Martin Achrainer's Sexy Don Giovanni

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Bay Watch Barihunk?

PHILIP CUTLIP PUTTING ON SOME MOO-VES

DAVID HASSELHOFF IN HIS BAY WATCH DAYS



We've seen some strange things in opera reviews, but Jay Gabler may have taken the prize with his description of barihunk Philip Cutlip. The Twin Cities Daily Planet critic compared the blond-haired, straight-haired All American Barihunk to the wavy-haired, Bay Watch boozer David Hasselhoff.

Cutlip, who has excelled in everything from Handel to Philip Glass, is starring as the sexy Zurga in "Les Pêcheurs de perles" with Minnesota Opera. Although this production has some retro touches, Cutlip hardly evokes the Bay Watch boy babe. One thing we know for certain is that he's keeping the tradition of casting Zurga with a barihunk alive and well.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, on the other hand, stayed away from odd comparisons and had this straight forward assessment:

"[Cutlip] went far towards making sense of the mercurial Zurga, who toggles between jealous rage and magnanimity; in "O Nadir, tendre ami," perhaps the opera's most emotionally complex number, Cutlip registered his character's shifting, conflicting feelings with keen sensitivity."

For more information visit the Minnesota Opera website.

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Emerging Barihunk Jose Rubio Featured in Hometown Paper

We recently featured emerging barihunk Jose Rubio on our site. His hometown newspaper in Vancover, Washington, The Columbian, wrote a feature on Rubio and mentioned his appearance on the site.

Read the entire article HERE. Here's the highlight:


The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder also is part of a new generation of opera singers, [coach Robert] Ainsley said, redefining the look of the profession, casting off the stigma of "big, fat, old warbley people."

Rubio recently was listed on a fan Web site, barihunks.blogspot.com, that focuses on this nation's "bari-hunks." The singer, who ran varsity cross country in high school, features yoga classes, bike riding and other physical fitness training in his weekly routine, which includes numerous classes in languages, history, movement, acting, dancing and stage fighting. He rarely sings for more than an hour a day, and often not at full volume to save his voice for the performances.

The 26-year-old hunk is singing in Portland Opera's "La Boheme" through October 3rd. You can get ticket information HERE. By the way, Portland's "La Boheme" also features one of this site's most popular barihunks, Michael Todd Simpson.

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Cuddling Up to Monteverdi

This bottom picture is from Den Norske Opera's production of Monteverdi's sublime opera "L'incoronazione di Poppea." We believe that the guy in the rear is bass Giovanni Battista Parodi and the guy in the front is countertenor Jacek Laszczkowski. Despite the fake blood, this looks like a wonderfully fun time.

The photo on top is definitely of barihunk Giovanni Battista Parodi, who we're desperately trying dig up more photos of to post on Barihunks.

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Mariusz Kwiecien: Then & Now

Not many of you were fooled by the baby picture of Mariusz Kwiecien. I guess he's kept his baby cuteness.

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Name the Baby Barihunk

Can you name this famous barihunk based on his baby picture?

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Emerging Barihunk: Nicolas Courjal

Here's a shot of Nicolas Courjal as Masetto looking at fellow barihunk Franco Pomponi in a production of Don Giovanni in Montpellier, where he is currently singing The Speaker in Die Zauberflote opposite Detlef Roth, the brilliant Sandrine Piau and the Queen of the Night as sung by Uran Urtnasan-Cozzoli.

The French-born bass studied at the Conservatory in Renne and established himself at the famed Opera Comique in Paris. Like many basses, he's not given many barihunk roles, getting stuck singing Zuniga instead of Escamillo, and Basilio rather than the Barber. That's why we decided to feature a picture of him offstage, so that Barihunk fans can see him in his full glory and not dressed up looking like Moses.

