"There's something about that bad boy that's so hard to resist."

Lee Poulis as Belcore (L)

Lee Poulis who is honing his formidable operatic skills at the Theater Bonn in Germany is back in the United States and performing the title role in the current production of Don Giovanni at the Sarasota Opera. We think Sarasota might have him a bit over-costumed after we saw this picture of him performing in L'elisir d'amore in Germany (although he looks pretty hot in leather).

There is a performance tonight and three more in March. Check out the Sarasota Opera website for additional details.

Christina Pier as Donna Anna & Lee Poulis as "bad boy" Don Giovanni

Check out the video of Poulis and his castmates discussing the opera. We particularly loved soprano Christina Pier's assessment of the title character, which pretty much sums up our fascination with the role, as well. 

"There's something about that bad boy

that's so hard to resist."

We also found a couple of other barihunks on the Sarasota Opera website that we're going to have to keep and eye on. Grant Clarke is the Marcello in their current production of La Boheme and Bradley Smoak performs Francis Nurse in Robert Ward's The Crucible, both of which run through March 19. Smoak we actually spotted as Zuniga with the Palm Beach Opera last April, where he was a bit revealing in some tight white pants.

Grant Clarke

Bradley Smoak

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Ukrainian Barihunk to Make Met Debut

[Alexander Tsymbalyuk]


We have just learned that 33-year-old Ukrainian barihunk Alexander Tsymbalyuk has been engaged by the Metropolitan Opera. We're not sure yet what role he'll be singing, but we'll let our readers know as soon as we find out.

Tsymbalyuk is a currently a member of the ensemble of the Hamburg State Opera where he has performed in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Das Rheingold, La Traviata, Turandot, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Rigoletto, La Bohème, Tannhäuser and Billy Budd. Let's hope that his Met role is as the sexy lead in Billy Budd.

Now if the Met would engage Randal Turner, we'd really be happy. It's a mystery to us why great American talent gets showcased in Europe and not in the United States.

[Randal Turner]


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Two Bohemian Barihunks in Portland

[Back row: Gus Andreassen (Colline), Michael Todd Simpson (Marcello) Front row: Arturo Chacon-Cruz (Rodolfo), Kelly Kaduce (Mimì), Alyson Cambridge (Musetta), Jose Rubio (Schaunard) Photo by Julia Sheridan]

The Portland Opera's "La Boheme" is opening on September 25 and features two barihunks. Michael Todd Simpson, who is a regular on this site, will be singing Marcello. Simpson has proven that he can make any role hot and lit our fire with a recent performance of Escamillo in Carmen.

We're admittedly not familiar with Jose Rubio, but he looks like a certifiable Barihunks candidate from this photo. Let us know what you think.

By the way, if you haven't heard Kelly Kaduce sing yet, she's worth the trip alone. Even at her young age, she's sung riveting performances of both Salome and Madama Butterfly. If we were in her shoes, we'd run off with Marcello in this production.

Tickets and performance information can be found HERE.

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"La Beau Hunk" on CD

[Top photo - Denis Sedov; Bottom photo - Christopher Schaldenbrand]

Two of the most stunning tall and handsome barihunks to emerge in recent years are Christopher Schaldenbrand and Denis Sedov. The latter has already appeared on this site and now we have an excuse to post them together. The two tall blondes appear together on a fairly new recording of La Boheme with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Robert Spano.

La Boheme, or La Beau Hunk in this case, is rarely a barihunk role with the bohemians generally overdressed for the cold Paris winter. However, we can only imagine life in the tiny garret with these two studs. I'm not sure barihunk readers would have had a hard time keeping warm!

Christopher Schaldenbrand was born in Detroit and studied at Indiana University. He has already made Don Giovanni and Schaunard in La Boheme his calling card roles. He was twice a winner in the Palm Beach Vocal Competition, as well as the Greater Miami Opera Competition. The baritone was awarded a career grant from Opera Index and received the Pope Foundation Award.

Denis Sedov made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Colline in La Bohème after having been one of very few non-American singers ever invited to join the company’s prestigious Lindemann Young Artist Development. He has since joined the company Orlick in Mazeppa and on tour in Japan for its production of Don Giovanni. With San Francisco Opera, he has sung Escamillo in Carmen and Achilla in Giulio Cesare. He made his New York City Opera debut as Argante in Rinaldo and has sung Assur in Semiramide with Minnesota Opera.

You can listen to Denis Sedov sing "Vecchia zimarra" by clicking on the Amazon link to the right.

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Hadleigh Adams

Hadleigh Adams is a current PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artist with the NBR New Zealand Opera Company (http://www.nzopera.com/). He makes his professional debut this year in the NBR New Zealand Opera's productions of La Boheme, Hansel and Gretel, and Jenufa.

In 2008, Adams has a busy concert schedule. He'll be performing the Messiah with the Tudor Consort and Vector Wellington Orchestra, the World Premiere of David Hamilton's Breaking the Quiet with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, and Bach's Peasant Cantata with the Vector Wellington Orchestra.

A little birdie tells me that there might be some other surprises in store for his barihunk fans. We'll be happy to key an eye on him (and we love the new picture!).