David Adam Moore as Silvio and Adina Nitescu as Nedda
The long-awaited production of Leoncavallo's Pagliacci has opened at the San Diego Opera and there are still three performances left to catch barihunk David Adam Moore heat up the stage as Silvio. This production is being directed by Australian stage director Andrew Sinclair, who thankfully has the popular Barihunks calendar model shirtless. Moore is returing to the company after his heralded 2010 swashbuckling company debut as Mercutio in Gounod’s
Romeo and Juliet.
The role of Silvio is not new to the American singer, as he's performed it with the New Orleans Opera. Music critic George Dansker praised those performances in Opera News: "Moore offered a gorgeously sung Silvio, and his acting, particularly his harrowing reactions to what was happening during the commedia, was top notch."
Remaining performances are tonight, Friday January 31 and Sunday February 2 and tickets are available online.
Interview with David Adam Moore:
Moore will be taking on what is arguably the sexiest barihunk role this summer, when he debuts as death row inmate Joseph De Rocher in Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking at the Des Moines Metro Opera. Performances will run from June 28-July 6 and tickets are currently only on sale to subscribers. We'll keep you posted about individual tickets sales.
Next on his agenda is a return to Israel, where he will sing Dr. Malatesta in Donizettis comedy Don Pasquale at the Israeli Opera from February 18 - March 1.
We've featured some amazing stories about singers getting in shape, something that we've dubbed "BariChunk to BariHunk" for the lower voiced men in opera. Perhaps none was as dramatic as Michael Mayes' losing 50 pounds to perform Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking, which we featured almost two years ago. That story generated an unbelievable amount of traffic to the site and continues to get frequent hits to this day. It also generated a basket full of emails from singers who were inspired by Mayes' story, including one from an Eastern Europe soprano who claims that it saved her life and gave her new found hope.
Chris Carr toned up. He looks and sounds better than ever!
Michael Mayes became a much ballyhooed operatic sex symbol after his weight loss
Now we've come across the story of another emerging young singer, whose story touched us and we felt needed to be shared with the world. Meet Oklahoma native Kasey Yeargain, who was an apprentice artist at the Des Moines Metro Opera where he performed scenes from Moby Dick, Silent Night, Cosi fan Tutte, and Billy Budd and performed in the mainstage performances of Peter Grimes, Elektra, and Romeo and Juilette. Des Moines Metro Opera seems to be where a lot of singers get in shape. It's no coincidence that Michael Mayes regularly performs there and drags unwitting singers to the gym willingly or by force!
On May 2nd, Yeargain will make his professional debut as Zuniga in Carmen with Tulsa Opera.
Here's his story of personal transformation in his own words:
"So, in March of 2013 I had just broken up with my girlfriend, I had an
absolutely horrible audition season, and the reality of the struggles
of being a professional opera singer were really hitting me hard. At
this point in my life I was anywhere between 270 to 300lbs, very
overweight, depressed, and so insecure about every aspect of my life
that it was starting to effect my personal relationships. So, one day, I
woke up and said "I'm tired of being a schmuck." That's when I began
the change. I did as much bro-science/Youtube research that I could and
decided to start cutting my calories and begin Intermittent Fasting. I
combined this with weight lifting and hour long walks. The weight
practically fell off. I was losing between 3-5lbs a week. At this point I
would fill my calories with whatever, but trying to stay clean.
Mezzo Mary Beth Nelson and Kasey Yeargain looking good!
My greatest obstacle: One of the only good things that came from my
auditions last year was earning a position as an apprentice artist at
Des Moines Metro Opera. But, I knew that summer programs tend to do two
things: increase your daily drinking and make you gain weight. I was
determined to drink very little and LOSE weight. I was tempted by scotch
and snacks EVERY night. That combined with after show parties, group
dinners, and the never ending treats, I was constantly tested! My
secret: Epic cheat days. Every Saturday I ate anything and everything I
wanted. My fellow apprentice artists called it Faturday. It satiated my
taste for junk food and gave me something to look forward to. I ran and
lifted weights every day, and I was constantly looking for pick up games
of basketball to play with the other apprentice artists. (I kept them
in shape!!!!)
