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.

SPEAKEASY CASTING NOTICE

Posted on September 14, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

My director Lissa Moira and I posted a casting notice for SPEAKEASY on Backstage.com.  You can find it here. “SPEAKEASY – the Adventures of John and Jane Allison in the Wonderland”  will perform February 18 – March 13, 2016 at … Continue reading →

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ORFEO – Richard Powers composes beautiful music with his words

Posted on September 12, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I just finished reading Orfeo by Richard Powers.  I have never before read literature that so beautifully and evocatively captures music, describing actual works of music, conjuring imaginary works, evoking the process of composing, with such detailed brilliance and clarity … Continue reading →

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THE SONG OF JOB 9:11 – 14 year anniversary of 9/11/2001

Posted on September 8, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

The Song of Job 9:11 – Chapter Ten: HOPE – concert video, Sep 9, 2011 The Song of Job 9:11 – Chapter Ten: HOPE – concert audio, Sep 11, 2011 Above are recordings of the finale of the tenth anniversary … Continue reading →

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The Slip-Sliding WATER NYMPHS and Vertical WIND TUNNEL MAN of FUERZABRUTA

Posted on September 3, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I felt like a toddler about to have a melt down.  This intense feeling that I was this close to bawling uncontrollably and reaching out my hand high for my Mommy to clasp.  When did I last feel this way?  … Continue reading →

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ANTHONY TOMMASINI RATTLES ME – On the Importance of Music in a Musical

Posted on August 30, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Today the New York Times published an excellent dialog between its classical music critic and avowed musical theater enthusiast Anthony Tommasini and its pop music critic Joe Caramanica about the musical Hamilton. The exchange included this from Tommasini, which has … Continue reading →

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CHASING WATERFALLS – The Flabbergasting Force of Foz do Iguacu

Posted on August 29, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Time for another bout of Two-fisted Touristing with musical accompaniment.  Today the amazing Foz do Iguacu waterfalls, which cascade partly in Brazil, where Ed and I first encountered them three years ago, and partly in Argentina, where we saw more … Continue reading →

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THE SPEAKEASY GLOSSARY – Queer Slang of the Prohibition Era

Posted on August 26, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Part of the fun of researching 1920’s and 1930’s Queer subculture in New York City was coming across a wide variety of specialized slang and coded terms that flourished among homosexual men and women of the time.  Some of these … Continue reading →

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H A M I L T ON – Friday, August 21, 8pm, Rear Mezzanine, A 109

Posted on August 22, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I cried twice during the second act Tears steaming down my face, shoulders quaking   First, when tragedy strikes Alexander and Eliza Hamilton Their marriage already strained by scandal, estranged And now the death by duel of their eldest son … Continue reading →

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WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY when he makes his Kindergarten debut? – The Fairy Tale Opera 3

Posted on August 19, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I’ve discussed how certain characters are most likely to make the cut when the Kindergartners vote on their three chosen Fairy Tale Opera protagonists/antagonists.  Dragons are extremely popular, being regularly featured, and populating two of the three Fairy Tale Operas … Continue reading →

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Speak Low, Phoenix, Speak Low…

Posted on August 16, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I attended a matinee screening of the German movie “Phoenix”.  As the movie began and the screen was still black, I heard a lone upright bass picking out two notes a major sixth apart, followed by four more notes bounding … Continue reading →

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DANNY and KELLY go see ALICE at THE MORGAN

Posted on August 12, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Yesterday my Speakeasy co-producer Kelly Aliano and I went to The Morgan museum to take in their Alice – 150 Years of Wonderland exhibit, and tour the ground floor of the magnate’s palatial home and library too.  As Lewis Carroll’s … Continue reading →

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SPEAKEASY – The WHITE RABBIT goes slumming in HARLEM

Posted on August 9, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Harlem HARLEM IT’S SO BECOMING LET’S ALL GO SLUMMING IN THE WILD UPTOWN “Going slumming in Harlem”.  This is what rich and middle class swells and flappers, socialites and the elite, white folks from downtown Manhattan, called going uptown to … Continue reading →

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MERYL STREEP SINGS! and sings again! and again!

Posted on August 5, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

That Meryl Streep is one of the great actors of our time is common knowledge.  But what should now be considered obvious is how she is also the great movie musical performer of the modern age.  That statement may be … Continue reading →

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Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears sings “Streets of Berlin” in Bent

Posted on August 1, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Martin Sherman’s classic play “Bent”, about homosexual persecution in Nazi Germany concentration camps, has received a highly acclaimed major revival directed by Moises Kaufman at the Mark Taper Forum in LA. “Bent” is credited with bringing the barely discussed subject … Continue reading →

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An ORPHAN MELODY is remembered in POMPEII

Posted on July 30, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Mark Twain.  Pompeii.  An orphan melody.  What connects these three disparate things? Wait, what do I mean by an orphan melody? A week ago Ed plunked the latest Smithsonian magazine next to my breakfast dishes and pointed to its front … Continue reading →

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THE SUMMER OF FROG – How a grand musical for 35 performers became a better musical for 6.

Posted on July 27, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

The summer of ’84 I stayed home alone in Berlin while my parents left on vacation.  It was my choice to spend the six week break between my junior and senior high school year spending 8-14 hours every day working … Continue reading →

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