Maltman & Shrott Together in Salzburg

One would think it would be difficult to go wrong with two barihunks in one production. Unless, of course, you handed over the production to a crazy German director. The reviews were universally pretty brutal, but the photos are great!

Here is the review from the Kleine Zeitung:

[Claus Guth´s Don Giovanni] is mainly about greed of life and fear of death. With set designer Christian Schmidt he has relocated the entire action to a the middle of a dark forest [into which Don Giovanni flees after his fight with the Commendatore], where surprisingly there also is a bus-stop. Don Giovanni and Leporello inject drugs via syringes and are quickly in ecstasy...

Claus Guth, who received far more booh´s at the final curtain call than the conductor, virtually shows the final three hours of Don Giovanni´s life in "real time", as Don Giovanni in this version was seriously injured during the duel with the Commendatore...

Guth´s Don Giovanni is not a great seducer, but the object of a desire created by Donna Anna, Donna Elvira and Zerlina. As Donna Anna realizes that no lasting happiness may be found with this Giovanni, she commits suicide - only possible since the "Vienna version" without the final sextet is played here in Salzburg.

Musically it was mediocre. Conductor Bertrand de Billy succeeded only with the two introductory D-minor chords and the final scene. In between, he usually applied fast and sloppy tempi, under-challenging the Vienna Philharmonics.

Overall the vocal quality was disappointing. Only Dorothea Röschmann´s expressive Elvira and Christopher Maltman subtle Don Giovanni , though with little erotic radiance, delivered performances worthy of the Salzburg Festival. [Erwin Schrott] .. a somewhat uninteresting Leporello. Annette Dasch was fighting with technical problems as Donna Anna, Matthew Polenzani as Don Ottavio has a cultivated, but not very engaging tenor.

Daniel Okulitch in the transportation scene from "The Fly"

Randal Turner Crosses Over

It looks like barihunk Paulo Szot isn't the only opera singer crossing over into musicals. Perennial Barihunks favorite Randal Turner recently wrapped up a run of playing Billy Bigelow in Carousel in Darmstadt. We thought that you'd enjoy a few photos of this singer who is steamy hot playing just about any role.

Hadleigh Adams

Hadleigh Adams is a current PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artist with the NBR New Zealand Opera Company (http://www.nzopera.com/). He makes his professional debut this year in the NBR New Zealand Opera's productions of La Boheme, Hansel and Gretel, and Jenufa.

In 2008, Adams has a busy concert schedule. He'll be performing the Messiah with the Tudor Consort and Vector Wellington Orchestra, the World Premiere of David Hamilton's Breaking the Quiet with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, and Bach's Peasant Cantata with the Vector Wellington Orchestra.

A little birdie tells me that there might be some other surprises in store for his barihunk fans. We'll be happy to key an eye on him (and we love the new picture!).

Stud with a stud

Has anyone noticed that stud Erwin Schrott is sporting a stud? Hopefully, there will be photos to reveal any other piercings.

Two Sites See Erwin Schrott Doppelgängers

[Top photo from La Cieca's www.parterre.com. Bottom photo from Opera Chic at http://operachic.typepad.com/opera_chic/2008/02/danza-me-to-the.html]

Two of the most entertaining opera sites for opera fanatics have dueling ideas about who Erwin Schrott's doppelgänger might be. The always fun La Cieca nominates Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, while Opera Chic leans toward Tony Danza. To avoid confusion, Opera Chic helpfully points out that in this rare instance Schrott is the guy with his shirt ON.

My question is, why didn't I remember Tony Danza being this hot?

"Teddy Bare" Puts His (Terence) Stamp on "Billy Budd"

The pictures are finally in from Teddy Tahu Rhodes' debut in Billy Budd in Sante Fe. Needless to say, he is getting rave reviews and looking rather cute in his sailor's outfit. A reviewer at RedOrbit even likened him to the original from the movies.

And while vocal suitability should always be first and foremost in the casting of any opera, it must be said, he looks the part splendidly, not unlike the young Terence Stamp who played the role in the 1962 film version of the story.

His final, "Farewell to ye, old Rights of Man" is the emotional peak of the production.

