Barihunks galore in Rome's "Billy Budd" led by Phillip Addis

Phillip Addis as Billy Budd in Rome

Benjamin Britten's opera Billy Budd has long been a favorite of readers of this site. After all, who wouldn't like an opera that features a cast of sailors with some homoerotic undertones? The Teatro dell’Opera di Roma is opening a run of the opera tonight laden with barihunks, starting with Phillip Addis in the title role. Also in the cast is John Relyea as the evil John Claggart, Thomas Oliemans as Mr. Redburn, Zach Altman as Mr. Flint and Jonathan Michie as Donald.

Performances will run through May 15th and tickets and additional cast information is available online.

Phillip Addis made his debut in the title role in 2015 at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. John Relyea will return to the role in January at Den Norske Opera with Jacques Imbrailo in the title role.

Phillip Addis as Billy Budd in Rome

Billy Budd had its world premier at London’s Royal Opera House on December 1, 1951 conducted by the composer with the role of Captain Vere sung by Britten’s partner Peter Pears. In 1966, in preparation for a television broadcast, Britten cut the score from four acts to two with a prologue and epilogue, which has become the standard version for the opera. 

The libretto was written by the English novelist E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, and is based on the short novel Billy Budd by Herman Melville. The book was first published posthumously in London in 1924. Melville began writing the work in November 1888, but left it unfinished at his death in 1891. The novella was discovered in manuscript form in 1919 by Raymond M. Weaver, who was studying Melville's papers as his first biographer.

The first production of the opera Billy Budd in Russia occurred 100 years after the birth of Britten at St. Petersburg’s Mikhailovsky Theatre in 2013. Billy Budd received its United States premiere in 1952 at the Indiana University Opera Company with Jack Gillaspy in the title role.

Phillip Addis as Billy Budd in Rome

Britten originally intended the title role for Sir Geraint Evans, but he felt that the role sat to high for his voice, so he switched to the role of Mr. Flint. Britten then opted for barihunk Theodor Uppman to replace Evans in the title role.

The performance launched Uppman's international career and he went on to become one of the definitive Billy Budd's off all-time. Uppman sang in an acclaimed performance in 1970 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, which included Sir Geraint Evans as Claggart and Richard Lewis as Vere. 

A number of famous barihunks have sung the role of Billy Budd, who many believe was secretly desired by the evil Claggart. Famous barihunk Billy Budd's include John Chest, Simon Keenlyside, Richard Stilwell, Nathan Gunn, Rod Gilfry, Bo Skovhus, Thomas Hampson, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Peter Mattei, Lauri Vasar, Lucas Meachem, Jacques Imbrailo, Daniel Belcher, Roderick Williams, Iurii Samoilov and Liam Bonner.

German barihunk Björn Bürger will add his name to the roster, when he takes on the title role beginning May 19th at the Frankfurt Oper.

Christian Van Horn wins 2018 Richard Tucker Award

Christian van Horn

The Richard Tucker Foundation as announced that bass-barihunk Christian Van Horn is the winner of the 2018 Richard Tucker Award. He is the first bass-baritone to be win the award since John Relyea in 2003 and only the third in the award's 40-year history. He receives $50,000 for winning the award.

Past winners include Stephanie Blythe, Lawrence Brownlee, Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Christine Goerke, and Matthew Polenzani. 

Van Horn, who just finished a run as Mephistopheles in the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Faust, can next he heard as Enrico in Donizetti's Anna Bolena at the Canadian Opera Company from April 28th-May 26th. In September, he will perform Raimondo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at Opera Philadelphia, followed by Mefistofele and Colline at the Metropolitan Opera.

CBC's "The Sexiest Barihunks in Canada"

Mike Nyby (L) and Philip Kalmanovitch (R)

We've been featured and even interviewed on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and they've mentioned us a number of times. But they've stepped it up a notch with their "The Sexiest Barihunks in Canada" feature.

The post features four barihunks hot enough to melt the ice caps north of the Yukon: Etienne Dupuis, Phillipe Sly, Phillip Addis and Brett Polegato. The singers are asked about their sexiest features, sexiest roles, workout routine and what they'd sing to woo a lover. It is definitely worth checking out and we appreciate the ongoing love from the CBC, who we adore more than a Molson at a hockey game.

