Category Archives: LGBTQ Alphabet Soup

Special focus on Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer Issues

Seeing BATTLE OF THE SEXES with the Next Generation

Posted on September 26, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Ed’s and my thorough enjoyment of the movie “Battle of the Sexes” was both enhanced and tempered by the group of preteen girls the theater’s reserved seating placed to my right.  Tempered because of the above average distractions I have … Continue reading →

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AIDS Memorial, Greenwich Village, NYC

Posted on September 7, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

  Breaths – The Flirtations       Jesus to a Child – George Michael     Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat       Boy Blue – Cyndi Lauper  

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The Young Lovers’ Path to Speak Easy

Posted on June 25, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Two Fawns in the Wood Dance into the Light   Maybe it’s just a dream.  Maybe it’s real.  Maybe it doesn’t matter either way.  For the shame and the betrayal are felt just as acutely. In the musical Speakeasy, an … Continue reading →

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SPEAKEASY – The Irony of the Young Lovers’ Duets

Posted on June 22, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Curious Colorful Night – It’s a Dream – Momentary Bliss Three lovers’ duets that are not what they seem to the ear Ah, young lovers’ duets.  A hallmark of musicals, especially those of the 1920s and 1930s, and so of … Continue reading →

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SPEAKEASY – Advice from a (Lesbian) Caterpillar

Posted on June 19, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Two songs from “Speakeasy” explore two sides of a closeted 1920’s lesbian For many years I hoped to write a musical about the queer subculture of Roaring Twenties New York, but didn’t find my “in” until I came upon the … Continue reading →

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The Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Plays The Soundtrack to Our Story

Posted on April 10, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Saturday night we attended the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Symphonic Band performing a concert at Symphony Space titled “Once Upon A Time … The Soundtrack to Our Story”, with music referencing and inspired by the history of the Gay … Continue reading →

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MOONLIGHT – the triple least “Oscar Baity” Oscar Winner

Posted on March 5, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

“I just hope the weird pandemonium doesn’t overshadow the fact that a $1.5 million independent film by a black director about black, gay, poor people was named Best Picture.  The process to get there was very weird, but it’s an … Continue reading →

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#OscarsSoCrazy – The Worst Best Thing that could have happened to La La Land and Moonlight.

Posted on February 27, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

In a moment that will be hard to beat as the strangest, most gasp-inducing thing to have ever and might ever again happen at the Oscars, “Moonlight” was revealed to have been the actual Best Picture winner after “La La … Continue reading →

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Speakeasy Highlight Reel

Posted on February 19, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

It’s the one year anniversary of the workshop performances of “Speakeasy – John and Jane’s Adventures in the Wonderland“.  To mark the occasion, here are some screen shots of the Speakeasy Highlight Reel, a 13 minute edit of selections from … Continue reading →

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COMPLETE OSCAR NOMINATIONS LIST – with plenty personal notes, comments and trivia – updated with winners

Posted on February 4, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

This year’s Oscar nominations have been announced, and for once the media pundits and social media consensus are much happier with the overall outcome, with few gripes and much to celebrate.  Which doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty sighs about … Continue reading →

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New Categories for Movies, Theater and LGBTQ Themed Articles

Posted on January 15, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Three new categories have been added to the Notes from a Composer archives:   Cinema Scope – For the love of movies, and not just the musicals   Live! On Stage – Live performances / a life in the theater … Continue reading →

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Holiday Flee Market in the Classic Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower

Posted on December 21, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

This post features holiday music from the damn bestest Lesbian holiday album ever: Venus Envy’s 1990’s cult classic “I’ll be a Homo for Christmas” The Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower is the most famous building in Brooklyn.  Completed in 1929 it … Continue reading →

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DAS LILA LIED – THE LAVENDER SONG – “We just happen to be Different from the Others!”

Posted on November 7, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

My recent posts about the Newfest LGBT Film festival included an enthusiastic look at the handsomely restored print of the first known movie to sympathetically portray homosexuality, Germany’s 1919 “Anders als die Andern” (“Different than the Others”). Soon after posting … Continue reading →

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QUEER SEX ON SCREEN – The Handmaiden, Theo & Hugo, and what’s left (i.e. Part 3) of the Newfest Baker’s Dozen

Posted on November 4, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

The Handmaiden – Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo – Baby Bump – Where Are You Going, Habibi? – Different from the Others Between writing my second piece on the Queer Baker’s dozen of LGBT films I saw at the NewFest … Continue reading →

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A Queer Baker’s Dozen of NewFest LGBT films – Part 2

Posted on October 27, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

Akron – I Love You Both – Women Who Kill – Don’t Call Me Son – The Cult – The Nest – (and a Lazy Eye addendum) I experienced a marathon weekend of new LGBT movies from around the world … Continue reading →

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