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.

MARK TWAIN NEVER GOT TO THE LOUVRE (but I did)

Posted on December 14, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

A trip to the magnificent Louvre museum with Mark Twain.  Well actually Mark Twain himself never got there, but he wrote about not getting there in “The Innocents Abroad”, and that satirical anecdote about what happens to unwary, blustery Americans … Continue reading →

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A Freaky Little Tell-Tale Tidbit

Posted on December 9, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

Listen to this.  It’s rather creepy, isn’t it, not just because of the unsettling nature of the text, but because of, well, I’ll explain later, just listen now:     I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole … Continue reading →

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EXITING ETERNITY’S GATE

Posted on December 2, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

  Ed and I had just seen Julian Schnabel’s movie about Vincent Van Gogh, “At Eternity’s Gate”, and were exiting one of the more tucked away screening rooms at the Landmark 57 multiplex, which required walking down a long, narrow, … Continue reading →

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SENSUAL RODIN

Posted on November 24, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

We start with a famous thought.  We end with a famous kiss.   Rodin’s Thinker greats you in the courtyard of the Rodin House in Paris.  And so he will be the introduction to this post of some of Rodin’s … Continue reading →

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TELL-TALE REVEAL!

Posted on November 18, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

  So what is the big new deal with “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre“?     OK!  Aright!  I know you’ve been on tenterhooks!   The suspense has been killing you!     But only figuratively.   Not literally, … Continue reading →

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TELL-TALE SOUNDS

Posted on November 9, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

The final ghastly Tell-Tale hint before I reveal all!   What is this about?  Click to watch the short video; now can you guess? Yes, we appear to be in a recording studio. What, is that three cellists on the … Continue reading →

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JON BUNGE’S SHAPES AND SHADOWS

Posted on November 5, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

  The other weekend artist Jon Bunge opened his studio up to the public as part of the Gowanus Open Studios 2018.     I’ve known Jon for many years.  His work was always abstract.  The black and white pictures … Continue reading →

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TROLL AFFECTION!

Posted on October 29, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

  How a genre and boundary bursting Swedish movie brought back to mind a certain LGBTQ friendly First Grade Opera Tune I just saw the movie “Border”, Sweden’s entry for this year’s Foreign Film Oscar, and let me say, right … Continue reading →

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FIRST MAN Takes This Waltz with 2001’s BLUE DANUBE

Posted on October 25, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

First Man – Docking Waltz – Justin Hurwitz   Ed and I were watching the marvelous, heart-grabbing “First Man” in the next to uppermost row in the huge Upper West Side Imax theater, when we reached the point in the … Continue reading →

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VERSAILLES – Reflections in the Hall of Mirrors

Posted on October 21, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

  Paris provided a wealth of imagery and perspectives for me to share – it’ll probably take me a year to process it all in blog post sized bits (here the first one two three four five posts). Why, alone the long … Continue reading →

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TELL-TALE OMENS

Posted on October 14, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

  What is this about? Have I decided to add cartoonist to my jack-of-the-arts-box?     No.  I am quite aware that my drawing skills are more on the feeble side. These sketches are for practical reasons, which however are … Continue reading →

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Sensual Statues of the Musée D’Orsay

Posted on October 5, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

Tensions of the world making you anxious? Here is much soothing, sculptural sensuality but also some less comforting, chiseled objectification Continuing my fascination with sensual statuary in Paris, the greatest concentration of such aesthetically, artistically, and, let’s admit it, amorously … Continue reading →

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WITCHES IN HOUSTON

Posted on September 30, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

UPDATE:  Lone Star Lyric has postponed their production of “Witches” to June, 2019 However, my Nov 3 talk at the Round Top Theater Forum will include numerous performed excerpts -songs and scenes – from the musical. —— Looking for something … Continue reading →

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What Makes Us ANXIOUS – What Gives Us HOPE

Posted on September 23, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

I want to have a happier marriage Love wins My Trump voting relatives I am tougher than dirt   Currently at the Rubin Museum in New York City, there is an exhibit curated by the public’s hopes and fears. One … Continue reading →

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Sensual Statues in the Streets of Paris

Posted on September 19, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

Nude statues are all over Paris. I don’t know if statistically there are more nude statues there than in other European cultural capitals, or if the nude statues of Paris are particularly more sensual than elsewhere, or if it is … Continue reading →

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AH, PARIS!

Posted on September 13, 2018 by dannyashkenasi

The EIFFEL TOWER, as seen from many different Paris neighborhoods, constitutes the official kick off to a whole lot of Paris infused blog posts (even if it is actually the third of such blog posts – I’ll just call those first … Continue reading →

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