We're pretty sure that limiting it to four singers was more about who they could successfully contact than creating a comprehensive list. We're pretty certain that Canada has the highest per capita ratio of barihunks in the world. We've featured close to two dozen Canadians on this site, including three in last year's calendar: Philip Kalmanovitch, Jonathan Estabrooks and Aaron Agulay. Estabrooks will be reappearing in the 2013 calendar.

Daniel Okulitch in The Last Savage

Two Canadians barihunks are having huge international careers, Daniel Okulitch and John Relyea. Relyea is a regular at the Met and other major opera houses, while Okulitch is a fan favorite in opera houses across the globe. His performance in a loin cloth in  Menotti's "The Last Savage" at the Sante Fe Opera still has opera cognoscenti buzzing with delight.

Elliot Madore is on the verge of breaking into the upper tier of singers. He has a redesigned website and has caught the attention of opera general managers everywhere. We recently received emails from opera executives in three countries praising this gifted young artist.

Other Canadians who we've featured include Mike Nyby, Stephen Hegedus, Olivier Laquerre, Tyler Duncan, Riley McMitchell, Peter Barrett, Gordon Bintner, Philip Kalmanovitch, Benjamin Covey and Michael Adair (who co-opted "Barihunk" for his Twitter name).

 John Relyea sings "Scintille, diamant" from The Tales of Hoffmann":

John Relyea in COC's Tales of Hoffmann

John Relyea

We somehow forgot to mention that the great John Relyea opened on Tuesday night in "The Tales of Hoffmann" at the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto. We've seen video of the rehearsals and the production and singing are magical. See for yourself in the trailer below. Relyea plays all four villains in the opera, in a cast that also features fellow barihunks Philippe Sly and Gregory Dahl.

Performances will run through May 14 and additional information can be found on the Canadian Opera Company's website.

John Relyea in The Tales of Hoffmann in Munich:

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Another Barihunk-laden Season at Minnesota Opera

Tenor James Valenti: Minnesota Opera, marketing hot men and not just barihunks

We love the Minnesota Opera for numerous reasons, including their commitment to new works, their innovative programming, their dedication to young artists, their high quality of artistry, their great marketing campaigns (that often feature sexy baritones AND tenors) and, of course, their constant stream of barihunks on their roster.  

Next season will mark the 50th anniversary of the Minnesota Opera and the 2012-13 season is once again packed with barihunks. The company will present four operas that are new to their repertory, including the world premiere of the operatic version of "Doubt."

John Relyea (L) & Jason Howard (R)

Opening the season from September 22-30 will be one of Verdi's most underrated works, the biblical epic "Nabucco."   The story of oppressed and exiled Jews and the king responsible for most of their troubles will feature Jason Howard in the title role and John Relyea as Zaccharia. We recently featured Relyea in another great early Verdi opera, Attila.

Kyle Ketelsen returns, but without the horns

Donizetti's "Anna Bolena" runs from November 10-18 with Minnesota Opera favorite Kyle Ketelsen as Enrico.  Regular readers will recall that Kyle Ketelson stole the show in their 2009 production as a devilishly sexy Mephistopheles in "Faust."

No "Doubt" that Matt Worth is hot

On January 26, 2013, the Minnesota Opera will continue its dedication to new operas by presenting an operatic version of "Doubt" by composer Douglas J. Cuomo. The story, which has been seen on Broadway and made into a movie with Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, revolves around scandalous allegations and tensions at a Catholic elementary school.

Matthew Worth was recently featured on this site for his current run in Philip Glass' Orphée at Virginia Opera. He recently sang a successful run as Guglielmo in Mozart's "Così fan tutte" with Minnesota Opera. He'll be making his Fort Worth Opera debut this summer as Charlie in Jake Heggie's "Three Decembers." Performances run from May 13-June 2 and tickets and additional information can be found on the Ft. Worth Opera website.

Other operas next season include Ambroise Thomas' "Hamlet" and Puccini's "Turandot." You can call 612-333-6669 or visit their website for tickets and additional cast information.  Tickets go on sale on July 23.

