a musical play
to hear musical selections
from Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!
Book, Music, additional Lyrics: Danny Ashkenasi
Merrymusk a.o. (Guitar, Keyboard)-----------------------Aaron DiPiazza
Gentleman a.o. (Violin)----------------------------------------Rachel Green
Dun a.o. (Flute, Trumpet)------------------------------------Andrea Pinyan
Director---------------------------------------------------------Nick Martorelli
Stage Manager-----------------------------------------------------Kelly Aliano
" 'Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!' brings Danny Ashkenasi back to the Fringe.
This time he brings his considerable talents of composing music and acting to a Herman Melville story.
To be honest I am not fond of Herman Melville's writing, but I am fond of Danny Ashkenasi's amazing ability to mesmerize an audience with his renditions of famous American writers such as Poe and Twain."
"Exquisite work of art -
This is the 4th Fringe show I see from Danny Ashkenasi, and as usual, his music is accomplished and attractive, his esthetics beautiful, his collaborators top notch. Danny also performs - he is a passionate, authentic performer."
The Calamity Song
Dun Tune
Sickness
Lament
Shanghai
Kicked Hanged Bruised
The Crow of a Cock
Mending a Fence
A Portly Gentleman
Hard World
Be Jolly
A Singular Man
The Ballad of Merrymusk
Such a Cock!
No More Doleful Dumps
and over thirty varieties of Cock-a-Doodle-Doos!
I saw a friend's show last Thursday evening, at The Metropolitan Playhouse. Their show, Cock-a-doodle-doo! is part of the theatre's "Melvillapalooza" featuring work inspired by Herman Melville. Yes, true, it does not necessarily sound like a rockin' good time... however the piece my friend was in was really quite good. It was written by the same man who put together the show she did last summer, and in a mostly similar vein - he took a short story by Melville and basically re-told it with acting and music. And I have to say that as someone who has always sort of rolled my eyes at the idea of "story-telling", I always find that I actually really enjoy this medium.
Maybe it's because you're watching actors really act. Not that we don't "act" in other things, but it's fun to see someone play an instrument in one scene, then act like a swaggering farmer in the next scene, then scratch and cluck like a chicken in the next. That seems like it would be fun to do (or perhaps I am just very easily amused), and it's also fun to watch. I love creative problem solving and when you have a cast of 4 but a story involving more characters than that... seeing how it all gets put together is great. Especially when it's done great, like this show.
So, despite my raging envy, I have to give props to the actors, the writer and the director for a great, fun little piece .
-Susan Atwood
