Two barihunks in Lizzie Borden world premiere

David McFerrin & Daniel Mobbs

We can't think of a better opera to promote on Halloween than Jack Beeson's Lizzie Borden. The Boston Lyric Opera is presenting a new chamber version of the piece at their Opera Annex on November 20, 22, 23 and 24.

Of course, we all remember the basic synopsis from the children's rope-skipping rhyme: "Lizzie Borden took an axe, And gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one."

For those of you who don't know the story, Lizzie Borden was tried and acquitted in the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. There has been controversy ever since about her guilt or innocence.

Boston Lyric Opera has commissioned a new chamber version of the work, which premiered in its full-length, three act version at the New York City Opera on March 25, 1965. The revised piece is in seven scenes and stars two singers who have appeared on this site, Daniel Mobbs as the father and David McFerrin as Captain Jason McFarlane.

For additional information or to purchase tickets call 617.542.6772 or email boxoffice@blo.org.

Romanian Barihunk to Play Dracula

 What better news as Halloween approaches than to report that Romanian barihunk Eugene Brancoveanu has been cast as Dracula. This role is non-operatic and will introduce the dramatically intense and insightful singer to a whole new audience. Brancoveanu took the San Francisco Bay Area by storm with his edgy and original portrayal of Don Giovanni with the Berkeley Opera and the Livermore Valley Opera.

The performances with the Center Repertory Company will run from October 22 through November 20 at the Lesher Center for the Performing Arts.

Here's a highlight from an article about the production in the Walnut Creek Patch:

At least temporarily. Butler said he has found his ideal Dracula in Brancoveanu, whom he first saw in the title role in Berkeley Opera's production of Don Giovanni.


He's one of the hunky baritones tracked on barihunks.blogspot.com.


"I'd never seen a performance like that, especially in an opera," Butler recalls. "It was like a rock star performance, wildly creative. In the Dracula rehearsals, Eugene has been fantastic. He's a maniac, fearless. He comes up with great ideas, he's very bold, and he's got the physicality to pull them off."


In the Bay Area, Brancoveanu has sung the Pilot in The Little Prince and Belcore in L'elisir d'amore for San Francisco Opera and the Count in Livermore Valley Opera's Marriage of Figaro. He also sang the role of Marcello in Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme on Broadway. And he took many leading roles with the Romanian State Opera.


"Eugene told me that as a Romanian, he just had to play Dracula," Butler recalls. "He said, 'He's our national hero!' "

You can read the entire article HERE.

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Happy Halloween

No pretty boys today, it's Halloween!

The top photo is John Marcus Bindel performing Jochanaan at the Nashville Opera.

The bottom photo is the usually adorable barihunk Martin Achrainer in Sweeney Todd.

I think both of these guys could scare some trick-or-treaters.


You can contact this site at barihunks@gmail.com