Tobias Greenhalgh in sexy King Arthur in Gärtnerplatz

Tobias Greenhalgh in King Arthur

Tobias Greenhalgh is making his debut at the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz with a quartet of roles, including the Cold Genius and Aeolus, in Henry Purcell's King Arthur directed by Torsten Fischer. The director often has the barihunk shirtless, as are most of the male dancers, who are critical to the stage action, which Fischer says is one-third opera, one-third dance and one-third theater. Performances run almost daily through December 18th and tickets and cast information is available online.

King Arthur at the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz

King Arthur was first performed in London's Dorset Garden Theatre in 1691. Playwright John Dryden and composer Henry Purcell successfully combined musical theatre, drama, dance and stage magic and set new standards in the culture of British musical theatre. Originally, Dryden had written the text of the drama back in 1684 for the 25th anniversary of the Restoration of the English monarchy under Charles II, but he then had to revise the work completely after the King's death in 1685 and the subsequent squabbles which led to the rise of Catholicism in England.

Tobias Greenhalgh in King Arthur

In the opera, a ferocious war is being waged between England and Saxony, as well as a battle of the hearts. The legendary King Arthur joins battle with the Saxon King Oswald to save his kingdom from heathen rule. But there is more than just political and religious conflict between the two princely enemies – both are in love with and desire the same woman: Princess Emmeline of Cornwall. The sighted heart of the blind princess burns for Arthur, but in the wild confusion of the war, driven by earthly military forces and loose spiritual beings from the infernal realms between life and death, the characters need to survive more than just a physical trial of strength.

Greenhalgh returns to his native America in February, to sing Belcore in Donizetti's L’elisir d’amore with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.

If you like Barihunks, you'll love our 2017 "Barihunks in Bed" calendar. 

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Malte Roesner & Marco Vassalli from the Barihunks in Bed calendar

Romain Dayez in "second world premiere" of Cavalli's L'Oristeo

Romain Dayez

Barihunk Romain Dayez will be performing the title role in Cavalli's L’Oristeo, which has been all but forgotten to time. The performance is being dubbed the opera's "second world premiere."

The performances at Opera Marseilles with the members of Concerto Soave will  directed by Olivier Lexa, who has updated the production with video projections while staying true to the period. The musicians of Concerto Soave will be arranged on either side of the stage, strings and winds facing each accompanied by a continuo.

The opera was reconstructed by Lexa from a manuscript that appeared to be hastily scribbled by Cavalli and deemed almost illegible. The opera is notable for containing one of the first examples of a da capo aria, Udite amanti, sung by Corinta (sung by Lucie Roche in this production).

Watch a recital with Romain Dayez: 

The opera was written with a prologue and three acts and was designated as a dramma per musica. Cavalli and Faustini, his favorite librettist, collaborated on eight operas in the 1640s. However, Faustini's untimely death in 1651 ended the collaboration that gave birth in a year and a half to L’Oristeo, La Rosinda, L’Eritrea and La Calisto. It premiered at theTeatro Sant 'Apollinare on February 9, 1651, just four decades after Monteverdi's Orfeo, which is often considered the first opera.

Performances are on March 11 and 13th. 

Other cast members include Aurora Tirotta as Diomeda and Amore, Maïlys de Villoutreys as Ermino and Nemeo, Pascal Bertin as Oresde, Zachary Wilder as Trasimede and Lis Viricel as Euralio.

Watch Michael Adams in Geneva's Alcina

Michael Adams sporting his barihunk tee shirt and as Melisso in Alcina

American barihunk Michael Adams, who is now a member of the ensemble at the Deutsche Oper Berlin where he'll be appearing in Verdi's Rigoletto and Wagner's Tristan und Isolde.

He just wrapped up singing Melisso in a new production of Handel's Alcina at the Grand Théâtre de Genève with an all-star cast that included Nicole Cabell in the title role,  Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani as Oronte,  Monica Bacelli as Ruggiero, Siobhan Stagg as Morgana and Kristina Hammarström as Bradamante. The performance was taped and is available online HERE.     

