | Leave a comment

THE SKIPTOWN EXPERIENCE

Posted on November 17, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

“The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” wins awards for Best Musical Performance Best Original Score Best Production Design – Short at the Skiptown Playhouse International Film Festival in Los Angeles The top picture is me sitting with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged Awards, burlesque, Cartas Para Axél, Edgar Allan Poe, Film Festival, Fredrick Byers, I Fell in Love with a Balloon, International, Jean-Luc Servino, John Vamvas, Jonathan de la Torre, Los Angeles, Mariana Soares da Silva, musicabre, Musical Performance, Olga Montes, Original Score, Pedro Pano, Playhouse, Production Design, Scarpedicemente, short film, Skiptown, The Last Jack O' Lantern, The Pit and the Pendulum, Vencenzo Carubia, Will Grave | 1 Comment

Honor the Editor!

Posted on November 15, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Stolis Hadjicharalambous won Best Editor at The NEXT International Short Film Festival for his work on The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre Congratulations, Stolis!

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged Award, best, Editing, Editor, Frestival, International, musicabre, NEXT, short film, Stolis Hadjicharalambous, The Pit and the Pendulum | Leave a comment

SYTYCA DIRECTING AWARD for P&P

Posted on November 14, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

“The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” won the OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE Award for Directing from SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DIRECT OR ACT (which is especially nice because my first musical Poe adaptation “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged a musicabre, Award, directing, So You Think You Can Act, So You Think You Can Direct or Act, SYTYCA, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, Top Winners | Leave a comment

A Walk Through Central Park

Posted on November 10, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Central Park was in fall splendor this recent November Monday as I walked from Sheep Meadow through to the Plaza at the 5th ave / 59 Street exit, but the hot sun and blue sky framed the autumnal scene in … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged 5th Avenue, Autumn, Central Park, New York City, photography, sculpture, Sheap Meadow, skyscrapers, Sunshine, The Plaza | Leave a comment

P&P in NY & LA & NY again

Posted on November 7, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

There will be three opportunities to attend a screening of “The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” coast to coast in the next 10 days. plus an on-line screening opportunity 1st chance – NYC – 11/11 “The Pit and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged Artists Forum, Awards, CK, Film Festival, International, LA, musicabre, nomination, NY, Playhouse, screening, Short Film Awards, Skiptown, SOFIE, Symphony Space, The Pit and the Pendulum | Leave a comment

P&P – Day 6 – The Plaque

Posted on November 2, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story opens with the following Latin inscription and parenthetical annotation: Impia tortorum longos hic turba furors Sanguinis innocui, non satiata, aluit. Sospite nunc patria, fracto nunc funeris antro, Mors ubi dira fuit vita salusque patent. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Literary Lyricism, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged adaptation, classic, Edgar Allan Poe, film shoot, French Revolution, Han Jang Houston, haze, Inquisition, Inscription, Ja'rel Ivory, Jacobin, Jason Chua, Keisuke Nojima, Latin, lighting, Mariana Soares da Silva, musicabre, plaque, short film, short story, smoke, The Pit and the Pendulum, Theater for the New City | Leave a comment

BROOKLYN HALLOWEEN

Posted on October 27, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Or rather Park Slope Halloween. Or more specifically some of the Halloween decorations I photographed in my neighborhood. Vroom Vroom! Hello, Sailor!

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged brooklyn, cobwebs, decorations, dragon, ghost, Halloween, motorcycle, Mummy, neighborhood, Park Slope, photography, pumpkin, sculpture, skeleton, spider, wreath, zombies | Leave a comment

BEST SOUNDTRACK at NMIIFF

Posted on October 23, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

“The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” wins Best Soundtrack at the Naked Mountain International Independent Film Festival P&P’s award was one of three handed out tonight. I snuck some photos from the back of the screening room, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged Film Festival, Independent, International, musicabre, Naked Mountain, Oliver Lambert, short film, soundtrack, Stefan Rollins, The Pit and the Pendulum | Leave a comment

P&P Climbs the NAKED MOUNTAIN in the SPOOKY EMPIRE

Posted on October 19, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

“The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” in NYC & Orlando this Weekend This Saturday, October 22, my short film musical Edgar Allan Poe adaptation will play during the Naked Mountain Film Festival at 253 West 28th Street in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged adaptation, Arthouse, Chelsea, convention, Edgar Allan Poe, festival, film, horror, musicabre, musical, Naked Mountain, New York City, Orlando, short film, Spooky Empire, The Pit and the Pendulum | Leave a comment

5 Awards for P&P at The Artists Forum Festival of the Moving Image

Posted on October 16, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Juror’s Award Best Dark Themed Short Best Director Best Actor Best Editing Plus nominations for Best Cinematography Best Sound Design Last night “The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” won 5 of the 7 awards it was nominated for … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged adaptation, Amos White V, Artists Forum, Awards, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Editing, cinematography, Dolby, Edgar Allan Poe, festival, Jason Chua, Juror's Award, Kaitlin Leslie, Manhattan, Moving Image, musicabre, musical, Sara Shelton, Screening Room, short film, Sound Design, Stolis Hadjicharalambous, Teddy Bear, The Pit and the Pendulum, Todd Maki | Leave a comment

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