Follow me on Twitter
My TweetsCATEGORIES for all posts
- Arts-a-Poppin' (94)
- Beginnings (57)
- Chamber Works (25)
- Cinema Scope (154)
- LGBTQ Alphabet Soup (86)
- Literary Lyricism (45)
- Live! On Stage (70)
- Melodies Linger On (130)
- Musicabilia (100)
- Notes in the News (202)
- The Speakeasy Chronicles (79)
- The Teaching Artist (37)
- Two-fisted Touristing (108)
Archives
- December 2020 (1)
- November 2020 (9)
- October 2020 (11)
- September 2020 (11)
- August 2020 (6)
- July 2020 (8)
- June 2020 (7)
- May 2020 (8)
- April 2020 (8)
- March 2020 (8)
- February 2020 (8)
- January 2020 (8)
- December 2019 (10)
- November 2019 (10)
- October 2019 (4)
- September 2019 (5)
- August 2019 (5)
- July 2019 (5)
- June 2019 (5)
- May 2019 (5)
- April 2019 (5)
- March 2019 (4)
- February 2019 (5)
- January 2019 (4)
- December 2018 (4)
- November 2018 (4)
- October 2018 (5)
- September 2018 (6)
- August 2018 (4)
- July 2018 (6)
- June 2018 (4)
- May 2018 (5)
- April 2018 (4)
- March 2018 (4)
- February 2018 (3)
- January 2018 (5)
- December 2017 (4)
- November 2017 (4)
- October 2017 (5)
- September 2017 (3)
- August 2017 (4)
- July 2017 (5)
- June 2017 (7)
- May 2017 (4)
- April 2017 (8)
- March 2017 (6)
- February 2017 (7)
- January 2017 (8)
- December 2016 (5)
- November 2016 (8)
- October 2016 (7)
- September 2016 (6)
- August 2016 (8)
- July 2016 (10)
- June 2016 (10)
- May 2016 (6)
- April 2016 (7)
- March 2016 (10)
- February 2016 (13)
- January 2016 (10)
- December 2015 (12)
- November 2015 (11)
- October 2015 (11)
- September 2015 (8)
- August 2015 (10)
- July 2015 (10)
- June 2015 (13)
- May 2015 (9)
- April 2015 (10)
Blogroll
- Ashkenasi You Tube Channel Videos of excerpts from several of Ashkenasi’s musicals
- Speakeasy Songs Soundcloud demo recordings of songs from the musical “Speakeasy”
- Follow Notes from a Composer on WordPress.com
Notes from a Composer
“Speakeasy” Selections
Tag Archives: Roaring Twenties
SPEAKEASY – The Irony of the Young Lovers’ Duets
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
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Literary Lyricism, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Curious Colorful Night, curiouser, drag ball, duet, ingenue, irony, It's a Dream, Jane Allison, John Allison, Lewis Carroll, lovers, magical realism, Momentary Bliss, musical, Queer, Roaring Twenties, Speakeasy, Subculture, Wonderland
Leave a comment
SPEAKEASY – Advice from a (Lesbian) Caterpillar
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
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Literary Lyricism, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1800s, 19th Century, Alice in Wonderland, Caroline Chrysalides, Caterpillar, Female Friendships, flappers, Jane Allison, Jazz Age, lesbian, Lewis Carroll, LGBTQ, magical realism, musical, My Passion, operetta, Roaring Twenties, sexual revolution, Speakeasy
Leave a comment
The Inspiration for SPEAKEASY’S DUCHESS BENTLEY – The Terrific, Trangressive and Tragic Tale of Gladys Bentley – Part 1
In the musical Speakeasy – John and Jane’s Adventures in the Wonderland, Jane Allison first meets Duchess Bentley, Harlem nightclub singer and unabashed lesbian, when she finds herself outside a door being angrily knocked upon by Minister Fish, who implores … Continue reading
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Notes in the News, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Alice in Wonderland, Bri Molloy, Camille Atkinson, Gay, Gladys Bentley, Great Depression, Harlem, Lewis Carroll, LGBT, musical, Prohibition, Queer, Roaring Twenties, Speakeasy, Tim Connell, Ubangi Club, Wonderland
1 Comment
Speakeasy – THE LOBSTER QUADRILLE vs. THE LOBSTER CHARLESTON
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
Speakeasy – MEET THE “SWELL” ENSEMBLE
The ensemble for the showcase production of “Speakeasy” has been assembled. Doubled in size from the group that performed in the December 7 reading, it is a wonderfully talented and diverse ensemble. A “swell gang”, in the parlance of the … Continue reading
Posted in Live! On Stage, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, cast, ensemble, musical, Roaring Twenties, showcase, Speakeasy, swell
Leave a comment
THE SPEAKEASY KICKSTARTER REWARDS – from Signed Collectible Postcard to VIP On Stage Performance Cameo
When we decided we would need to turn to Kickstarter to raise the funding necessary to mount a showcase production of “Speakeasy – John and Jane Allison in the Wonderland”, we learned that creating an attractive set of rewards for … Continue reading
SPEAKEASY – Attack of the 30 foot Incidental Music!
So many notes… so little time… The other day I had a meeting with Speakeasy‘s music director Jonathan Fox Powers. One of those sessions where you make sure composer and music director are on the same page as it concerns … Continue reading
SPEAKEASY – The WHITE RABBIT goes slumming in HARLEM
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
Posted in LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, The Speakeasy Chronicles
Tagged 1920s, 1930s, Alice in Wonderland, automat, Buffet Flats, Cotton Club, Gladys Bentley, Harlem, Harlem Renaissance, interracial, lesbian, musical, Negro Vogue, Prohibition, rent party, Roaring Twenties, Speakeasy, Ubangi Club, White Rabbit
Leave a comment
