Teddy Tahu Rhodes has apparently seduced a few more people than his loyal fans. Here is what the stuffy Wall Street Journal and the esteemed New York Times had to say about his performance in Billy Budd in Santa Fe:
Wall Street Journal: The baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes, singing the title role for the first time, impressively captured Billy's macho brio and his vulnerability. He was also physically well-qualified, since he could swing acrobatically from the rigging of Robert Innes Hopkins's workable warship set. Tenor William Burden, who ceded his frequent status as bare-chested beefcake to the well-sculpted Mr. Rhodes for this opera, had the gravitas, emotional range, high notes and lyricism needed for Captain Vere.
NY Times: There is no single Billy Budd look. He can be boyish or a dreamer or a lost soul baffled by the effect he has on people. At 6-foot-5, with his athletic build and six-pack abs, close-ups of which can be seen on numerous opera Web sites, Mr. Rhodes is a towering, rambunctious and jocklike Billy. On being pressed into service, Billy is made a foretop man, and repeatedly throughout the performance Mr. Rhodes climbs up and down rigging with abandon, sometimes using only his arms.
And unlike Nathan Gunn, Rhodes is impressive singing with his shirt ON.
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