Adams joined the Deutsche Oper after completing two years as a Resident Arts at the Academy of Vocal Arts, where he performed Valentin in Gounod's Faust, Guglielmo in Mozart's Così fan tutte, Lescaut in Massenet's Manon, Tomsky in Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame, Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème, Taddeo in Rossini's L’italiana in Algeri, and the Marquis in Verdi's La traviata.

He took 1st Prize at the 2015 Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation International Vocal Competition, and the Mario Lanza Competition and was a Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions semi-finalist.

Reader Submission: Australian barihunk Jeremy Kleeman

Jeremy Kleeman as Magus (right)

A reader introduced us to Jeremy Kleeman, a graduate of Victorian Opera's Developing Artist Program, who is performing Magus in the world premiere of Voyage to the Moon. The piece was inspired by the epic poem Orlando furioso using a pastiche of music by Handel, Vivaldi, Telemann and Gluck, with new words by Michael Gow.

Kleeman has 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, Lord Valton in I puritani, and Albert the Pudding in the Green Room Award-winning world premiere The Magic Pudding – The Opera. 

Jeremy Kleeman sings "Aprite un po’quegli occhi" from Marriage of Figaro:

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Kleeman previously sung in another baroque opera when he performed Teobaldo in Handel's Faramondo for the Brisbane Baroque Festival, which won five Helpmann Awards including Best Opera. He has twice been a finalist at the IFAC Australian Singing Competition and was as a finalist at the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Aria, Australia's premiere oratorio competition, placing as the joint runner-up and winning the People's Choice Award. In 2014 Jeremy won the Welsh Male Choir Singer of the Year.

In Voyage to the Moon, the great warrior Orlando has fallen into a deep madness. His friend Astolfo travels to the heavens with the mysterious Magus to find a cure and discovers the moon is home to many lost things including Orlando’s sanity. But first he must convince the all-powerful Guardian of the Moon, Selena, that Orlando is worth saving.

Performances of Voyage to the Moon at the Victorian Opera remain on February 18 and 19 and tickets are available online. 

Daniel Okulitch brings fishy realness to Cincinnati

We've had a few straight barihunks on this site appearing in drag for the sake of art, including the inimitable duo of Seth Carico and Michael Mayes in Fort Worth, who were promoting a performance of Mark Adamo's Lysistrata.

Now comes barihunk Daniel Okulitch, who is appearing as Jove in Francesco Cavalli's La Calisto at the Cincinnati Opera. Amazingly, this is the company's first foray in baroque opera in it's 94-year history.

ove hatches a plan to wend his way into her heart (and her bed) by donning a Diana-like disguise. - See more at: http://www.cincinnatiopera.org/performances/la-calisto/#sthash.eCW96qWz.dpuf

Okulitch's drag get up isn't part of some German regie concept that was imported to Cincinnati, but an actual part of the plot. Jove, the ruler of the gods, hatches a plan to wend his way into the heart and bedroom of Calisto by donning a Diana-like disguise. But when Jove’s wife Juno, sung by Alexandra Deshorties, catches wind of the scheme, her fury knows no bounds.

The cast also includes barihunk Andrew Garland as Mercurio [pictures coming!].

There will be five performances between July 17-27 at the Corbett Theater. Tickets are available online.

Alexandra Deshorties

ove hatches a plan to wend his way into her heart (and her bed) by donning a Diana-like disguise. - See more at: http://www.cincinnatiopera.org/performances/la-calisto/#sthash.eCW96qWz.dpufove hatches a plan to wend his way into her heart (and her bed) by donning a Diana-like disguiseJove hatches a plan to wend his way into her heart (and her bed) by donning a Diana-like disguise

ove hatches a plan to wend his way into her heart (and her bed) by donning a Diana-like disguise. - See more at: http://www.cincinnatiopera.org/performances/la-calisto/#sthash.eCW96qWz.dpuf

Jesse Blumberg in English language "The Return of Ulysses"

Jesse Blumberg and Hai-Ting Chinn (Is it just us, or is this one of the sexiest pictures of Jesse Blumberg ever?)

