Schrott seeks tenor soul via Twitter

Erwin Schrott tweets to Charles Castronovo

There are few opera singers who we enjoy more on social media than Erwin Schrott. His posts on Facebook, Twitter and his blog are a great way to follow his career and enjoy a few laughs along the way. This tweet to Charles Castronovo, who was Faust to Schrott's Méphistophélès in Gounod's opera in Baden-Baden, is classic Erwin. The duo were joined by fellow barihunk Jacque Imbrailo, who was Valentin.

Upcoming appearances for Schrott include a July 12 concert with soprano Nino Machaidze in Linz and the Count in Le nozze di Figaro in Munich. The all-star cast includes Gerald Finley as Figaro, Christine Schäfer as Cherubino and Véronique Gens as the Countess. Performances run from July 17-24 and tickets are available online. On December 4th, he'll take his Count to the Metropolitan Opera alongside fellow barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien as Figaro.

Complete operas from La Monnaie online; Hunkentenor goes all barihunk

Charles Castronovo and Justin Hopkins

We get asked a lot about live opera broadcasts and streaming video. We probably should post more about it and encourage anyone with information about broadcasts to send it to us at Barihunks@gmail.com.

We recently learned that La Monnaie in Brussels broadcasts their productions online for a month after the performance ends. We were thrilled to find out that we could watch Barihunks calendar model Justin Hopkins in his debut from the theatre in Donizetti's Lucretia Borgia as Astolfo along with fellow barihunk Paul Gay as Don Alfonso. If you like your tenors sexy, as well, you'll be thrilled to know that Charles Castronovo is The Lucretia Borgia broadcast is available online until April.

La Monnaie's sexy ad campaign for Romeo et Juliette

Next up is Mernier's La Dispute with Stéphane Degout as the Prince and Guillaume Andrieux as Mesrin. Andrieux created quite a buzz when he recently debuted on our site rehearsing in a muscle shirt. However, the opera that we're really looking forward to is Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande which is cast with three barihunks, Stéphane Degout as Pelléas, Paul Gay as Golaud and the steamy Jérôme Varnier as Arkel. You can see more of Jérôme Varnier when the streaming video begins next week for Gounod's Romeo et Juliette where he portrays Frère Laurent.

One of our tenor crushes: Glenn Seven Allen (in Streetcar on right with Jacquelynne Fontaine)

Sometimes we shy away from it, but the truth is that we have some tenor crushes. In our "Best of 2012" feature we owned up to crushes on Ed Lyon, Noah Stewart and Glenn Seven Allen. Regular readers will probably know that today's post isn't the first time that we've snuck Charles Castronovo onto the site either.

We were pretty excited to learn that Glenn Seven Allen crossed over into baritone/barihunk territory as Carl Magnus in Sondheim's A Little Night Music with the Indiana Repertory Theater. The singer also recently made his Carnegie Hall debut in Marschner's Der Vampyr with the American Symphony. Although he was distinctly back in tenor territory, he was joined by barihunk Justin Hopkins.

Tango with Erwin Schrott at 54 Below

Erwin Schrott

If you're going to be in New York on Sunday, February 3rd, you might want to head over to 54 Below where will be performing an intimate night of tango. Readers will recall that his photo with fellow barihunks Dmitri Hvorstovsky and Ildar Abdrazakov at tenor Charles Castronovo's event at 54 Below made our Top 25 of 2012 list under "Barihunk Feast." If you missed him that night, here's your chance to get up close and personal.

Schrott will fore-go the cavernous Metropolitan Opera for one night only and share his artistry in the 150-seat nightclub. The show will be centered around his award-winning CD Rojotango, which recently won the Echo Award, the European equivalent of the Grammy.

Barihunk Feast: Schrott, Hvorostovsky, Castronovo and Abdrazakov (Photo Credit: Charles Martin)

After winning Placido Domingo's international voice competition Operalia in 1998, Erwin Schrott has been an operatic superstar, burning up the stages of all the important opera houses of the world in Milan, London, Vienna, Berlin, and Paris with his acclaimed portrayals of all the great Mozart roles such as Don Giovanni, Leporello, and Figaro.

He's also become one of the most popular singers on this site.

Cover charges range from $30 to $40 and doors open at 8:45 PM for the 9:30 PM performance. Tickets are available online.

Saturday Barihunk Fest at Met and 54 Below

Keith Miller in Anna Bolena at the Met

The Saturday, December 8th matinee performance of the Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera kicks of the new HD broadcast season with a feast for the eyes. The broadcast features not one, but two, of our favorite barihunks: the "Siberian Hunky" Dmitri Hvorostovsky and former football player Keith Miller.  

Miller will sing Count Ribbing and Hvorostovsky takes on the role of Count Anckarström (Renato). Miller will also be interviewed by Kathleen Kim during the first intermission. To find you local theater click HERE. 

If you're a fan of Keith Miller, he is easy to follow online with a Facebook Fan Page, Twitter account at @KeithMillerBass and a YouTube site. 

Tenor Charles Castronovo with the Three Barihunks: Erwin Schrott, Dmitri Hvorostovsky & Ildar Abrdazakov

We don't usually post about tenors, but when THREE barihunks show up for your performance at 54 Below we take notice. That's what happened Thursday night at the famous nightclub for a performance and celebration of his new CD Dolci Napoli. Of course, Abdrazakov and Schrott are both singing in Don Giovanni at the Met with Castronovo. Hvorostovsky is in the aforementioned Ballo.

Schrott, Hvorostovsky, Castronovo and Abdrazakov (Photo Credit: Charles Martin)

Erwin Schrott, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Ildar Abrdazakov showed up to pay hommage to the man who would be a certifiable barihunk if his voice was a little lower. Fortunately, for those who missed the show, there's a second performance at midnight on Saturday. You can order his CD online.

Readers of Barihunks should use the code "menevent10" at 54 Below to receive a special $10.00 discount. 

Of course, if you like sexy men, you'll find plenty of them in our 2013 Barihunks Charity Calendar. You'll also be helping out young singers, as every penny of profit goes to young artist programs:

  

Don Pasquale Debuted Today in 1843

Mariusz Kwiecien in Don Pasquale - Seattle Opera 2003

On this date in 1843 Gaetano Donizetti's comic masterpiece debuted in Paris at the Théâtre Italien. We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than with the amazingly funny John Del Carlo and barihunk  Mariusz Kwiecien singing the duet ''Cheti,cheti immantinente,'' which was encored every night during their Metropolitan Opera run.

Upcoming performances of the opera include a new production at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées starring Alessandro Corbelli and Lorenzo Ragazzo as Don Pasquale and Gabriele Viviani as Dr. Malatesta. For those of you who love hunkentenors, check out the March 2012 run of Don Pasquale with tenor Charles Castronovo and the baritone coupling of John Del Carlo and Jeff Mattsey.

Tenor Charles Castronovo looking Barihunkish

Don Pasquale was the 64th of Donizetti's 66 operas. It was composed shortly after he was appointed music director and composer for the imperial court of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. After its opening in Paris, performance quickly followed in Milan and London. The opera had its U.S. premiere in New Orleans at the Téatre d'Orleans on January 7, 1845.

If you're looking for a barihunk Dr. Malatesta, you'll have to head to the Rhein River valley, where Reinhold Schreyer-Morlock is taking on the role in Wiesbaden. We've not featured him on this site before, but he's certainly worth watching.

"Well, hello!" Reinhold Schreyer-Morlock

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com