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Emerging barihunk Xavier Edgardo; NPR examines the baritone voice; Verdi's Attila in Seattle

Puerto Rican barihunk Xavier Edgardo

We just had to share emerging barihunk Xavier Edgardo, who is simply adorable. The 22-year-old singer has been studying at the University of Puerto Rico, where he also sang in the choir. He honed his solo skills for two seasons at the International Vocal Arts Institute run by the esteemed Joan Dorneman, assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera.

Edgardo has participated in and won a number of vocal competitions, include many in Europe. In 2009, he was asked to participate in the prestigious Pablo Casals Festival. He has participated in masterclasses with a number of great singers, including fellow Puerto Rican Justino Diaz, Denis Sedov, Sherril Milnes, Mignon Dunn and Elaine Ortiz Arandes. He is currently a member of the Opera of Puerto Rico chorus. We plan of following the solo career of this young talent in future seasons.

Gerard Souzay: A Barihunks favorite

If you haven't heard Tom Huizenga's analysis and breakdown of the baritone voice, we recommend that you click HERE and listen to it. The article includes sound clips, including one of Gerard Souzay's beautiful rendition of Faure's "Clair de lune."

John Relyea reprising Attila in Seattle

We want to remind readers that Canadian barihunk John Relyea is returning to the Seattle Opera in the role of Attila on January 14th. This should be a huge hit and is a "must see" opera for any Verdi fan. Visit the Seattle Opera website for additional cast information and performance dates. Attila also contains two great baritone parts, including a baritone duet! We covered Relyea when he recently sang the role in a concert format this fall in Washington, D.C. Click HERE to see our previous post.

John Relyea sings Publio's "Tardi S'Avvede" from Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito:



Relyea’s previous Seattle Opera credits include the title roles in Don Quichotte and Bluebeard’s Castle, and Giorgio in I puritani. He won the 2005 Seattle Opera Artist of the Year award for his Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann.

You can watch Attila in its entirety on YouTube by clicking HERE. The cast includes barihunk Samuel Ramey, Giorgio Zancanaro and soprano Cheryl Studer.

DON'T BE A SCROOGE. BUY YOUR 2012 BARIHUNKS CHARITY CALENDAR TODAY. ALL PROCEEDS GO TO BENEFIT THE PORTLAND OPERA STUDIO AND THE SEAGLE MUSIC COLONY. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOU CALENDAR TODAY.

John Relyea: Attila the BariHUN

Two Great Attilas, Sam Ramey from opera (L) and Gerard Butler (R) from film. John Relyea (C)

We have a lot of favorite operas that aren't in the standard repertory and Verdi's "Attila" is at the top of the list. As our poll to the right shows, Verdi wrote the best music for bass and there aren't many juicier roles than Attila. Not only that, but the opera has another great baritone role, Ezio, which includes a duet with Attila. If you like crazy sopranos, few can match the crazed Odabella, who makes Lucia di Lammermoor and Ophelia look downright stable.

If you're in the Washington D.C. area tonight you might want to head over to the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University for John Relyea's debut in the title role. You can click HERE for tickets. If you're on the West Coast, you can catch Relyea's first staged performance of Attila at the Seattle Opera with barihunk Marco Vratogna as Ezio. If you don't know the opera, we recommend that you listen to Seattle Opera general director Speight Jenkins talk about the opera by clicking HERE. Performances will run from January 14-28. Click HERE for additional cast and performance information.

One of the greatest Verdi recordings ever is of tenor Beniamino Gigli, soprano Elisabeth Rethberg and bass Ezio Pinza singing the trio "Te Sol Quest' Anima" from Attila. If you have experienced this, it's a must hear:





 
Later this season, Relyea will portray the Four Villains in Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffman" at both the Bayerische Staatsoper and with the Canadian Opera Company. In the Spring of 2012, he will be at the Met as Leporello in "Don Giovanni" opposite Gerald Finley.

Don't forget to submit your barihunk charity calendar submissions to us at Barihunks@gmail.com. All proceeds will go to benefit young artist programs. We need all submissions by the end of next week.

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John Relyea: "Bass-baritone/opera hunk"

John Relyea: Bass-baritone/opera hunk

You have to love Nancy Guppy from the Art Zone show talking about barihunk John Relyea on the Seattle Channel. Guppy opens her segment with, "If you like opera or if you like really good looking men who can sing well..." Now that's an opening line!

