Category Archives: Live! On Stage

Live performances / a life in the theater

Performing at the Piscator Awards

Posted on November 1, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Michael Lahr von Leitis presenting Cole Escola with the Piscator Award I had the pleasure and privilege of performing October 23 at the Piscator Awards, a dinner and fundraiser at the swanky Upper East Side Lotos Club benefitting the arts … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News | Tagged Alles Schwindel, Award, Between Two Continents, Cabaret, camp, Cole Escola, dinner, Doug Wright, Elysium, Gregorij H. von Leitis, John Early, Lotos Club, Marcellus Schiffer, Michael Lahr von Leitis, Nazis, Ode to Joy, Piscator, politics, Schiller, Schubert, Spolinsky, Weill | Leave a comment

TELL-TALE in MILLESIMO

Posted on September 21, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

“The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” wins Best Long Short Movie at the Millesimo – Cairo Montenetto International Film Festival Officially “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre“, the first of my now three short film musical Edgar Allan Poe adaptations … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Cinema Scope, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged Alberto Bellavia, Andrew Vandaele, Award, Bridge, Brittany Christine, Cairo Montenetto, Castle, Dante, Edgar Allan Poe, film, Film Festival, four-handed, Genoa, horror, Inferno, Italy, Liguria, Long Short Film, Millesimo, musicabre, musical, ruins, Savona, silent movie, The Tell-Tale Heart, Tower | 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

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

EXCERPTS from AFTERMATH

Posted on March 4, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Clips from the live performance of “In the Aftermath of Mercy” March 1st the Virtual Arts production of the new play “In the Aftermath of Mercy” was broadcast live over the internet. I played the lead role of Nathan Leopold, … Continue reading →

Posted in Live! On Stage | Tagged Darrow, Elena Sapov, In the Aftermath of Mercy, Joe Leone, Kevin Shivcharran, Leopold, Loeb, Matt Phoenix, Parole, Paul Fraccalvieri, Puerto Rico, Scott David Johnson, therapy, Therese McGinn, Virtual Arts | Leave a comment

Excerpt from Jane Fonda’s Speech You Must Read

Posted on February 23, 2025 by dannyashkenasi

Jane Fonda received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the SAG Awards tonight. She concluded her speech with a rousing message that speaks to the perilous times we find ourselves today. I will quote this conclusion in full here: “Make no … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News | Tagged Achievement, Awards, Billy Wilder, Civil Rights, community, empathy, Hannah Weinstein, Jane Fonda, John Huston, Karen Silkwood, lifetime, McCarthyism, message, Myrna loy, Norma Rae, Pearl Cleage, politics, resistance, SAG, speech, Tom Joad, woke | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Beginnings, Cinema Scope, Live! On Stage, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged Bram Stoker, Dracula, Eggers, Emily Hartford, Grand Army Plaza, Herzog, horror, Jarin Blashke, Matt Cody, movie, movies, Murnau, Ned Massey, Nosferatu, Paul Daily, Renfield, robert-eggers, Robin Carolan, Stanton Wood, Tatiana Grey, theater, vampire, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News | Tagged Bobby Franks, Clarance Darrow, Confidential, Crime of the Century, folie a deux, history, Hitchcock, In the Aftermath of Mercy, Joe Leone, Leopold, Leopold and Loeb, live, Loeb, mugshot, Nathan Leopold, on-line, play, Playhouse 90, Puerto Rico, Rope, Scott Johnson, Swoon, theater, Virtual Arts | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Live! On Stage, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged architecture, Atlantic Avenue, brooklyn, Downtown, George Seurat, musical, Nevins, One Hanson Place, skyscrapers, Sunday in the Park with George, Views, Williamsburg Bank Building, Williamsburg Bank Tower, Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Literary Lyricism, Live! On Stage | Tagged airport, bear, caption, cartoon, Darren Criss, Gandalf, Happy Meal, juggler, Maybe Happy Ending, meat balls, mustang, New Yorker, Planet of the Apes, rats, robot, Western, wizard | Leave a comment