My weight loss continued throughout the program
and after I left. However, I was an idiot and let my calories get cut
down to 1600. That combined with the amount of exercise I was doing, I
was in full blown starvation mode. My weight loss stalled completely. I
did some more research and began reverse dieting "Slowly adding in
calories," still indulging in my cheat days. My weight loss picked up
again. I got down to 203lbs and began focusing hard on increasing the
weight on my big lifts. Bench, dead lift, squat, pull ups and dips. I
also began to track my macros, making sure I got efficient amounts of
protein. I bulked back up to 211lbs and began a small cut to get the
lean, scrappy look I wanted for Frank Maurrant in Street Scene. I
stopped looking at the scale and focused on the mirror. I got lean
enough where I even had a (brief) shirtless scene.
After
completing Street Scene and my recital, I finally weighed myself again. I
weighed 196lbs. I had lost anything between 80-100lbs. I went from a
40inch waist to a 34. AND, I got stronger. But, more than anything, I
now have a sense of confidence that I've never had before. I know that I
can accomplish anything I put my mind to. If anybody has any questions,
please feel free to hit me up."
(L-R) Barihunk Gregory Jebaily, tenor Kenny Stavert, Barihunk Colin Ramsey and barihunk Stefan Barner
To no one's surprise, we're big fans of Operaticus on Facebook. It's where opera singers go to share workout tips, share stories about weight loss and fitness, and share photos. We recently saw a photo posted by Gregory Jebaily, who we introduced to readers in April 2013 and who has proven to be extremely popular with our readers. It appears that he's stuck to his workout routine, as you can see from the photo above. At this rate we may see him on the cover of both Opera News and Men's Fitness magazine.
Also catching our eye in the photo was another emerging singer who we haven't featured before, bass-barihunk Colin Ramsey. Ramsey is currently at the birthplace of Operaticus, the Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice Artist Program [If you want the history, click HERE]. He's appearing in the apprentice artist scenes, as well as covering the role of Friar Lawrence in Gounod's Romeo et Juliette. Early next year, he's slated to make his mainstage debut with the Seattle Opera as Mr. Kofner in Menotti's The Consul.
Colin Ramsey sing La calunnia from Barber of Seville:
Ramsey graduated from the Manhattan School of Music in 2011, where he received the Hugh Ross Award, awarded to singers with "unusual promise." An award winner with the Pasadena Opera Guild, he went on to become a studio artist at Opera Santa Barbara and the Seattle Opera Young Artist Program.
He made his debut with Opera Santa Barbara singing the Doganiere in La Boheme. At Wolf Trap Opera he was featured as Hermann in Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann, Jonas Fogg in Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and as Figaro and Alidoro in a program of scenes. We look forward to seeing plenty more of this gifted young singer in the future.
If you're like us and can't wait to see and hear Michael Mayes in Glory Denied at the Fort Worth Opera Festival then you can catch him online on Saturday, April 6th. Mayes and fellow barihunk Edward Hanlon performed the opera during the Des Moines Metro Opera’s 40th Anniversary season last year. The performance will be at 7 PM CST on Iowa Public Radio.
Michael Mayes as Don Giovanni in Des Moines
The broadcast is part of Iowa Public Radio's Arias in April series opens. Don Giovanni will be followed by two other broadcasts from the Des Moines Metro Opera, Puccini’s La Rondine on April 13th and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin on April 20th.
Craig Verm
This season, the Des Moines Metro Opera will feature barihunk calendar model Craig Verm, who will be performing Mercutio in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette and Ned Keene in Britten's Peter Grimes. Their other opera is Richard Strauss' Elektra. Visit their website for additional information.