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Two Bohemian Barihunks in Portland

[Back row: Gus Andreassen (Colline), Michael Todd Simpson (Marcello) Front row: Arturo Chacon-Cruz (Rodolfo), Kelly Kaduce (Mimì), Alyson Cambridge (Musetta), Jose Rubio (Schaunard) Photo by Julia Sheridan]

The Portland Opera's "La Boheme" is opening on September 25 and features two barihunks. Michael Todd Simpson, who is a regular on this site, will be singing Marcello. Simpson has proven that he can make any role hot and lit our fire with a recent performance of Escamillo in Carmen.

We're admittedly not familiar with Jose Rubio, but he looks like a certifiable Barihunks candidate from this photo. Let us know what you think.

By the way, if you haven't heard Kelly Kaduce sing yet, she's worth the trip alone. Even at her young age, she's sung riveting performances of both Salome and Madama Butterfly. If we were in her shoes, we'd run off with Marcello in this production.

Tickets and performance information can be found HERE.

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Nathan Gunn in Phillie's "Pearl Fishers"

It looks like the Philadelphia Phillies aren't the only thing that's hot in the City of Brotherly Love. The Opera Company of Philadelphia now has their own YouTube site and the most popular video is of barihunk Nathan Gunn and hunkentenor William Burden singing the famous duet from Pearl Fishers. For some reason the folks at Opera Phillie didn't add embedding codes so you'll have to click HERE to view the video. This photo is a hint of what's in store for you.

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Hot Shrott Heats It Up In Vienna

Masetto lunging at his master's banana!




Hot Schrott showing off what's hot!




Hot Shrott showing off his best Justin Timberlake impersonation


Erwin Schrott has been alternating the roles of Don Giovanni and Leporello. In an interview he stated that Leporello has the better music. We're not sure why he opted for the title role in last month's Don Giovanni in Vienna. We probably know why he didn't take on the role of Masetto who had to perform fellatio on a banana. Barihunk candidate Markus Butter didn't seem to mind and took a bit more into his mouth than the direction probably called for!

The Leporello, for the record, was Hanno Müller- Brachmann, a regular on this site and one of our favorite singers (not that we focus a lot on voices).

Hot Schrott Backstage


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Barihunk Caoduro to Replace Raimondi in L.A.; More Hunks on the Way

Good news for Barihunks fans on the West Coast. It was just announced that barihunk Giorgio Caoduro will replace the legendary Ruggero Raimondi in the Los Angeles Opera production of L'Elisir d'Amore. The adorable Caoduro will take on the role of Dr. Dulcamara.

L.A. Opera favorite and barihunk Nathan Gunn will play the role of Belcore. By the way, Gunn will be singing the Barber of Seville at the LA Opera in November and December of this year with Joyce di Donato and hunkentenor Juan Diego Florez. Gunn will be alternating the title role with fellow barihunk Lucas Meachem, whose cast also includes barihunk prospect Ryan McKinny as Don Basilio. [If we have one criticism of the otherwise wonderful LA Opera, it's that they have a penchant for casting barihunks in the unsexiest roles imaginable!].

RYAN MCKINNY



We love the legendary 67-year-old bass-baritone Ruggero Raimondi, but we think that Caoduro is a casting improvement. He's an amazing comic actor who is just hitting his stride as a major operatic talent. The role of Dr. Dulcamara is perfectly suited to his talents. If you can get to L.A., this should be a "can't miss" performance.

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Chi Spira e Non Spera - Ildebrando D'Arcangelo

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Ildebrando d'Arcangelo and Andrea Concetti In A Sex Crazed Giovanni

It looks like everyone was getting into the action in Sferisterio. Ildebrando d'Arcangelo seems to be comfortable with just about anyone in bed.



Below is a video of a recent production of Don Giovanni at the Sferisterio Opera Festival with Ildebrando d'Arcangelo as the Don and Andrea Concetti as Leporello.



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Rod Gilfry to Perform Emile de Becque in San Francisco

[All photos from www.rodgilfry.com]

Rod Gilfry will be performing the role of Emile in South Pacific at the Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco from September 18 through October 25. You can order tickets by clicking HERE.

You can read an interesting blog post about barihunk Rod Gilfry singing Emile in the road tour of South Pacific by clicking HERE.

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