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.

Fulton Street Towers

Posted on May 19, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged architecture, Barad'hur, brooklyn, Downtown, Flatbush Avenue, Fulton Street, photography, skyscraper, verticles | Leave a comment

Our Japanese Maple Shows Off Its Red Leaves

Posted on May 11, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Beginnings | Tagged backyard, brooklyn, Color, Japanese, leaves, Maple, nature, photography, RED, tree | Leave a comment

Selfies with Statuettes If you look closely, you’ll notice this is a different moneybags figure from the one pictured above (that one smiles, this one frowns). There are sometimes similar or duplicate statuettes on both uptown and downtown platforms.

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged 14th Street, 8th avenue, Alligator, art, Bronze, coins, Life Underground, moneybag, photography, platform, policeman, selfie, station, statue, statuette, subway, Tom Otterness | Leave a comment

Exodus of my own personal NEW YORKER CARTOON captions

Posted on May 5, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Alas, poor Yorick, I know you well. Installment #15 of my ongoing series. All other personal New Yorker Cartoon captions can be most easily found in the literary lyricism archives. Who’s a good board? Who’s a good board? You are! … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Literary Lyricism | Tagged Bible, boardroom, Book, caption, cartoon, Contest, death, dogs, Ebony and Ivory, Hamlet, hare, House, medusa, New Yorker, piano, rain, restaurant, snail, turtoise, weather, Yorick | Leave a comment

Hanami Nights at the Cherry Esplanade

Posted on April 28, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Last Thursday the Brooklyn Botanic Garden sponsored Hanami Nights in celebration of cherry blossom season. Hanami translates to “flower viewing”. I have posted pictures of the cherry blossoms before, but this is the first year the BBG organized their special … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Live! On Stage, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged BBG, botanic, brooklyn, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, cherry, dance, dusk, Esplanade, fan, flower, folk, folk dancing, Garden, Hanami, Japan, Japanese, lights, photography, picnic, pink, Spotlight, Umbrella, viewing | Leave a comment

Film Shoot in an Upper East Side Townhouse

Posted on April 24, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

I have been busy acting in several handfuls of short films (and other projects) lately. One of the short films shot early March in an upper class Upper East Side townhouse. It was a night shoot. I played a sleazy … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Cinema Scope | Tagged cushioned wallpaper, dolly shot, East Side, film, Film Noir, Gordon Willis, manservant, mirrored walls, mirrors, night shoot, photography, shoot, short film, slapjack, sleazy, town house, Upper, wall paper, wet bar | Leave a comment

THE RESISTANCE GROWS!

Posted on April 19, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Photos from the April 19 March in New York City

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Literary Lyricism, Notes in the News | Tagged 5th Amendment, 5th Avenue, Abrego Garcia, Billionaires, Constitution, Cory Booker, criminal, democracy, Due Process, fascism, felon, Gestapo, ice, Kilmar, Kristi Noem, Madison Avenue, Musk, Nazi, New York City, photography, POTUS, Protest, Putin, resist, Trump | Leave a comment

Brooklyn Vantage

Posted on April 14, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Posted in Two-fisted Touristing, Arts-a-Poppin' | Tagged Boerum Hill, brooklyn, brownstone, perspective, photography, sidewalk, town house, trees, vanishing point, vertical | Leave a comment

“LOVED” Performed on Dozens of Xylophones in the Botanic Garden

Posted on April 11, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Video of the complete performance in the Cherry Esplanade section of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden March 22.

Posted in Melodies Linger On, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged botanic, brooklyn, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Cherry Esplanade, concert, Ed Elder, Garden, Loved, Mantra, Michael Gordon, open air, Percussion, Xylophone | Leave a comment

R E S I S T !

Posted on April 6, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

The NYC protest gathered at Bryant Park, then marched down 5th Avenue

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Literary Lyricism, Notes in the News, Uncategorized | Tagged 5th Avenue, Bryant Park, democracy, Elon Musk, Empire State Building, fascist, felon, Hands Off, immigrant, Justice, Liberty, March, Nazi, New York City, penguin, Protest, Putin, tariff, Trump | Leave a comment

Exit the Hotel

Posted on April 3, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin' | Tagged carpet, corridor, dark glass, exit sign, hallway, Hampton, Hilton, Hotel, mirror, photography, reflection, silhouette | Leave a comment

Screenplay Awards for “Prelude to a Death”

Posted on March 31, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

This lovely glass trophy came in the mail last week. I almost didn’t expect it even though I’d been notified of the win. But the Vienna Script Awards operated differently from most awards bodies and film festivals I know by … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Literary Lyricism, Notes in the News | Tagged Austria, Award, Bridge Fest, Cinema Carnival, feature length, Film Festival, ghost, Gothamite, gothic, L.A., Neo Noir, Prelude to a Death, Robinson Film Awards, screenplay, Silver Wings, story, trophy, Vienna Script Awards, Writers Award | Leave a comment

Genesis of my own personal NEW YORKER CARTOON captions

Posted on March 23, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

I lost this hand in a whirlpool, so this seemed appropriate. And we are back for another installment of my own personal (non-contest-winning) New Yorker Cartoon captions. Number 14 in the seemingly indefatigable series. Find all others via the literary … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Literary Lyricism | Tagged aliens, Angels, Bernadette Peters, captions, cartoon, Clue, Contest, crisis of faith, flying saucer, Gouda, Lion, mouse trap, New Yorker, realtor, sailor, Sunday in the Park with George, whisk, zebra | 1 Comment

CROCUS & CARCASS

Posted on March 17, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

CSI: Brooklyn That feeling when you go out to take photos of the first buds of Spring but then stumble upon the scene of a murder. The Remains of the Bird. Pigeon most likely. Most likely devoured by a hawk … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged Bird, brooklyn, carcass, Cooper's Hawk, Crocus, crocuses, CSI, Falcon, flowers, hawk, murder, photography, prey, purple, raptor, Spring | Leave a comment

Tell-Tale in Beloit

Posted on March 15, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

“The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” at the Beloit Film Festival The official festival run of my first Edgar Allan Poe musical short film adaptation “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” ended years ago, but lately there have been invitations … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged adaptation, Beloit, Chicago, Edgar Allan Poe, festival, film, horror, Independent, John Vamvas, musicabre, musical, North Film Festival, Olga Montes, Q&A, Scarpedicemente, short film, The Tell-Tale Heart, Wisconsin | Leave a comment

Is FIDELIO the Original HONEYPOT?

Posted on March 9, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

The Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center Friday night Ed and I attended the Met Opera performance of Beethoven’s one and only opera “Fidelio”, and it was glorious. I generally don’t cry at operas, but I did so twice this time, … Continue reading →

Posted in Live! On Stage, Melodies Linger On | Tagged Beethoven, Bond Girl, Ezio Pinza, Fidelio, Honeypot, Jacquino, James Bond, Leonore, Lincoln Center, Lise Davidson, Marzelline, Met, movies, Ode to Joy, Opera, pants role, photography, political prisoner, prison, Prufomo, René Pape, Rocco, secret agent, Spy, television, The Americans, Willy Brandt, Ying Fang | Leave a comment

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