Doug Carpenter wins $500 for best photo; Additional prizes announced for runner-ups

Doug Carpenter and his winning photos for the 2015 Barihunks Charity Calendar

Our Barihunks Calendar photo contest culminates with our Grand Prize of $500 of going to Doug Carpenter for his wine and pasta themed shirtless photos taken by Josh Drake. We asked readers to submit comments and asked our panel of five judges located on three continents to weight in, as well. At the end of the day, the voting wasn't even close as Doug Carpenter's pictures emerged as the clear favorite.

We also loved his tweet [shown above] encouraging people to vote for him with a sexy teaser. The day he posted it our calendar sales skyrocketed, which is how we raise money for young singers. So, he seems doubly deserving of the prize money.

Doug Carpenter is currently playing Billy Kostecki on the North American tour of Dirty Dancing. Click HERE to see when the show is coming to a city near you and buy tickets!

(Jacques) L'Oiseleur des Longchamps (left) and Michael Scarcelle (right)

One of our judges was so conflicted about the #2 and #3 ranked photos not winning, that she offered up $250 for each of the runner up barihunks. So Michael Scarcelle, who had the second most comments and votes, and (Jacques) L'Oiseleur des Longchamps, who had the third most comments and votes, will each be receiving $250.

We'd also like to remind readers that Kasey Yeargain and Ernesto Petti each won $100 for having the Sexiest Photo, as determined by our readers. Also, Richard Alexandre Rittelmann won $250 for the best Italian Themed Photo, also determined by our voters.

We'd like to thank all of the barihunks who participated - YOU'RE ALL SEXY AND TALENTED!!!
Kudos to Zachary Gordin, Pietro di Bianco, Michael Hewitt, Craig Verm, Xavier Rivera, David Adam Moore, Ramon Balderas, Donovan Singletary, Vittorio Prato, Christopher Temporelli, Keith Miller and Christiaan Smith-Kotlarek. Their participation in our calendar allows us to raise money to support opera and young artists in particular.

We'd like to remind everyone that the goal of this website is primarily twofold: 1) Get people interested in opera, and 2) Assist young artists in their careers. Every penny that we raise from our calendars or tee shirts goes directly to artists and artist projects. We'd like to thank our readers for your continued support in making Barihunks a success.

You can still purchase your 2015 Barihunks Charity Calendar by clicking below.

Introducing bass-barihunk Michael Scarcelle

Michael Scarcelle headshot and in Hydrogen Jukebox (right)

In our recent post about Philip Glass' Hydrogen Jukebox at the Skylight Music Theater in Milwaukee, we gave passing mention to bass-barihunk Michael Scarcelle in a post that focused on Dan Kempson, who role is particularly central to the drama. However, Scarcelle clearly needs to be added to the roster of barihunks and we wanted to wait until his birthday (which is March 24) to introduce him to readers.

Scarcelle  holds a Master of Music degree from Yale University and a Bachelor of Music degree from Hunter College. He also studied at the Catholic University of America and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy focusing on dancing and acting. He has distinguished himself in both musical theater and opera, as well as in recitals and concerts.

In 2007, he made his European debut as Crespel in Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann and the Marchese in Verdi's La traviata at the Lyrique-en-mer Festival in Belle-Île.

In 2011, he made his debut with Munich Philharmonic performing Herrmann Augustus in Leaonard Bernstein's Candide, a role he's also performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich. Last April, he appeared as the Pirate King in the Pirates of Penzance with the Anchorage Opera.

Performances of Glass' Hydrogen Jukebox continue at the Skylight Music Theater through March 30th and tickets are available online.

Dan Kempson in Milwaukee's Hydrogen Jukebox

Dan Kempson in Hydrogen Jukebox

On Friday March 14th, the Skylight Music Theater in Milwaukee will present Hydrogen Jukebox, Philip Glass' opera set to the poetry of counter-culture poet Allen Ginsberg. The text deals with a variety of topics from the 1950's through the 1980's ranging from the sexual revolution, eastern philosophy, drugs, the environment, the threat of nuclear destruction, Iran-Contra scandal and meditation. The six vocal parts were thought to represent six archetypal American characters- a waitress, a policeman, a businessman, a cheerleader, a priest, and a mechanic.

Unlike other Glass operas that deal with social issues, Hydrogen Jukebox is sung in English. In other operas, he has used languages unfamiliar to most opera-goers, including Sanskrit for Satyagraha, ancient Egyptian for Akhnaten, Latin for the CIVIL warS, or just numbers and syllables in Einstein on the Beach.

Hydrogen Jukebox at Skylight Music Theater

The baritone lead in this production will be sung by barihunk Dan Kempson and directed by the brilliant Ted Huffman. As was the case when he performed it at the Fort Worth Opera Festival in 2011, he'll be showing off some skin, as you can see from the pictures.

According to Allen Ginsburg, "The title Hydrogen Jukebox comes from a verse in the poem Howl: "...listening to the crack of doom on the hydrogen jukebox..." It signifies a state of hypertrophic high-tech, a psychological state in which people are at the limit of their sensory input with civilization's military jukebox, a loud industrial roar, or a music that begins to shake the bones and penetrate the nervous system as a hydrogen bomb may do someday, reminder of apocalypse."

Skylight Music Theater will perform the piece eleven times between March 14-30 and tickets are available online. The remainder of the cast includes Erica Schuller, Kristen DiNinno, Michael Scarcelle, Megan Williams and Ben Robinson.