Barihunks Blog in the News, Part 2

[Photo from the Vail Daily]

Jesse Blumberg, who I had the pleasure of seeing in recital recently, is going to be debuting a new opera by Ricky Ian Gordon called "Green Sneakers." The opera is an homage to Gordon's lover who died of AIDS. Gordon explains why he chose the straight barihunk:

“Just in watching him work, and watching him sing, he’s completely guided by truth,” Gordon said. “He doesn’t get up there and fake anything. If he doesn’t feel it, he doesn’t do it. His sound is very easy to enter, it’s opulent and beautiful but it’s also sort of matter-of-fact.”

One can find the complete article here at http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20080710/AE/573783995/1078&ParentProfile=1062
We love that we're discovering these baritonal boys of beef like Blumberg before the mainstream media (and appreciate the shout outs). Here is the mention of Blumberg's appearance on Barihunks.

Already, the media has been starting to take notice of the baritone. A March 2007 article in The Baltimore Sun commented on Blumberg’s performance in “The Return of Ulysses to His Homeland” at the Opera Viventa: “In the title role, Jesse Blumberg commanded the stage, physically and vocally. His virile baritone grabbed the melodic lines with remarkable dynamic force, lighting up the hall with his every appearance.” Blumberg even got a shout-out in the blog “Barihunks,” which claims to chronicle “The Sexiest Baritone Hunks from Opera.”

Another great article on "Green Sneakers" with some text from the opera can be found here: http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_9832357

Barihunks Blog in the News

The Sante Fe New Mexican gave Barihunks a nice mention in a news brief that they did on Teddy Tahu Rhodes, who is about to burn up the desert stage in Benjamin Britten's "Billy Budd." Here's what they wrote:

Speaking of Rhodes, he's one of the stars of the singing world featured on www.barihunks.blogspot.com, dedicated to all things hunky and baritone. To get an idea of Rhodes' sizzle, a June feature on him in Opera News was entitled Too Darn Hot!

Torn from his career as an accountant, Rhodes had to be encouraged to make the leap into singing fulltime — and he's a bit embarrassed at the attention his physique has drawn. "What can I say? It's taken on a life of its own," he told Opera News. "The roles I've become known for have tended to show me in undershirts. And I do spend a lot of time in the ocean back home, though I'm not a surfer, trust me. I also work out a lot — more than most opera singers, I suppose. Ultimately, though, you've got to be able to sing."

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/El-Mitote--7-13-08

Super Fly

The photo that you've all been waiting for!

James Anest photos

By request, here are some more pictures of James Anest. Considering the poor quality of the YouTube video, it's the least that I can do. Luckily, we have one photo of him showing off an impressive pair of guns. I'm not quite as impressed with the 70s rock star look.

If anyone else has better photos, send them to barihunks@gmail.com.

It's hot in the "South Pacific," Part 2 with Paulo Szot

This man is glorious in every way. What a voice, what a barihunk! I think he's better than Ezio Pinza with his smooth delivery, beautiful baritone voice and impeccable phrasing.

James Anest - It's hot in the "South Pacific"

It's seems like the musical "South Pacific" is the new place for barihunks to make their name. Here is James Anest, submitted by reader Steve. I've added an audio clip with photos of the sensational Paulo Szot for comparison.

It's Raining Men (naked men!)

Barichunk Wolfang Koch seems to have some German koch hanging over his head in this production of Busoni's "Doktor Faust" from the Bavarian State Opera.

Do I hear a chorus of "It's Raining Men" breaking out?

Daniel Okulitch is All the Buzzzz in "The Fly"

Six foot two, eyes of blue,
He's the fly; oh, yes, it's true.

This was a brilliant career move by Daniel Okulitch. I bet you that by October, after the L.A. Opera run, he'll be one of the best known operatic baritones in the world. It looks like Danny boy will getting the future gigs on "Good Morning America" and "The Daily Show," not Nathan Gunn. Of course, Top Gunn does open up in Pearl Fishers on November 6th, so we may have an old-fashioned "bare the hunk" competition on our hands.

Erwin Schrott on DVD

Opus Arte has released Erwin Schrott's "Le Nozze di Figaro" on DVD (seen here with the delightful Miah Persson).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013HA838/ref=s9subs_c2_img1-rfc_p?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=09BMGK7SMF9TG7VBQ9FD&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240301&pf_rd_i=507846

Daniel Okulitch NAKED in "The Fly"

I want to thank Anonymous for suggesting that I post Daniel Okulitch's photos of the Chatelet's production of Howard Shore's "The Fly." The production next heads to the Los Angeles Opera in September (and I'm booking a flight now!).

http://www.theflytheopera.com/