Author Archives: dannyashkenasi

Unknown's avatar

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.

Central Park at Dusk

Posted on April 5, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

The other day I crossed Central Park from West 72nd to East 79th streets just as night was creeping. I had seen a horror film at the movies, and felt inspired to take some moody photos as I made my … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Cinema Scope, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BROOKLYN SNAPSHOTS – Part 2

Posted on March 30, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

And we’re back, ambling around the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Gowanus, Boerum Hill and Park Slope. Plus a little bit of Red Hook.

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BROOKLYN SNAPSHOTS – Part 1

Posted on March 25, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Walking around my neighborhood I’m sometimes struck by an image, a perspective, a detail that compels me to take out my phone and frame a picture. More often than not these shots are posted on my Instagram account. I’ll collect … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

ANTICIPATING SPRING

Posted on March 18, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Here’s to the Blooms of the Ornamental Pear Tree Spring is just around the corner, this Sunday officially. The crocuses and the daffodils are already blooming in our garden. But the trees are still bare, for now. The first trees … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

P&P – Day 4 & 5 – On the Rack

Posted on March 14, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

I already shared the above picture in a previous blog post about the colors of “The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre”, my short film adaptation of the classic Edgar Allan Poe short story. You probably guessed then (and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Poe Musicabres | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Prospect Park / Grand Army Plaza

Posted on March 7, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

As I was walking in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park towards the Grand Army Plaza exit, I caught this view through the trees and took a picture with my phone. I like this photo so much I decided it is worth featuring … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

P&P – Day 4 – The Pit Beckons

Posted on March 4, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

I stared into the abyss, and the abyss stared back That is a paraphrase of a famous quote from Nietzsche, but doesn’t it read like something Poe might have written? Actually I hear this line in the voice of Werner … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Literary Lyricism, Poe Musicabres | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Impressions from ASSEMBLY

Posted on February 24, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Fierce and Fabulous If I was allowed just two words to describe the fantastic performance of Rashaad Newsome’s “Assembly” I enjoyed last night at the Park Avenue Armory, those would be the two. Given more words to describe the experience, … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NIAGARA at Night

Posted on February 21, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

After the sun sets, Niagara Falls is lit with colored lights. Click here for NIAGARA Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3 First views are of the Horseshoe Falls

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NIAGARA Part 3 – Into the Mist

Posted on February 18, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

Looks like I saved the most dramatic pics & vids for Part 3… (Click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2) We took the elevator from Prospect Point down to the dock where we waited for our tour … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wet Snow in the Backyard

Posted on February 13, 2022 by dannyashkenasi
Posted in Arts-a-Poppin' | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NIAGARA Part 2

Posted on February 9, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

A Wider Tour of the World around the Falls After our first approach to the falls (see Part 1) we walked south from Terrapin Point around Goat Island, with a special visit to the Three Sisters Island, before returning to … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NIAGARA Part 1

Posted on February 5, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

The Rapids along the Path to the Falls Pics and Vids taken August 2020 We start on the road along the shore at the left side of this map.

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Favorite Films of 2021

Posted on January 29, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

There are many movies I saw last year which I enjoyed (even enjoyed a great deal) and recommend (now and then maybe with minor caveats) – Belfast, Belle, Being the Ricardos, Black Widow, CODA, Don’t Look Up, Encanto, Eternals, Everybody’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BRIER PATCH in MADISON SQUARE PARK

Posted on January 26, 2022 by dannyashkenasi
Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', The Teaching Artist, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TELL-TALE HEARTBEATS

Posted on January 21, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

In all this time writing about my first short film musical Edgar Allan Poe adaptation “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” I have kept one crucial secret: how are the famous tell-tale heartbeats rendered in this version? It must be … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Cinema Scope, Poe Musicabres | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment