Live Stream of Dead Man Walking from Indiana University

Eric Smedsrud and Angela Yoon  (left) in The Last Savage at IU; Reuben Walker (right) in Dead Man Wallking

The Indiana University Opera Theater opened Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking last night in a production directed by Jose Maria Condemi. Reuben Walker starred as the accused killer Joseph de Rocher and he will reprise his performance on Saturday, October 24. Performing tonight will be barihunk Eric Smedsrud, who will also perform the role on Friday, October 23. 

Tonight's performance will be available for viewing on Indiana University's live stream at 7:30 PM EST/4:30 PM PST by clicking HERE.

Minnesota native Eric Smedsrud is in his second year at Indiana University, where he is pursuing a Master of Music in Voice Performance and is in the studio of Carol Vaness. He was seen last year on the Indian University Opera stage as Abdul in Menotti's The Last Savage. Other opera roles include Frank Maurrant in Weill's Street Scene and Sam in Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti.

Reuben Walker is a second-year doctoral student at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He has been seen on the Indiana University Opera Theater stage in the roles of Mr. Scattergood in Menotti’s The Last Savage, Captain Corcoran in Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, Le Bailli in Massenet’s Werther, and Pandolfe in Massenet’s Cendrillon. With New Voices Opera, he premiered the role of Captain Keeney in Ezra Donner's Ile and the role of Richard Nixon in Chappell Kingsland’s Intoxication: America’s Love Affair with Oil. Walker has toured with IU’s outreach program, Reimagining Opera for Kids.

MAKE SURE TO ORDER YOUR 2016 BARIHUNKS CALENDAR BEFORE THE HOLIDAY RUSH; 18 OF THE WORLD'S HOTTEST SINGER FROM 9 COUNTRIES.

 

Gregory Gerbrandt latest barihunk singing Stanley Kowalski

Gregory Gerbrandt: Photos by Pablo Cozzaglio and Andrea Johnston Photography ©

The lastest barihunk to take on Stanley Kowalski in André Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire is Gregory Gerbrandt, who will sing the role with Opera Santa Barbara on April 24 and 26. In recent months we've seen Wes Mason take on the iconic role at Kentucky Opera, Ryan McKinny at the Los Angeles Opera and Dan Kempson with Townsend Opera and Fresno Grand Opera. 

Gerbrandt will have some help in creating an authentic New Orleans flavor, as his Mitch is New Orleans native Casey Candebat. Joining them in the cast are Beverly O'Regan Thiele as Blanche DuBois and Micaela Oeste as Stella. 

Dan Kempson, Wes Mason and Ryan McKinny as Stanley Kowalski

The production will utilize the revised score prepared by Peter Grunberg for the Merola Opera, which reduces the score from a 70-piece orchestra to a 40-piece ensemble. Jose Maria Condemi, who directed the opera at Merola and Kentucky Opera, will direct the work again in Santa Barbara. Candebat also sang the role of Mitch at the Merola Opera. 

The production next travels to the Tulsa Opera where barihunk Jordan Shanahan will take on the role on March 4 and 6, 2016.

Luis Alejandro Orozco in Piazzolla's "Maria de Buenos Aires" in Lexington and Miami

Luis Alejandro Orozco

Barihunk Luis Alejandro Orozco will be performing Astor Piazzolla's tango opera Maria de Buenos Aires in both Lexington and Miami. We introduced him to readers last summer after a reader tip.

His first performances will be February 1-3 at the Black Box Theater in Lexington, Kentucky. The performance features the Lexington Philharmonic with mezzo-soprano Solange Merdinian and narrator Enrique Andrade. We're particularly excited because John De Los Santos, our "Best Director" from our "Best of Barihunks 2011" list will be directing. De Los Santos will also be directing the West Coast premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's "Green Sneakers," which we recently posted about.

Luis Alejandro Orozco sings "Deh, vieni alla finestra" from Don Giovanni:

Piazzolla’s style, now known as nuevo tango, was initially rebuffed, but later caused a resurgence of popularity in Argentinean tango and Piazzolla’s music. Using two singers and a narrator, the audience is lead through the story, as characters shift and Maria dies and her spirit confronts her life in the streets of Buenos Aires. It is an allegorical tale of Maria and her life, which is the spirit of tango, death and resurrection.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Lexington Philharmonic box office at 859-233-4226 or visiting their website.

Hot directorial talents: John De Los Santos and José Maria Condemi

Orozco will reprise his performance from March 21-24 at the Florida Grand Opera. Maria will be performed by Catalina Cuervo and the piece will be directed by José Maria Condemi, another director whose work has been impressing us. He's currently directing Catan's Florencia en el Amazonas at the Utah Opera with barihunk Nmon Ford.

Tickets for Maria de Buenos Aires are available online.

Luis Alejandro Orozco was born in El Paso Texas, but raised in Juarez, Mexico for most of his life. Orozco is currently an artist diploma candidate at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He has performed with such companies as Lake George Opera (Saratoga Opera), Des Moines Metro Opera, El Paso Opera and Cincinnati Opera.

Teatro di Capua's trailer of Maria de Buenos Aires:

Reader Submission: Luis Alejandro Orozco

Luis Alejandro Orozco

Our latest reader submission is Mexican-American baritone Luis Alejandro Orozco. The emerging barihunk was born in El Paso Texas, and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico. Orozco is currently an artist diploma candidate at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He will be performing in Astor Piazzolla's "María de Buenos Aires" at the Cincinnati Opera on July 25 and 27 under Jose Maria Condemi’s direction. Visit their website for tickets and additional performance information. He will reprise the performance with the Lexington Philharmonic in February 2013.

Orozco appeared as the baritone soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Also at the Conservatory Orozco has done the roles of Don Giovanni, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, and Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia.  He has performed with such companies as Lake George Opera (Saratoga Opera), Des Moines Metro Opera, and El Paso Opera and Cincinnati Opera. He has performed the roles of Marcello in La boheme, Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, and le Dancaïre in Carmen.

 Luis Alejandro Orozco sings Mozart's "Deh, vieni alla finestra" at CCM:

Orozco has performed the role of Papageno in Mozart’s Magic Flute, in The Seoul International Opera Festival in South Korea. Also overseas he has performed with CCM Spoleto’s summer festival in the roles of Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia, and the title role in Rossini’s Il Signor Bruschino.

In 2010 he was the winner of the Metropolitan Opera Tri State district, and obtained an encouragement award in 2011 in the Metropolitan Opera Four City District. He obtained a Bachelor of Music degree at The University of Texas at El Paso, and Master of Music degree from Cincinnati Conservatory of music, where he studies under the vocal instruction of William McGraw.

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