CYNDI LAUPER in MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

Posted on November 3, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Pics and Clips from Her Farewell Tour Concert 1986 I attended Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors tour Madison Square Garden performance. Almost 40 years later she (and I) returned to MSG for the Girls Just Want to Have Fun Farewell Tour … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts-a-Poppin', Live! On Stage, Melodies Linger On, Notes in the News | Tagged abortion, Andrew Garfield, Billy Joel, concert, Cyndi Lauper, Elle King, Farewell, Harry Styles, I'm Gonna Be Strong, Madison Square Garden, music, news, pop culture, Rock, Sam Smith, She Bop, Sisters of Avalon, Time After Time, tour, True Colors | Leave a comment

MOM’s NEW YORK TIMES BIRTHDAY PUZZLE

Posted on February 25, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

My mother Catherine spent two weeks in New York with us in February. Her birthday was celebrated during her visit. And one birthday present was a puzzle of the New York Times front page of the day she was born. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News | Tagged 1937, Appropriate, Arnold Bernstein, Barry Manilow, birthday, Catherine Ashkenasi, Comedian Harmonists, Court Packing, court reform, Days of Wine and Roses, Dust Bowl, FDR, February 11, front page, Governor Murphy, Harmony, Kimberly Akimbo, Merrily We Roll Along, Nazis, New York Times, Puzzle, Roosevelt, Spanish Civil War, Third Reich | Leave a comment

Catherine Gayer on the Radio

Posted on October 3, 2023 by dannyashkenasi

The German radio station Deutschlandfunk has posted a 55 minute program interviewing the opera soprano Catherine Gayer, and playing excerpts from her fantastic 60+ year career, highlighting her work with contemporary music. Listen to it here. Oh, Catherine Gayer just … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Chamber Works, Live! On Stage, Melodies Linger On, Notes in the News | Tagged 20th Century, Albern Berg, Alberto Ginestera, Aribert Reimann, Arnold Schoenberg, Berlin, Catherine Gayer, Debussy, Deutsche Oper, Deutschlandfunk, Die Soldaten, Elegy for Young Lovers, Gershwin, Intolleranza, Isang Jun, Leonard Stein, Luigi Nono, music, Opera, perfect pitch, Ravel, Stravinsky, Sylvia Plath, Tadeusz Baird, Webern, Zimmermann | 2 Comments

2 ANNUAL ROBINSON FILM AWARDS for P&P

Posted on April 11, 2023 by dannyashkenasi

“The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” wins Best International Short and Best Soundtrack at the Annual Robinson Film Awards in Naples, Italy Robinson Film Award winners gathering on stage at the end of the festival Tuesday, April 11 … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged Awards, best, Cinema, Cocaine Bear, Edgar Allan Poe, Edward Elder, Eliseo, Experimental, film, Film Festival, International, Italy, Jean-Luc Servino, John Vamvas, Medical Care, musicabre, Naples, Olga Montes, Onlus, Raffaele Canneva, Robinson, Scarpedicemente, short, soundtrack, The Pit and the Pendulum | Leave a comment

THE SKIPTOWN EXPERIENCE

Posted on November 17, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

“The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” wins awards for Best Musical Performance Best Original Score Best Production Design – Short at the Skiptown Playhouse International Film Festival in Los Angeles The top picture is me sitting with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News, Poe Musicabres | Tagged Awards, burlesque, Cartas Para Axél, Edgar Allan Poe, Film Festival, Fredrick Byers, I Fell in Love with a Balloon, International, Jean-Luc Servino, John Vamvas, Jonathan de la Torre, Los Angeles, Mariana Soares da Silva, musicabre, Musical Performance, Olga Montes, Original Score, Pedro Pano, Playhouse, Production Design, Scarpedicemente, short film, Skiptown, The Last Jack O' Lantern, The Pit and the Pendulum, Vencenzo Carubia, Will Grave | 1 Comment

DINOSAUR SAFARI

Posted on September 23, 2022 by dannyashkenasi

August 11 I shared a wealth of photos from our trip to the Bronx Zoo. What I left out then was the Dinosaur Safari, part of the zoo experience, but a little different, for obvious reasons. It’s silly scientific fun, … Continue reading →

Posted in Live! On Stage, Two-fisted Touristing | Tagged animatronics, Bronx, dinosaur, Quetzelcoatlus, Safari, T-Rex, Zoo | Leave a comment

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