Even the online teaser described John Relyea as a "bass-baritone/opera hunk."  
 

With teasers like those, we knew that this clip belonged on Barihunks, especially since the Seattle Opera remains one of our favorite opera companies. After all, they've brought us Mariusz Kwiecien, David Adam Moore, Jose Carbo and a host of amazing Seattle Opera Young Artists.

Relyea's segment begins at the 5:36 mark.

Seattle Channel Video can be played in Flash Player 9 and up

Relyea is performing Massenet's "Don Quixote" at the Seattle Opera through March 12. Visit their website for additional cast and performance information.


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David Adam Moore Sings Figaro on TV

The Many Faces of David Adam Moore

Barihunk David Adam Moore recently appeared on Seattle's KING Channel 5 to promote the Seattle Opera's production of Rossini's Barber of Seville. Moore rotated the role with Jose Carbo and both singers received rave reviews.

The Seattle Opera's next performance will be of Massenet's rarely performed opera Don Quixote with John Relyea as the title character. Performances will run from February 26 through March 12. For additional cast and performance information visit the Seattle Opera website.

Moore now heads to the Palm Beach Opera where he will sing two performances of Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte on February 25 and 27.



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John Relyea's Messiah

John Relyea will perform Handel's Messiah with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on December 16, 18, 19, 20, and 21. For additional concert infornation and tickets visit the TSO website.

Barihunks will be posting concert information for upcoming Messiah's throughout the holiday season. If you know of a barihunk performing the Messiah, please send your listing to Barihunks@gmail.com.

Bid on a Barihunk

Barihunk Nathan Gunn

Have you ever dreamed of attending an opera and being invited backstage to meet your favorite opera singer? Now you can.

Charity Buzz is hosting an auction to benefit Rosie’s Broadway Kids, a program started by Rosie O'Donnell and Kelli O'Donnell in 2003. The program benefits kids in New York City who have never had the opportunity to experience Broadway.

The program provides quality instruction in music and dance at no cost to New York City public schools or students. Eighty percent of students who participate in Rosie’s Broadway Kids are from low-income families. Rosie’s Broadway Kids serves more than 5,100 teachers, students, and their family members at 22 schools.

Now you can benefit this wonderful program and spend time with either barihunk Nathan Gunn or John Relyea. Click on the links below to place your bids.

Bid on Nathan Gunn HERE.

Bid on John Relyea HERE.

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John Relyea's Aria From "La Cenerentola"

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Chicago Tribune Coverage of Barihunk Nozze

[John Relyea & Nathan Gunn]

We provided some advance coverage for Ravinia's current festival, including the recent cast changes to Le Nozze di Figaro. Ravinia is always a wonderful place to enjoy great music with family and friends and this year is no exception.

We were pleased to see that the Chicago Tribune's respected music critic John von Rhein not only enjoyed the performance where John Relyea replaced Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, but he referred to two of the singers as "barihunks" in his review:

I was even more taken with Oropesa, the bright-voiced, very musical singer who played the chambermaid Susanna. Her sharpwitted and beautifully sung portrayal was a smooth fit with John Relyea's amused and amusing manservant, Figaro. A big man with a deep, sonorous bass-baritone, he was a pillar of vocal and dramatic strength in a role completely different from the sardonic devil he played in Berlioz's "Damnation of Faust" last season at Lyric. One would never have guessed he was a late replacement for the indisposed Ildebrando D'Arcangelo.

The show's other "barihunk," Illinois baritone Nathan Gunn, brought manly elegance to Almaviva's music, playing the wayward aristocrat as a handsome seducer who realizes his days of aristocratic privilege in the bedroom are numbered.

We don't have any video or photos yet from Ravinia, but here is a selection from YouTube of Nathan Gunn singing from the Barber of Seville with tenor John Osborn. Gunn remains one of the most viewed barihunks on our site and appears to have what amounts to a cult following.



The Ravinia Festival runs through September 7th and you can still see Annie Get Your Gun, Kiri te Kanawa, Nelly Furtado, Counting Crows, the Beach Boy and Train.

