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.

Return to NOSFERATU with the NOSFERATU Gang

Posted on February 13, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

The other day I was happy to “succumb to the darkness” yet again for a revisit to Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu”, this time with members of the “Nosferatu” gang, fellow actors in a stage production of “Nosferatu” in which I played … Continue reading →

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Playing the Notorious Nathan Leopold

Posted on February 6, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Nathan Leopold 1924 March 1 Live On-line Performance of “In the Aftermath of Mercy” I’ve been cast as Nathan Leopold, the lead character in the new play “In the Aftermath of Mercy”, which Virtual Arts will be broadcasting as a … Continue reading →

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Excursion to the Corpse Flower

Posted on January 31, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Last weekend we heard on the radio that an amorphophallus gigas, a “corpse flower”, was blooming in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The BBG acquired the plant in 2018 and this was the first time it was blooming, a flowering that … Continue reading →

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Battle for my own personal NEW YORKER CARTOON captions

Posted on January 25, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

You’re now in the very contemporary art section of the museum… And we’re back with another installment of my un-winning entries for the New Yorker cartoon caption entries. Well, un-winning according to the contest, but my husband chuckles at them. … Continue reading →

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Peek-A-Boo!

Posted on January 19, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

When we moved to Brooklyn in 1997, the Williamsburg Bank Tower (now officially One Hanson Place, but no one calls it that) was the one tall building, the skyscraper of Brooklyn, a landmark to orient oneself by. It had been … Continue reading →

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Return of the Tell-Tale Heart

Posted on January 11, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

NYC Repeat Screening of “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” 2/25 My first short film Edgar Allan Poe musical adaptation “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre“, recipient of over 60 IMDb.com recognized awards, has long concluded its official festival run, … Continue reading →

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Hotel Room Views

Posted on January 7, 2025 by dannyashkenasi
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Wintry Wisconsin Flyover

Posted on January 1, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Flying over a Wisconsin landscape covered in light patches of snow December 21

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Madison Holiday Lights in Olin Park

Posted on December 22, 2024 by dannyashkenasi
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View from Central Park West

Posted on December 19, 2024 by dannyashkenasi
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Conquest of my own personal NEW YORKER CARTOON captions

Posted on December 16, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

A mustang in a Mustang? The 12th installment of the series, continuing to lift its titles from the Planet of the Apes movies. You can find links to the other 11 in Literary Lyricism category. The vegetarian tofu meatballs option … Continue reading →

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The Times They’re Looking Hazy

Posted on December 11, 2024 by dannyashkenasi
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LIGHTSCAPE #4

Posted on December 5, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Another Year of the BBG’s Fabulous Light Show The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is in its fourth year of what appears to be an ongoing annual holiday tradition: Lightscape. Every year multiple artists create extravagant lightfilled sculptures and lightshows within and … Continue reading →

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Brooklyn from the Sky

Posted on December 1, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

An annotated bird’s eye view of NYC’s best borough. After we took off from New York City’s La Guardia airport on our Thanksgiving trip, the plane flew over the city and I got this great view of Brooklyn, my home … Continue reading →

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Tell-Tale’s Original Script?

Posted on November 25, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

When a very faithful adaptation gets an award for originality… Recently my first Edgar Allan Poe musical short film adaptation “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” received an award for Best Original Screenplay from the East Village New York Film … Continue reading →

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Queer Movies Under the Radar

Posted on November 17, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Nine Fine Films to Keep an Eye Out For Last month we took in a variety of LGBTQ films via the Newfest film festival. Some higher profile films like “Emilia Pérez” and “Bird”, which I saw in Cannes and just … Continue reading →

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