Jeremy Kleeman takes "Albert the Pudding" on the road

Jeremy Kleeman in The Magic Pudding (Photos: Charlie Kinross)

Celebrating the centenary of Norman Lindsay’s children story The Magic Pudding, the Victorian Opera is taking its much-loved adaptation to regional Victoria, with performances on April 5th at The Cube in Wodonga and April 27th at the Ulumbarra Theatre in Bendigo.

Barihunk Jeremy Kleeman, who created the role of Albert the Pudding at the premier in 2016 and recently performed it in Victoria, returns for the two city tour. Kleeman's character is joined by the walking, talking, never-ending Pudding, the penguin Sam Sawnoff, sailor Bill Barnacle and koala Bunyip Bluegum.

Following the scent of pudding, Bunyip Bluegum, the koala, comes across Bill Barnacle, the sailor, and Sam Sawnoff, the penguin. They are the owners of a rather ill-tempered Puddin’ called Albert, who magically replenishes no matter how many slices are cut. Bill and Sam are being followed by Possum and Watkin Wombat who want to steal the Puddin’ for themselves. The young audience finds out if the three friends are able to thwart the thieves and hold onto their magic Puddin’.

Jeremy Kleeman sings Papageno's Suicide Aria from The Magic Flute:

Jeremy Kleeman, is a graduate of Victorian Opera's Developing Artist Program and holds a Master of Music in Opera Performance and a Bachelor of Music from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. He has been a regular on the Victorian Opera stage since his debut with the company in 2008. He has performed Rapunzel’s Prince in Into the Woods, Marquis D’Obiginy in La traviata, Badger and Parson in The Cunning Little Vixen, Lord Valton in I puritani, Magus in the world premiere of Voyage to the Moon, as well as Albert the Pudding.

Last year Kleeman made his company debuts with Sydney Chamber Opera as Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia and with Pinchgut Opera in The Coronation of Poppea. On June 23, he'll be the baritone soloist in Nielsen's Symphony No.3, "Sinfonia Espansiva," with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Tickets are available online.

Jaroslaw Kitala to tour children's opera in France

We first introduced readers to Polish barihunk Jaroslaw Kitala back in 2008 when he won second prize in the 14th Ada Sari International Vocal Art Festival in Nowy Sącz, Poland. The other two prize winners were also Polish baritones, so we dubbed the post the "Hot Pole Competition." We had somehow lost track of Kitala until now (except for a brief appearance in a toga for Purcell's Dido and Aeneas).

In 2014, he joined the Opera Studio at the Opera National du Rhin, where he's scheduled to sing Le Bûcheron in Respighi's The Sleeping Beauty (La Belle au bois dormant) opening on December 19 and running through January 9th. It then travels to the Athénée Théâtre Louis-Jouvet in Paris for a run from January 17-22, and then to Mulhouse for performances on January 31 and February 1.

Along with his ballet La boutique fantasque, Respighi's children's opera La Belle au bois dormant was one the most performed works by the composer in his lifetime. The opera premiered on April 13, 1922 at the Teatro Odescalchi in Rome.

Kitala studied at the Chorzow Music Academy and the Katowice Music Academy, graduating in 2008.  He won the 1st prize at the Imrich Godin International Vocal Competition Iuventus Canti in Slovakia. He has appeared at several music festivals in Poland and throughout Europe and has recorded with the Chamber Orchestra of Tarnów.

In 2010 he participated in the re-creation of 18th century composer Joseph Zeidler's Lauretanae Litaniae. Upcoming roles at the Opera National du Rhin include Count Robinson in Cimarosa's Il Matrimonio Segreto and Un vieux paysan in Dukas' Ariane et Barbe-Bleue.

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