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Relyea to Replace D'Arcangelo at Ravinia

[Photo © Marty Sohl, Marriage of Figaro, Metropolitan Opera]

There is yet another barihunk swap happening in the world of opera. The Ravinia Festival just announced that John Relyea will replace Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Figaro in their upcoming production of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro." The performances are scheduled for Friday, Aug. 6, and Sunday, Aug. 8 at the Martin Theatre.

Relyea is a regular at Ravinia, having performed Verdi's Requiem in 2001, and Mahler's Eighth Symphony in 2004 and 2008. Earlier this season, Chicago audiences also delighted in Relyea's debut in "La Damnation de Faust" at the Lyric Opera.

Relyea has recently performed Figaro in the "Marriage of Figaro" at Bayerische Staatsoper and the Metropolitan Opera.

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John Relyea's Devilish Side

You can watch an interview with John Reylea from the local ABC affiliate in San Francisco by clicking HERE. The Canadian barihunk is performing as Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust at the San Francisco Opera, which runs through July 1st.

Cheryl North wrote this in the San Jose Mercury News:

The dominant force on San Francisco's stage Saturday was unquestionably the tall, mahogany-voiced John Relyea, as Mephistopheles. With his suave demeanor, gestures and sardonic wit, he channeled a chillingly duplicitous devil with a wicked sense of humor.

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Speak Of The Devil: John Relyea

[John Relyea, Devilishly Hot in Faust]


Joshua Kosman, the always insightful critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, recently spoke with John Relyea about his career and penchant for devilish roles. Relyea will be performing in Gounod's Faust from June 5 to July 1 at the San Francisco Opera.

Local opera lovers with longish memories may recall bass-baritone John Relyea - from his days in the Merola Opera Program and as an Adler Fellow - as a young beanpole with a boyish demeanor and a powerful, dark-hued voice.

The voice is still there, and still deepening. But these days, at 38, Relyea has left boyishness behind in favor of an imposing physical presence that - even in amiable conversation - conveys just a hint of menace.

He's ready, in other words, to be the devil.

The article continues HERE.

Joining Relyea in the cast will be two other singers worthy of barihunk status, Brian Mulligan, who plays the army officer Valentin, and Austin Kness, who plays the student Wagner.

[Austin Kness, SF Opera's Wagner]


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Opera News: Bass John Relyea Named as Recipient of Met's Fourth Annual Beverly Sills Award

[Photo: © Dario Acosta 2009]

The Metropolitan Opera announced today that bass John Relyea has been named as the recipient of the fourth annual Beverly Sills Award. The prize, which is presented annually to a young singer between the ages of 25 and 40 who has already appeared in a featured role with the Metropolitan Opera, carries a $50,000 award, making it the largest of its kind in the United States.

Established in 2006 with an endowment gift from Agnes Varis, managing director of the Met's board, and her husband Karl Leichtman, the award honors the late Beverly Sills by providing developing young artists with funds to help further their careers through voice lessons, vocal coaching, language lessons, related travel costs and other forms of professional assistance.

"I am profoundly honored to be receiving this award," said Relyea, who was presented with the prize in his dressing room prior to Wednesday's performance of La Cenerentola, in which he sings the role of Alidoro. "While I was never able to get to know Ms. Sills well, we did meet on a couple of occasions, and she sent me a couple of very supportive and complimentary notes before performances. It flattered and delighted me to know she was watching me, and taking the time to make such warm gestures. I would also like to give my deepest thanks to Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman, and the Metropolitan Opera for choosing me as this year's recipient. I am greatly humbled to be recognized in the presence of the legacy which Ms. Sills created for the world of opera, and the paragon of her artistry which so many of us continue to strive for throughout our singing careers.”

Relyea, who made his Met debut in 2000 as Alidoro, is the fourth recipient of the award, which was first given to baritone Nathan Gunn in 2006, and subsequently given to mezzo Joyce DiDonato in 2007 and tenor Matthew Polenzani in 2008. Over nine years, Relyea has sung a dozen roles at the Met, ranging from Méphistophélès in this season's new production of La Damnation de Faust, to Mozart's Figaro. Last season, he sang Banquo in Adrian Noble's production of Macbeth, and, during the 2006-07 season, performed the roles of Don Basilio (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) and Giorgio (I Puritani); Relyea also assumed the role of Garibaldo in the 2004 Met premiere of Handel's Rodelinda.