Opera Omnia is presenting their third opera,  Claudio Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses. As with all their operas, it will be performed in an English translation. The cast features barihunk Jesse Blumberg and mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn in the leading roles, with accompaniment by a period-instrument ensemble led by music director Avi Stein.

Opera Omnia, which was founded in 2008, concentrates on musical-dramatic works of the 17th century, performing them in English translations with modern stagings. Their mission is to expose new audiences to early opera masterworks. They have previously performed Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea and Cavalli’s Giasone in English translations at Le Poisson Rouge. The Return of Ulysses will be performed at the Baryshnikov Arts Center’s Howard Gilman Performance Space with staging by Crystal Manich.

Jesse Blumberg & Laura Heimes perform Handel's Apollo & Dafne

Monteverdi's The Return of Ulysses is the story of Ulysses’s return to Ithaca and reunion with his wife Penelope, who has remained faithful during his long absence. Also in the cast are Tammy Coil as Minerva, Joseph Gaines as Iro, Karim Sulayman as Eumete , Owen McIntosh as Telemachus, Joe Chappell as Neptune, Nicholas Tamagna as Peisander Richard Lippold as Antinous and Elaine Lachica as Love.

Performances run from September 10-12 and tickets are priced at the ridiculously low cost of $20.00 each. Go online and reserve your tickets today! You won't want to miss this.

Listen to Jesse Blumberg in lost baroque masterpiece Niobe: Regina di Tebe

 In June 2011, we ran a piece about barihunk Jesse Blumberg performing in the lost baroque masterpiece Niobe: Regina di Tebe by Agostino Steffani. We noticed that the post was passed around by many baroque opera enthusiasts who were thrilled to learn about this forgotten opera, which went unperformed for 320 years after its premiere in 1688. The Boston Early Music Festival waited only three years to perform it again in 2011. 

Thanks to Classical New England opera fan worldwide can enjoy the broadcast of this “screwball tragedy” online. We've posted all three acts, but you can also access it at WGBH radio.

In addition to Jesse Blumberg, who plays the evil Poliferno, the stellar cast includes French countertenor Philippe Jaroussky as Anfione, the King of Thebes,  Anfione wants nothing more than to hang up his scepter and immerse himself in metaphysical contemplation of the harmony of the spheres. But Anfione’s celestial ambitions are dashed by a litany of earthly troubles: a foreign invasion, a kidnapping, adultery by enchantment, a dancing bear and some very angry gods.  

  

In Steffani's opera, the King of Thebes is at turns an enlightened demi-god, an enraged, jealous husband and a bellicose warrior-king…and that's just one of many complex characters in this spectacular opera, bringing to life Ovid's timeless tale of love, pride and divided loyalties.  We also get Queen-with-attitude, Niobe herself (Amanda Forsythe); the lovesick courtier Clearte (Kevin Skelton), who pines for Niobe, the enemy prince of Thessaly (Matthew White), who also has designs on the haughty Queen; Jose Lemos is the wisecracking nurse Nerea, Colin Balzer and Yulia Van Doren as the young lovers Tibernio and Manto, and Charles Robert Stephens as Manto’s father, the blind soothsayer Tiresia. Stephen Stubbs and Paul O’Dette co-direct the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra in a production recorded by WGBH engineers at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston.

 

More Barihunks at Boston Early Music Festival

Douglas Williams

An astute reader and attendee of the Boston Early Music Festival pointed out to us that Jesse Blumberg isn't the only barihunk performing at the festival. Douglas Williams, who has also appeared on this site before, is singing Polyphemus in Handel's "Acis and Galatea."

Michael Kelley

Also appearing in the cast is Michael Kelly as Coridon. If you've needed an excuse to experience baroque opera, what more do you need than Jesse Blumberg, Douglas Williams and Michael Kelly? There are performances on June 18, 26 and 27. Click HERE for additional cast and performance information. 

Click HERE to watch Michael Kelly perform Schubert's Winterreise. 

 

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