We may have to start following accompanist Karen Roethlisberger Verm's career more closely. She appears to be the accompanist of choice for barihunks. Yesterday we posted about her upcoming recital with Daniel Teadt in Pittsburgh, only to learn that on Thursday she'll be accompanying her barihunk husband Craig Verm in a program of Quilter, Finzi, Britten, and Grainger.
The free recital will be at Elbin Auditorium on the West Liberty University campus at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 21. The school is located near Wheeling, West Virginia.
Verm is currently with the Reno Philharmonic performing William Schuman's cantata "Casey at the Bat." It opened last night and there is one additional performance on Tuesday, March 19 at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available online. We're not sure how the Pittsburgh Pirates fan will feel about him sporting a uniform from the rival San Francisco Giants, but folks in Northern California and Nevada will undoubtedly love it. We think he looks good enough in that uniform to try out for their back up middle infielder spot. On off days, he could sing the National Anthem.
Upcoming operatic appearances include Count Almaviva in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro with Florentine Opera in May, Ned Keene in Britten's Peter Grimes with Des Moines Metro Opera in June as well as Mercutio in Gounod's Romeo et Juliette also with theDes Moines Metro Opera in June.
Verm, who has appeared in our last two charity calendars, earned his Master of Arts in Music degree from the University of
Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music and was a 2006 national
semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Ohio nativeBenjaminWerth is our latest reader submission and it comes from Germany. Werth who honed his skills in regional companies throughout the United States, has been based at the Landestheatre Coburg about an hour from Bayreuth, Germany for the last three years. His recent roles there include the title character in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Argante in Handel's Rinaldo and Sharpless in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Previous roles included Orestes in Gluck's Iphigenia in Tauris, Zurgain Bizet's The Pearl FishersandFigaro in Rossini's The Barber of Seville.
Werth studied at Ohio State University, the Manhattan Schoolof MusicinNew York and theOperaInstituteat Boston University.He participated in theYoung ArtistsProgram at theChautauquaOpera, Des Moines MetroOpera andCentral City Opera. He was a finalist in the 2008 New England Regionals of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions.
Benjamin Werth
In 2008 hemade his debutas Escamillo("Carmen") at theAsh LawnOpera. In Bostonhe appearedas Figaro in Rossini's Barber of Seville, Laurent in Pickers Therese Raquin,Papageno in Mozart's The Magic FluteandEnrico in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.In Des Moines he sang Donizetti's Don Pasquale. His performances of Sharpless in Madama Butterfly in Coburg open on March 24 and tickets are available online.
Our latest Reader Submission is the second one by a very fortunate soprano, who seems to get cast opposite some of the hottest men in opera. She was as surprised as us that no one had ever submitted Christiaan Smith Kotlarek.
Christiaan Smith-Kotlarek studied at the Boston University Opera Institute where he was a Phyllis Curtin Artist. His professional credits include roles with the Madison Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Ash Lawn Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera, where he was also an apprentice artist. In 2007, Christiaan toured the Marche region of Italy singing the role of Marco in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.
Christiaan Smith Kotlarek
On January 31st he performed in Opera Louisiane's “The Best of Opera and Broadway” hosted by Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne at the Old State Capitol. In October, he was Christiano in Madison Opera's production of Verdi's Un ballo in maschera which included fellow barihunk Thomas Forde as Count Ribbing. He is currently at the Music Academy of the West where he is covering the role of Papageno in Mozart's The Magic Flute.
Christiann Smith Kotlarek sings "That Moment On" from the song cycle
Pieces of 9/11 by Jake Heggie:
While at Boston University, he met composer Jake Heggie, who invited him to sing his song cycle Pieces of 9/11. The composer must have been impressed, as he'll be singing the barihunk role of Joseph DeRocher in Dead Man Walking with the Modern American Music Project in Asheville, North Carolina on April 26 and 27.
