Introducing Barihunk Timothy McNair; Performing in The Grapes of Wrath

It's inadvertently turned into Ricky Ian Gordon week on Barihunks this week, but when you write great roles for baritones, it's bound to happen. Gordon just had a huge critical and artistic success with his mini-opera "Green Sneakers" in San Francisco directed by John de los Santos and starring the compelling barihunk Jesse Blumberg. Now his most heralded piece, "The Grapes of Wrath" is getting a few performances at Northwestern University this week.

In the role of Huston is 24-year-old Timothy McNair who is pursuing his Mater of Music degree at Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music. McNair's character has a shower scene in Act 3, so the young bass-barihunk has been staying fit by working out with a personal trainer. His circuit workout includes rowing, plank, pushups, kettle bells, pull-ups and medicine ball presses. We think that the results are excellent!

Timothy McNair buffed up for his shower scene

Based on John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel, with a libretto by Tony nominee Michael Korie, the opera follows the Joad family from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl to California in search of a better life. Gordon’s score evokes American popular music of the 1920s and ’30s, bringing new depth to this tale of hope in the face of despair. Guest baritone Robert Orth, who played Uncle John in the opera’s 2007 premiere, reprises his role in this production.

Performances of The Grapes of Wrath are Friday, Feb. 22nd at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24th at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28th at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 2nd at 7:30 p.m. in the Cahn Auditorium at Northwestern University.

McNair is the full Eckstein scholarship recipient "Master of Music-Voice and Opera" for the class of 2014 at Northwestern's Bienen School of Music. and he starred as Luciano in the 2012 fall production of John Musto's chamber opera Bastianello. Tickets are available online.

Grapes of Wrath

Ricky Ian Gordon's all-star cast of his opera "Grapes of Wrath" received plenty of press coverage. Fortunately for followers of this site, there were also plenty of pictures, because the cast included two of the hottest barihunks in the world today: Nathan Gunn and Matthew Worth.

[Elizabeth Futral, Christine Ebersole, Victoria Clark, Nathan Gunn, Jane Fonda, Ricky Ian Gordon, Stephen Powell, and Matthew Worth - photos © Tristan Fuge]


HERE is what Martin Denton had to say in the NYTHEATER blog.

[Photo Credit: Monica Simoes]


Read the review from Backstage HERE.

[Photo Credit: Monica Simoes]


Anthony Tommasini in the New York Times wrote:

"The baritone Nathan Gunn sang the lead role of Tom Joad with his trademark robust sound, unerring dramatic instinct and charisma."

Read the entire review HERE.



The above photo is of Barihunks favorite Jesse Blumberg in the original production at the Minnesota Opera. Blumberg will return to the Minnesota Opera to perform in Ricky Ian Gordon's latest opera "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis," which opens April 16, 2011.

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Craig Verm Showers on Stage

Here are some hot pictures of Craig Verm performing Tom Joad in Grapes of Wrath at the Pittsburgh Opera. It's nice to see the occasional shower scene in opera, especially when there are barihunks involved. I'm still waiting for an updated version of Billy Budd to the 1970s where all of the sailors are in short-shorts and no shirts. (Any German directors listening? Feel free to steal the idea).

Barihunks readers might remember Craig Verm as the guy who created a sensation playing Joseph Pitt in Peter Eötvös’ Angels in America at Fort Worth Opera. You can refresh your memory here: http://barihunks.blogspot.com/search?q=craig+verm. He shared the stage with the equally hot David Adam Moore, who is featured in the previous post.

Verm, who performs regularly in Pittsburgh, is next scheduled to sing the beautiful Faure Requiem with the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale on March 7 & 8, 2009. You can get more information here: http://www.pghconcertchorale.org/.

Also, don't forget to vote in our "Hottest Barihunk" poll to the right. I promise that Craig Verm will be in the next poll. Also, in response to a bunch of emails, Daniel Okulitch will also be in the next poll.

This site can be contacted at barihunks@gmail.com

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