"HEY, DIDO! Stop your damn lamenting!"

Craig Verm as Aeneas

Like Micaela in Carmen and Princess Liu in Turandot, we've always found Dido to be a bit of a sad sack who could use some therapy. Rather than accept Aeneas' explanation for his disappearance she laments her fate and prepares for death. She even sings "Death must come when he is gone." Well, we've found two Aeneas' who would might make her hang around and give the hero Aeneas a second chance - American barihunks Craig Verm and Zachary Gordin.

The Florentine Opera in Milwaukee and the West Bay Opera are both producing Purcell's "Dido & Aeneas" as part of double-bills. The Florentine Opera production opens on Friday, May 13 and runs through May 22nd and includes John Blow's "Venus & Adonis." Apparently, pictures of Craig Verm have helped sales as two performances are already sold out. You can get ticket and cast information at their website.

 

Zachary Gordin as Aeneas with Cathleen Candia as Dido

West Bay Opera in Palo Alto, California is performing the baroque favorite alongside Manuel de Falla's "La vida breve." Performances run from May 20-29 and we suspect that Zachary Gordin's pictures will boost ticket sales in the San Francisco Bay Area. Info on performances is at www.wbopera.org. 

 

Those who want to see him fully clothed, can check him out as "Jones" in the Oakland East Bay Symphony's concert of Street Scene. Click HERE for tickets and additional cast information. 

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com. Don't forget to order your copy of Randal Turner's "Living American Composers" by clicking on the link to your right.

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