His great body is the result of his penchant for snowboarding and extreme sports in his spare time. In fact, he has been a snowboard instructor for about a decade at Norway Mountain in Michigan.
You can read an extensive interview with him on the Madison Opera blog. He also has a blog called OutsideTheOperaBox where he discusses music and fitness.
Des Moines Metro Opera singers hit the gym
(L-R) Alexander Elliot, Marco Cammarota, Ian Richardson, Gabriel Nochlin-Gargari and Michael Mayes
Our recent post about the quartet of barihunks at the Merola Opera Program generated a lot of interest, which made us realize that you like your singers delivered to you in bunches. So we couldn't resist this group photo of five singers from the Des Moines Metro Opera company hitting the gym. Alexander Elliot, Ian Richardson and Michael Mayes (front center) are all baritones, while Marco Cammarota and Gabriel Nochlin-Gargari are tenors. We have to admit, it's nice to see that tenors are hitting the gym, too. We've heard Nochlin-Gargari used to be a gymnast, so fitness is nothing new to this emerging character tenor.
Michael Mayes working out for "Dead Man Walking" in Tulsa
Michael Mayes will be the lead in Mozart's Don Giovanni, which opens on June 22 and runs through July 15. His Masetto will be Edward Hanlon, who was a 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Semi-Finalist. Also, don't forget to tune in to Michael Mayes' hilarious Texapolitan Opera Roadshow podcast, which is some of the most entertaining stuff about opera on the web. We highly recommend Episode 21 with tenor Chad Johnson, which was taped last year in Des Moines and remains some of the funniest stuff around. PERIOD.
Alexander Elliot
Alexander Elliot, who is an apprentice artist, will be covering John Moore in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin.
Edward Hanlon in La boheme at Seagle Music Colony
Ian Richardson will be covering Hanlon as Masetto and starring in the Des Moines Metro Opera apprentice artist scenes. There are four remaining performances of the scenes on June 27 and 30, and July 5 and 11. Many of the scenes are directed by John De Los Santos, who we named as our Best Director in our "2011 Best of Barihunks" feature for his work on Gilbert & Sullivan's Mikado at the Fort Worth Opera Festival. He will also be choreographing Don Giovanni and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. Check out his work below.
In addition to Don Giovanni and Eugene Onegin, the Des Moines Metro Opera season will feature Puccini's La Rondine. Tickets for all of the operas and apprentice scenes are available on their website. If you're anywhere nearby (and we know it's a quick trip from Omaha, Minneapolis and Chicago), you should check out this opera company, which continues to present some of the best young talent around.
Have you ever been to the opera and started checking out the chorus looking for the best looking one? Attendees at the Metropolitan Opera will likely spot a guy with movie star looks dressed as a soldier or peasant wandering around. Most likely, they're checking out Brandon Mayberry who studied voice at Indiana University and participated in the acclaimed Merola Opera program in San Francisco. He has occasionally sung major roles in smaller houses. He was hailed in the press as a "handsome" Escamillo in the Des Moines Metro Opera's Carmen. We couldn't agree more.
The Swirlz Cupcakes Team
Besides singing in the chorus, Mayberry is a partner in Swirlz Cupcakes, which should be familiar to shoppers at Whole Foods in Chicago.
Anyone who has ever followed barihunk Michael Mayes on the Lone Star Opera site knows that he's one of the funniest men in opera. He recently joined his soprano/girlfriend Janna Williams and fellow baritone Craig Irvin in a bluegrass version of "Non piu andrai" loosely adapted from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.
Here is the description of their video from YouTube:
Recently Craig Irvin and Michael Mayes had to cancel their appearance at the Des Moines Social Club, so the Ledbetter Fambly (Nugene, Raegene and Cleotis) ~ fresh from an appearance at Bluegrass Tuesdays on the Square in Indianola ~ stepped in and offered their rendition of Mozart's famous aria from Le Nozze di Figaro, "Non piu andrai."