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Another Emerging Italian Barihunk: Vittorio Prato

I have to admit to being smitten with our last post, Massimiliano Gagliardo. Him singing with Kwiecien in Krakow has to rival any of the hot Giovanni-Leporello combinations involving Schrott, Maltman, Keenlyside, Gilfry and d'Arcangelo that we've seen in recent years. Gagliardo made me realize that there are an abundance of hot, young barihunks singing in and around Italy who this site has missed.

So, imagine my joy when my in-box had a photo of Vittorio Prato this morning? Prato was singing the role of Wagner in Faust to the Mephistopheles of fellow barihunk Erwin Schrott in Valencia. This tall, handsome stud actually studied piano and harpsichord, but his vocal studies in Verona with the great bass-baritone Ivo Vinco, husband of the blazing mezzo Fiorenza Cossotto, led him to a career in opera.

Prato won the “Mattia Battistini” International Competition and took second prize at the International Competition of Sacred Music in Rome. This led to a number of engagements including the title role of Monteverdi's Orfeo, Masetto in Don Giovanni and Gugliemo in Cosi.

It's also interesting how the opera Faust is becoming a vehicle for casting barihunks, as witnessed by the recent performance at Minnesota Opera with Kyle Ketelsen and Lucas Meachem, and the eagerly awaited triumvirate of Austin Kness, John Relyea and Brian Mulligan at the San Francisco Opera in the summer of 2010.

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Casting Coup at Michigan Opera; Bavarian State Opera Promises Eye Candy

[Top, John Relyea from his website; Center; Die Bassariden from Bavarian State Opera and bottom, photo of Paulo Szot]

The Michigan Opera Theater has announced the casting coup of the season. Paulo Szot, fresh off his hugely successful run in South Pacific on Broadway, will play the lead role in Don Giovanni next season. It's amazing that Barihunks even got this information as MOT is the worst opera company on the planet in listing complete casts. Even for their upcoming Carmen, they don't list the Escamillo!

Nonetheless, we're all going to be keeping our eye on this performance. Paulo Szot is one of the hottest singers in the world and sex appeal clearly reached the masses reprising the classic Ezio Pinza role of Emile De Becque. If anyone at MOT is reading this, who is playing Leporello and Masetto?

Also, I received an email from the Bavarian Opera informing us that Barihunks Lucas Meachem and John Relyea will perform together next season in Le Nozze di Figaro. Meachem will play the Count Almaviva and Relyea will be Figaro. Mrs. Teddy Tahu Rhodes, a.k.a. Isabel Leonard, will portray Cherubino. The opera company will also present Henze's Die Bassariden, which often gives us some great skin shots, as evidenced from the picture above. No cast list is available yet.

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Tom Corbeil: Another Merola Hottie

[Top three photos of Tom Corbeil courtesy of Gotham Opera, with soprano Takesha Meshé Kizart; bottom photo courtesy of SF Opera]

The most common email that I get is someone pitching a barihunk. Nine out of ten times, it's a non-starter and usually someone who belongs on BariChunks, not BariHunks.

So imagine my joy in finding Tom Corbeil in my inbox. It didn't take long for me to realize that I'd already seen him as part of San Francisco Opera's young artist program, Merola. With apologies to La Cieca and her definition of a barihunk that appears at the bottom of this blog, the Merola program seems to be pumping out more barihunks than anyone and they can actually sing! Other Merolinis on this site include fan favorite Daniel Okulitch, Lee Poulis, Ben Wager, Eugene Brancoveanu and emerging superstar John Relyea.

Tom Corbeil was not only a standout at Merola, but he has also won awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council and Musical Merit Foundation. He also studied with the great Virginia Zeani.

His current gig is with the Gotham Chamber Opera in Joseph Haydn’s "L’isola disabitata (Desert Island)." Perhaps the title explains the lusciously revealing outfit (it can't always be Pearl Fishers). The performance is staged by Mark Morris and will run from February 18-28 at John Jay College in New York City. For more information, visit www.gothamchamberopera.org.

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