Barihunk Luis Alejandro Orozco makes his Nashville debut

Luis Alejandro Orozco

Barihunk Luis Alejandro Orozco, who has made El Payador in Piazzolla's Maria de Buenos Aires his signature role, will return to the role for what he estimates to be the fifteenth time. The Mexican-American barihunk will make his company debut with the role at the Nashville Opera from November 10-12.

Despite its reputation as the Capital of Country Music, it appears that this night of Argentinian opera and dance is the hottest ticket in town, as all three performances are sold out. However, there is a wait list that you can get on.

The production will be directed by John Hoomes and will feature Argentine dancers Mariela Barufaldi and Jeremías Massera (founders of Miami's Tango Axis Argentine Tango School) along with bandoneón player Rodolfo Zanetti and soprano Cassandra Zoe Velasco as Maria.

The opera has become popular in Germany, where is has been performed in apparently every city that starts with the letter "B": Berlin, Bonn, Braunschweig, Biel and Bremen. The opera can next be seen at the San Diego Opera with barihunk Paul La Rosa as El Payador from January 26-28 and then at the Fort Worth Opera Festival on April 27 and May 5 (performers have not been announced, but we've learned that it will be Luis Alejandro Orozco). Both productions are directed by John de los Santos.

Malte Roesner, 2018 Barihunks Calendar/Photo Book

Our 2018 Barihunks Calendar, which includes 20 of opera's sexiest men is now available for purchase HERE. In response to reader demand, we've also added a Barihunks Photo Book this year, which includes additional photos that don't appear in the calendar. You can purchase that HERE. The New Year is approaching faster than you think!

Keith Miller in sexy production of Florencia en el Amazonas

Traditional Trinidal Carnival costume (left) and Keith Miller (right)

Keith Miller, who is our Mr. November in the 2014 Barihunks calendar, will be showing off his amazing physique as Riolobo in a new production of Daniel Catán's Florencia en el Amazonas at the Nashville Opera.

The opera will be directed by John Hoomes, who we asked about the production. He told us:

"As opposed to some productions of the work, our production with focus more of the magic-realistic, sensual, fever-dream aspects of the piece, with extensive dreamlike immersive HD video, and a living, writhing, singing river...As Riolobo, [Keith Miller] will sing the role of the steersman of the steamship, and he will also appear as a manifestation of a mystic Amazon River god.  His river god costume will be inspired by the male costumes from Trinidad Carnival."

Hoomes suggested that we do an online search to see what the Trinidad Carnival costumes look like and were we ever pleasantly surprised. We can't imagine a singer in all of opera who would look better in a Carnival costume.

In 1996, Florencia en al Amazonas was the first Spanish-language opera to be commissioned by a major American opera house. It premiered at the Houston Grand Opera, and was subsequently performed at the Los Angeles Opera and the Seattle Opera. Daniel Catán died in 2011 at age 62, shortly after the premiere of his last opera, Il Postino, based on the popular Italian film. At the time of his death, he was at work on a new piece, Meet John Doe, inspired by Frank Capra’s classic film of the same title.

Andrew Garland sings Riolobo's invocation from Florencia en al Amazonas:

The two-act opera Florencia en al Amazonas is set on the steamboat El Dorado in 1910, where the famous opera singer Florencia is traveling down the Amazon to perform in Manaus. Florencia desires to encounter her lost love, a butterfly hunter who entered the jungle and never returned. The dramas aboard the steamboat weave love, conflict, loss, a violent storm, and ultimately a cholera epidemic that keeps the passengers quarantined and Florencia’s dream apparently dashed.

The Nashville Opera will present the opera on Friday, January 23, Sunday, January 25 and Tuesday, January 27, 2015. Single tickets are available online.

Nashville Opera's self-proclaimed HUNKFEST

Craig Verm in Nashville Opera's The Pearl Fishers

We couldn't agree more with Nashville Opera's artistic director John Hoomes that Craig Verm and Ben Wager are "aural candy as much as they are eye candy." He should know, as he's cast the two singers in Bizet's The Pearl Fishers that still has performances tonight and Saturday.

Although both singers are well known as two of the sexiest men in opera, they have some serious vocal credentials, as well. Verm received his Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music and graduated cum laude from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He was also a 2006 national semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and is also a former member of the young artist programs of Santa Fe Opera and Cincinnati Opera.

Wager was a 2008 as a member of the prestigious Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera and a 2009 graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. In 2009, he became a member of the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he has sung Panthus in Les Troyens, Doctor Grenvil in La traviata, Angelotti in Tosca, and Escamillo in Carmen.

They both are rapidly emerging as major talents on the international stage, who we'll want to keep our eyes and ears on in the coming years.

Craig Verm, who may have the most perfect chest in opera, just wrapped up another role where he is cast shirtless - Britten's Billy Budd in Chile. So being cast in Nashville in a role that takes place on the beach makes perfect sense.

We love that the Nashville Scene picked up on the sexy production with the headline, "Buff baritones spice up Nashville Opera's production of Bizet's The Pearl Fishers: Raiders of the Lost Hunks." They go on to state that The Pearl Fishers might be the first "ladies night out" not unlike a trip to see the Chippendales. We've always maintained the belief at Barihunks that a sexy body will get them in the door, but great singing will bring them back.

We think that the Nashville Opera has it right on both accounts.

Craig Verm is also featured in the month of August in our new charity calendar. He appears along with Michael Mayes, Aaron Sorensen and Timothy McDevitt. You purchase your copy today by clicking HERE. Buy one for a friend, too, and join us in helping out the next generation of great singers.