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.

ENNOBLING TITILLATION – Company XIV’s carnal, campy, classy CINDERELLA

Posted on October 14, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

“a baroque burlesque ballet” That is how AMDM Productions describes the luscious presentation of “Cinderella” currently playing at the Minetta Lane Theatre.  This undeniably adult take on Charles Perrault’s Cinderella (1697) by Company XIV, which deliciously blends “opera, circus, Baroque … Continue reading →

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Speakeasy Gay Slang – FLOWERS & FLORISTS & MAE WEST, Oh my!

Posted on October 12, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

After Alice goes through the mirror in Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass” she wanders through a mirror image fantastical version of the house she left, then discovers a garden with flowers who not only can talk but will also … Continue reading →

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WE’RE READY FOR YOUR CLOSE-UP, MR. ELDER – Video Shoot for Speakeasy Fundraising Campaign

Posted on October 9, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Wednesday we had a mini film crew in the house.  Henry Borriello and Stolis Hadjicharalambous (try typing that out real fast) agreed to help us out filming the promo video not required but very much encouraged if you are planning … Continue reading →

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4th Grade POWER OF PROGRESS – The Immigrants

Posted on October 5, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Last spring the full 4th grade of the Brooklyn Children’s School presented “The Power of Progress 1840 – 1920”, a multi-media, multi-disciplinary event where different groups of children created presentations and performances on such topics as Suffragettes, Newsies, Tenement Buildings, … Continue reading →

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EVOCATION II – Double Stop Etude or Relationship Elegy?

Posted on October 2, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

There were about 200 wedding guests present when Ed and I got married (the first time) April 25, 1998.  It took at least an hour for the reception line to make its full way past us.  And with the expected … Continue reading →

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HOW MANY WAYS CAN ONE BE A CREEP? And does it ever stop being so “fuckin’ special”?

Posted on September 28, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Who could have imagined that Radiohead’s “Creep”, that dark, spiky, idiosyncratic paean to self-loathing, would become one of the most covered rock songs from the 1990’s?  It’s not only recorded by a huge variety of artists, but also covered in … Continue reading →

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DRY OUT THE NATION – SPEAKEASY, PROHIBITION and a very DRY SPEECH

Posted on September 24, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

By the time Jane Allison, in the musical “Speakeasy”, has walked through one door into a speakeasy foyer and through another door into an automat, she realizes that the regular rules and expectations of time and space may not apply … Continue reading →

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THE MADONNA CONCERT – as experienced, sorta, from the far far up and away and off to the side “cheap” seats

Posted on September 21, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

“Cheap” seats deserves it’s quotation marks.  After all, we did pay over $100 a ticket.  We could have paid less and ended up even further up, up, up in the nosebleed section, or even further off to the right and … Continue reading →

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THE NEARLY INVISIBLE BISEXUAL MALE

Posted on September 17, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

The director of “Speakeasy”, Lissa Moira, and I were conducting another one of our weekly meetings pouring over the script and discussing staging and production issues, when I mused aloud that in many ways “Speakeasy” is an expression of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

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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