Tag Archives: LGBT

AXS INTERVIEW

Posted on February 2, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

The on-line magazine AXS has published an interview with yours truly.  The questions delve into the evolution of Speakeasy as well as musical influences in my childhood and advice to aspiring playwrights and composers. The article is excerpted below: Interview … Continue reading →

Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

THEATER IN THE NOW SPOTLIGHT ON … Danny Ashkenasi

Posted on January 29, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

Michael Block from Theater in the Now has posted his interview with me.  Click here to read it. Here some excerpts: Why theater?: I’ve loved performing and music since before I can remember.  It’s always been who I am.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

FASCINATING VIDEO OF JULIAN ELTINGE IN DRAG (with bonus clip of Gene Malin in drag too!)

Posted on January 27, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

One of the musical Speakeasy‘s lead characters, Julian Carnation, is based in part on the real life female impersonator Julian Eltinge (as well as the red Queen and the Mad Hatter from Lewis Carroll’s Alice books). I want to share … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Speakeasy – THE LOBSTER QUADRILLE vs. THE LOBSTER CHARLESTON

Posted on January 24, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

Introducing the latest dance craze from the Roaring Twenties: The Lobster Charleston! The Lobster Charleston Yes, it’s a novelty dance, like the Turkey Trot, or the Chicken Dance, or the Macarena, the Mashed Potato and Gangnam Style. But it’s imaginary, … Continue reading →

Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Literary Lyricism, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Official Speakeasy Publicity Photos

Posted on January 18, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

Chet Cheshire with the Tweedle Sisters (Anne Bragg, Bri Molloy, Allie Radice)   Duchess Bentley, Jane Allison, John Allison & Julian Carnation (Camille Atkinson, Rosalie Graziano, Matias Polar & Tim Connell)   The “dip”.   John surrounded by Julian and … Continue reading →

Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Behind the scenes at the SPEAKEASY PRESS PHOTO SHOOT

Posted on January 11, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

It is an odd reality of our production of Speakeasy that our Public Relations officer required press photos before we even launched into rehearsals.  So we had to “create” moments from the show before we had yet gotten around to … Continue reading →

Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Literary Lyricism, Live! On Stage, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Speakeasy Tickets Now on Sale

Posted on January 6, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

Tickets for the showcase production of SPEAKEASY – John and Jane’s Adventures in the Wonderland are now on sale. Check out the Theater for the New City Speakeasy webpage here! Check out the Smarttix Speakeasy ticket purchase page here! Plus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Beginnings, Chamber Works, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

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 →

Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

OUR DAY HAS COME – a personal marriage story with musical accompaniment

Posted on June 26, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Ed and I got married in 1998.  And again in 2011.  Then our marriage got federally augmented in 2013.  And now finally in 2015 the state of our union will be fully recognized in every state of the Union.   It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Melodies Linger On, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

SNOW WHITE and the SEVEN HOS: an SCA Benefit Performance

Posted on June 11, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Be warned.  This will not be the Disney Musical Fairy Tale of your or anyone else’s childhood.  For one, Snow White is a recovering sex addict, and the seven dwarfs she meets all struggle with sex addiction and a variety … Continue reading →

Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Melodies Linger On, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

CHET CHESHIRE, the WONDERLAND M.C. and his feline and real-life inspirations

Posted on May 29, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

The musical “Speakeasy” begins in darkness.  The overture has concluded, all lights have dimmed, we can’t see anything and all we hear is a chime like tone (on an octave of G). Then a tiny spotlight reveals a debonair smile.  … Continue reading →

Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Five Reasons to be GLEE-ful!

Posted on May 11, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Ed and I watched every episode of Glee.  We remained loyal throughout its wild upswings and downturns in popularity and storytelling.  Being of a generation that grew up with few television shows of a musical nature to turn to, and … Continue reading →

Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Melodies Linger On | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Walk in the Park that Conceived “Speakeasy”

Posted on April 16, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

I came up with the idea for “Speakeasy” while strolling in Prospect Park with Ed six or seven years ago. But I had the ideas that would lead to the idea for Speakeasy many years, even decades before that moment. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments