Interview with Sidney Outlaw; Appearing in People's Opera Gala

Sidney Outlaw

We have been following Sidney Outlaw since his young artist days and have always been impressed with his singing, his intelligence and his passion for life. He'll be performing at the "70 Years of the People's Opera" on February 21 at New York City Center. The event is a benefit for the New York City Musicians' Emergency Relief Fund, which was created by Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians. Tickets are available HERE.

The concert will feature fellow singers Lauren Flanigan, Joélle Harvey, Jennifer Rivera, Ryan MacPherson, Mark Delavan with the New York City Opera Orchestra, conducted by music director George Manahan. The concert will feature selections from "The Ballad of Baby Doe," "Candide," "Carmen," "L'etoile," "Giulio Cesare," "Malcolm X," "Martha" and "Die tote Stadt."

We spoke with Sidney Outlaw about being part of this historic concert.

1.    What does City Opera mean to you personally and what did it mean to the greater opera community.

The New York City Opera gave me a platform to launch my career. In fact, it was the first company that hired me to work outside of the realm of the types of gigs other young artists secure. Performing in a NYCO production was a huge deal for me, and I immensely enjoyed my time working with great people, such as Cori Ellison, Cory Lippiello and Brad Moore and many others in the NYCO administration. In addition, they were supportive of me, my career and helped nurture my talent.

I think performing in the NYCO helped the greater opera community see that talent comes in many variations. I'm just a guy from Brevard, North Carolina who has a great vocal gift. The beauty is that I've been able to share that gift with some of the greatest opera houses in country - NYCO being one of them.

Sidney Outlaw and Marsha Thompson from the 'X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X'

2. Talk about playing Malcolm in “Malcolm X” at New York City Opera?

It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. While I am not an orator or an activist, it was a humbling and exciting experience for me to portray such a great civil rights leader.

The production gave me the opportunity take my God-given gifts and weave them with one of the pieces of fabric that make up the patchwork of our country's history. 

I would be honored to perform the entire opera in the future.

3. Have you performed before with any of your other colleagues from the gala?

I have not yet had the occasion to perform with any of my colleagues, but I more than welcome the opportunity to do so.

Jennifer Rivera & Michael Rice

4. Jennifer Rivera is married to barihunk Michael Rice. You and Michael have both been featured on the Barihunks site. Do you think appearance matters more in opera today and should it for certain roles and for attracting audiences?

I absolutely believe appearance matters in every facet of the entertainment business - not just the opera and classical genres. However, I believe that every one is different. Those differences are important because it gives each artist an opportunity to cultivate their own brand.

Like most other entertainers, I am striving to be healthy and look appropriate for each setting. But I am also aiming to create a brand that is unique to me. I do not wish to look like Eric Owens or Larry Brownlee or Mark Delevan or Russell Braun. My wish is create a brand that is authentic and true to me.

It is also important to me that I stay true to the art form and true to the music - no matter what I sing. If I cannot do that, then any concerns or thoughts about appearance or the brand become irrelevant.

5. If City Opera had stayed around, what would have been your dream roles to perform with them?

That's a tough question. My dream role would have been to sing “il Barbiere di Siviglia” there with Lawrence Brownlee as Count Almaviva. Now, THAT would have been fun!

6. What do you think will fill the vacuum left by City Opera?

It is really disconcerting to me that New York City - one of the largest cultural centers in the world - cannot support two great opera houses. It saddens me because it means that much of the art that was showcased by the NYCO will be inaccessible. It means that there are fewer opportunities for my colleagues and I to do what we love.

The vacuum left by the City Opera is a void that cannot be filled by anything but NYCO. Hopefully the stars will align and the Company will be brought back to life so the community and opera world can enjoy it once again.



7. Can you give us some insight to what you'll be singing?

I will be singing two selections. Pierrot's "Tanzlied from Die tote Stadt," which is one of my favorite arias. I will also sing Malcolm’s aria from Anthony Davis’s opera, “X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X.” Singing Malcolm's aria is special to me because it is the first gig I ever sang at NYCO.

That performance was produced for the VOX Series at the Schomburg Library in Harlem. It was an amazing experience and one that provided me with a chance to gain a wealth of knowledge. I learned so much during that process. 

8. Anything else that you'd like to share?

I have some amazing roles coming up this season. I'll be performing the role of Moses in "Moses" with the American Symphony Orchestra.

I'll also make my debut with the Atlanta Opera in the role of Figaro in "The Barber of Seville."

I'm also excited to work with the Metropolitan Opera for "The Death of Klinghoffer."

You can follow Sidney Outlaw at:
Facebook.com/BaritoneSidneyOutlaw
Twitter: @sidneyoutlaw
YouTube/mrsidneyo

Introducing a barihunk duo performing in Chicago: Carl Frank & Brian von Rueden

Carl Frank (L) and Brian von Rueden (R)

We saw Oliver Camacho, part of the OperaNow! podcast team, post a picture of Carl Frank on Facebook with the comment, "Future barihunk." We checked him out and figured, "Why wait?" While we were were checking out the program that they are both performing, we noticed yet another barihunk in the cast.

Meet Carl Frank and Brian von Rueden, who will both be performing in "Cantate Domino," a program of German and Danish cantatas from the 17th century. There will be two Chicago perfomances, the first on Thursday, January 9th at Ebenezer Lutheran Church and the second on Monday, January 13 at the Chicago Temple. Tickets are available online.

Carl Frank regularly performsin both opera and oratorio.  He is a recent member of the Florentine Opera Studio, where he performed El Dancairo in Bizet's Carmen, Sid in Britten's Albert Herring, and Antonio Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. He has also performed Count Almaviva in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro with the Arbor Opera Theater Training Workshop.  Other roles include Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, John Brooke in Adamo's Little Women, Der Tod in Ullmann's Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Dr. Falke in Strauss' Die Fledermaus and Ford in Verdi's Falstaff.

Frank holds degrees in both Political Science and Vocal Performance from DePauw University and received his Master of Music from the University of Michigan.

 Brian von Rueden sings Mozart's "Abendempfindung"  with VOX 3

A native of Wausau, Wisconsin, baritone Brian von Rueden has been active in multiple areas of classical music in the Chicago area for over a decade. He has performed in oratorios, recitals and operas, as well as programmed recitals, commissioned new works, and composed music.

Von Rueden has served as Artistic Director for VOX 3 Collective since it was founded in 2006.  In this role, he has programmed and appeared on over 40 recitals in the company’s six seasons to date, each with a different cultural or thematic focus.  As a singer, Von Rueden has appeared in various operas, including Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Britten's  Rape of Lucretia, Krasa’s Brundibar, and Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges.

He has also often appeared in concert repertoire, having sung the title role in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, bass solos in Handel’s Messiah, Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio, and several cantatas and masses of Johann Sebastian Bach, most notably with Ars Musica Chicago and the Chicago Bach Ensemble. Von Rueden can be heard on VOX 3 Collective’s recordings “New Song” and “Spirit Within,” singing Eric Reda’s Iconic Waltzes and Frank Ferko’s Merton Songs.

Von Rueden earned his Master of Business Administration from National Louis University, his Master of Music from Roosevelt University and his Bachelor of Music from Valparaiso University.

Also, make sure to check out the always erudite Oliver Camacho on the OperaNow! podcast, which is available on iTunes or online. He is generally joined by the prematurely retired barihunk Michael Rice, mezzo Jennifer Rice and the hyper-entertaining Doug Dodson.

NY TIMES WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT: Barihunk Michael Rice & Mezzo Jennifer Rivera

Jennifer Rivera, Michael Rice

Jennifer Michelle Rivera was married Saturday in New York to Michael Jason Rice. Herschel D. Garfein, a librettist and composer who is a friend of the couple and who became a Universal Life minister for the occasion, officiated at the Ladies Pavilion in Central Park. 

The bride, 37, will continue to use her name professionally. She is a mezzo-soprano who performed the title role in “La Stellidaura Vendicante” last month at the Innsbruck Early Music Festival in Austria,; in March she sang the role of Stephano in “Romeo et Juliette” with the Palm Beach Opera. Her discography includes “Agrippina” with Rene Jacobs for the Harmonia Mundi label and “L’Olimpiade” with Alessandro de Marchi for the Sony Music label. She also writes a blog about her life and travels, “Trying to Remain Opera-tional,” and is a contributor to the culture section of the Huffington Post. 

She graduated summa cum laude from Boston University and received a Master of Music in vocal performance from Juilliard. 

She is the daughter of S. Patricia Rivera and Rafael Rivera of Hyde Park, N.Y. The bride’s father retired as a sixth-grade teacher from Strawberry School in Santa Rosa, Calif., and is an adjunct professor of speech and theater arts at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Her mother retired as a loan officer at Washington Mutual Bank in Santa Rosa. 

The groom, 37, recruits for media companies at Howard-Sloan-Koller Group, an executive search firm New York, and is the producer and a host of OperaNow, a podcast. Until last year, he was a bass-baritone opera singer. He graduated from Northwestern. 

He is a son of June A. Rice and Thomas F. Rice of Stamford, Conn. Until March, the groom’s father was the chief executive of ScanOptics, an archiving service in Hartford.

The groom’s previous marriage ended in divorce.

Read the original announcement in the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/fashion/weddings/jennifer-rivera-michael-rice-weddings.html?_r=1&ref=weddings

Our favorite picture of Michael Rice (which didn't run in the Times)

Barihunks Luncheon in New York City

Barihunks Luncheon in New York City

Barihunks hosted a luncheon for eight of the hottest singers in New York at Candle 79 today. From left to right are Michael Rice, Jonathan Estabrooks, Randal Turner, Christopher Temporelli, Michael Kelly, Malcolm Merriweather, Ricardo Rivera and Donovan Singletary.

Randal Turner had closed a successful run in Rufus Wainwright's the night before. His "mad scene" in Act 1 was a tour de force performance that will be long-remembered by opera aficionados. The Zurich-based singer will return to the U.S. in May to perform Mendelsohn's "Elijah" with the Spring Choral Festival in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Barihunks hamming it up before the group photo

Michael Rice has given up singing to work at an executive recruiting firm, support his wife Jennifer Rivera's skyrocketing career and devote time to his OperaNow! podcast. He taped some audio at the Barihunks luncheon for his next podcast, so make sure to tune in.

Jonathan Estabrooks is currently filming Schaunard in Puccini's La boheme. We'll have more details closer to the release date. Make sure to check out his vlog, "A Singer's Life." He also taped some footage at the luncheon so check him out on YouTube.

Christopher Temporelli & Donovan Singletary

Christopher Temporelli, who just wrapped up a run as the Judge in Philip Glass's Orphée with Virginia Opera, now heads to Korea for a recording project. Keep an eye out for additional release news on this site.

Michael Kelly just wrapped up another recital at Trinity Wall Street. We'll provide you with the stream as soon as it's available. You can watch his December 2010 recital HERE.

Malcolm Merriweather keeps a busy schedule around New York as a baritone, choirmaster, teacher and conductor with the New York Choral Society.

In March, Ricardo Rivera will perform in the Semi-Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In May, he will perform the title role in Mozart's "Don Giovanni" with the Mannes Opera and Orchestra.

From May 19-June 1, Donovan Singletary will perform Figaro in Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro" at the Ft. Worth Opera Festival. In March and April, he can be seen as the Murderer in Verdi's "Macbeth" opposite barihunks Thomas Hampson and Gunther Groissböck.

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

I can see Russian Barihunks from Canada; "Scream & Kill" features low voices in "Basses Loaded"

Alexander Vinogradov

Residents of Canada are in luck, as the live performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, “Symphony of a Thousand,” will be broadcast live from Caracas,Venezuela and shown in Canadian movie theaters on Saturday, February 18, at 2 p.m. PST/5 p.m. EST.

The performance under conductor Gustavo Dudamel will feature Russian barihunk Alexander Vinogradov as one of the soloists. Alexander Vinogradov made his debut at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow at the age of 21 and he is a regular guest at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin

Alexander Vinogradov sings "Confutatis maledictis" from Verdi' s Requiem 

This presentation is part of the Los Angeles Philharmoic’s Mahler Project, which features the composer’s complete symphonic cycle presented in both Los Angeles and Caracas.

Samuel Ramey & Justino Diaz

We love our opera podcasts at Barihunks and regularly feature the Texapolitan Opera Roadshow run by barihunk Michael Mayes and OperaNow! run by barihunk Michael Rice. You can catch Rice and Mayes together on the podcast by clicking HERE. Don't miss this laugh-a-minute operafest. 

 

We're also big fans of vlogger and barihunk Jonathan Estabrooks' "A Singer's Life." Not only are these sites great for opera lovers, but they're a great introduction to opera for a younger, more tech savvy generation of future opera goers. 

This month, we've been enjoying the "Scream & Kill" podcast, which is not run by a barihunk, but by the inimitable Stella Maria Krazelberg von und zu Brabant. We're particularly loving her current feature, which is cleverly entitled "Basses Loaded." Stella takes a look at some of the greatest low voices of the modern era, including barihunks Samuel Ramey and Justino Diaz. Other singers featured are Bonaldo Giaiotti, Raymend Aceto, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Adam Plachetka, Gottlieb Frick, Adrien Legros, Boris Christoff and Paul Plishka.

The podcast requires a subscription, but it's entertaining and features great topics from "Shakespearean Screamers" to "Bitchin' Bel Canto Bridezillas." You can check out the podcast at www.ScreamAndKill.com.

We regularly get asked if we feature basses on our site, despite the fact that our home page says that we do.

 

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

"Castleton West" A Critical Success

Michael Weyandt & Matthew Worth

Loren Maazel took his Castleton Festival west to California from Virginia, where it was met with the same critical acclaim that it received back East. Many of the same singers returned to reprise their roles, but we found a new addition to the barihunk family in Michael Weyandt, who was a sexy Junius. Cal Performance in Berkeley mounted both the "Rape of Lucretia" and "Albert Herring."

Joshua Kosman, the respected and brutally honest reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle, gave "The Rape of Lucretia" a great review, saying this about the trio of barihunks:

Tarquinius was embodied with sonorous menace by baritone Matthew Worth, and bass-baritone Michael Rice brought a gorgeous warmth of tone to the role of Collatinus, Lucretia's ostentatiously virtuous husband. Michael Weyandt did a muscular turn as the ambitious Junius...

We learned during the performance run that Michael Rice plans on making this his final performance on the opera stage. Luckily, we'll still be able to enjoy him on his wonderful OperaNow! podcast, one of the most enjoyable shows about classical music around. We wish him well in his future endeavors. He's one of our favorite people in opera!

Michael Rice Sailing Off Into the Operatic Sunset

"Albert Herring" featured barihunk Adrian Kramer, who stole the show in the critical role of Sid. You can listen to this talented young Canadian at InstantEncore performing songs by Rorem, Barber and Danielpour.

The opera world should be grateful to Loren Maazel, whose Castleton Festival has reintroduced important operas to the repertory as well as talented young singers.

Adrian Kramer

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More "Hot Schrott" & "Top Gunn" from Vienna

Hot Shrott Shots: Onstage & Backstage in Vienna

 If you're a lover of barihunks, then you should be in Vienna. We've posted recently about Luca Pisaroni's critically acclaimed debut as Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Vienna State Opera. He is performing opposite the always hot and sexy Count of Erwin Schrott. Here are some additional photos of Schrott, who we didn't provide the same degree of coverage in our previous post. If Mae West were still alive she'd certainly be asking, "Is that a pistol in your pocket..." [Yes, the picture enlarges if you click on it].

Nathan proves he really is a "Top Gunn" in Vienna

Head down the Opernring and onto Friedrichstrasse to get to the Theater an der Wien where Nathan Gunn is in the best shape of his life as Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia. He made a woman faint in New York and we suspect that he's having the same effect on audiences in Austria. By the way, the lucky soprano is the gifted Angela Kirschschlager.

Matt Worth reprises his sexy Tarquinius in California

Fans of The Rape of Lucretia in Northern California will be delighted to know that Loren Maazel is bringing his highly acclaimed production to Berkeley on March 24 and 25 at Cal Performances. The production includes two of our favorite singers, who both appeared on our Barihunks Best of 2010 list. Matt Worth will take on the role of Tarquinius, while OperaNow blogger and hunk Michael Rice plays Collatinus. On the following two nights, Maazel will perform Albert Herring with barihunk Adrian Kramer.

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Chat Live with Keith Miller

Barihunks Dmitri Hvorostovsky & Keith Miller at The Met

Barihunk Keith Miller continues to be one of the leading opera singers in utilizing social media and the internet for promoting his career. The barihunk who regularly tweets and posts on Facebook, is now offering a live chat on Ustream.

Miller will be online HERE on Thursday, January 13 at 6:30 EST/3:30 PST.

Podcasters and Barihunks Michael Mayes and Michael Rice

Don't forget that you can follow other barihunks online. Michael Rice runs the informative and entertaining OperaNow! podcast and Michael Mayes has the always hysterical Texapolitan Opera podcast.

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

Barihunks Top 10 of 2010

We had some amazing highlights in 2010 and we want to share the “Top 10” with you. We are both amazed and pleased at the popularity of this site. Our network of fans and “scouts” across the globe has kept this site interesting and informative. Compiling this list was tougher than we imagined, but here it it:

HOTTEST BARIHUNK:

Reader's Top Pic: Gabriel Bermudez

This was a no-brainer. Pictures of Gabriel Bermudez in Poulenc’s “Les mamelles de Tiresias” drove traffic to the site in numbers that we had never seen and his post has remained the most popular each and every day since it debuted. We’ve learned that readers like to be titillated with a little skin and Bermudez delivered.


HOTTEST NEWCOMER:

Zach Altman: Readers can't get enough

We don’t want to say that we were surprised that a picture of  Zach Altman was incredibly popular, because he’s incredibly sexy. But we were taken aback at the staying power of the post, which continues to generate traffic to this day. We have to give and honorable mention to Jason Hardy, who appeared shirtless in New York City Opera’s Don Giovanni. We received an email from a soprano titled “Jason Hardy” and the body of the email read, “Who knew!!!”

HOTTEST U.S. DEBUT:

Belated U.S. sensation: Randal Turner

Somehow Europe managed to keep this American singer away from his native country. But in 2010 Randal Turner made his stage debut as a searingly hot Don Giovanni in Detroit and then followed it up with a recital in San Francisco highlighting American composers. He looked as hot singing Jake Heggie songs as he did singing Don Giovanni and chasing around the women of Spain, Italy, France…

HOTTEST BLOGGERS: 

Michael's on the Mike: Mayes & Rice

Blogging has become the realm of barihunks and Michael Rice’s OperaNow! and Michael Mayes’ “Texapolitan Opera” are the two hottest shows on the planet. And the two singers ain’t too bad either! An appearance by barihunk David Adam Moore on the Texapolitan Opera broadcast may have given us the best new term for 2011: The Full Okulitch. The term refers to a singer who appears in full frontal nudity on stage, which Daniel Okulitch did in the Los Angeles Opera’s “The Fly” a year before Gabriel Bermudez.

FOREVER HOT: 

Top Gunn

No one consistently gets fan mail and hits to the site like Nathan Gunn. He is popular across demographic groups, age groups and geographic borders. He is as sexy in his 40s as he was at the beginning of the career and the Wall Street Journal even wrote about his workout regime. Who else appeared in the New York Post because he made a woman faint?

HOTTEST MEDIA DARLING: 

Keith Miller: No wonder the media loves him

Former football player Keith Miller has captured the attention of the media with his exotic good looks and is poised to become the next Nathan Gunn. Runner up status has to go to Erwin Schrott and Paulo Szot, both of whom generate press anywhere that they go. Miller broke through the media clutter in 2010, which Szot and Schrott managed to do before 2010.

HOTTEST RECITALIST: 

Hot recitalist: Edwin Crossley-Mercer

Like Randal Turner, the European opera community has kept Edwin Crossley-Mercer to themselves. His recitals are worth an operatic pilgrimage. When we received emails about his recitals in English, French, German and Spanish, we knew that we had to check him out.

JUST PLAIN HOT: 

The Hot Pole: Mariusz Kwiecien in King Roger

This site was founded because two of us saw Mariusz Kwiecien in separate performances and were going to create a fan site. Instead we decided to seek out other hot baritones after reading about other barihunks on the  Parterre Box website. Of course, the Polish singer has the best nickname, as well: The Hot Pole.

HOTTEST GOOD GUY: 

The Newlyweds: Chris Herbert at his wedding with Aunt Martha Stewart

We love Chris Herbert because he’s smart, sexy, talented and gives back to the community. Herbert has devoted much of his time to "Sing for Hope," following in the path of mega-star Erwin Schrott, who regularly gives benefit concerts. He is currently on tour with New York Polyphony.

HOTTEST FUTURE SUPERSTAR:

Matt Worth: Talent you don't mind keeping an eye on

When we ask people in the opera world who is destined for stardom, the name of Matt Worth consistently comes up. We think that this hot young American will be the breakthrough star of 2011.

We should also mention Wes Mason, who had a breakthrough performance in "Before Night Falls" at the Ft. Worth Opera and proved that he has a place on the international opera stages of the world.

Have a great 2011 and keep in touch with us at Barihunks@gmail.com

OperaNow! Needs (And Deserves) Your Vote

Click on Image to vote for Opera Now! podcast

Our favorite opera podcast is barihunk Michael Rice's Opera Now! podcast, which is fun, entertaining, informative and often provocative. Of course, we love that they regularly mention Barihunks, especially Keith Phare's "Ring Scandal." Phares frequently appears on the show along with an interesting mix of regulars that includes the serious and cerebral Oliver Camacho, the loquacious and opinionated countertenor Doug Dodson and Rice's sensible, tech savvy and gorgeous girlfriend Jenny Rivera.

Regardless of our biases, it's still the best music podcast around. In fact, they've been nominated for best Cultural/Arts podcast and we think that our fans should turn out and vote for them. Click on the "Podcast Awards" image above and it will take you to a site where you can cast your vote.

Michael Rice aka "Steamy Rice"

How could you not vote for this guy. Click now!

[Don't even think of scrolling down until you've voted]

You can contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com. Don't forget to send us your Messiah listings.

A Barber Well "Worth" Attending

Matthew Worth (r) as Figaro (photo by

David Bachman - Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette)

One of our favorites barihunks, Matthew Worth, is in Pittsburgh where he is being lauded for his wonderful stage presence. We fell in love with the budding young star when he rose to the difficult challenge of singing in Benjamin Britten's "Rape of Lucretia," where he practically stole the show. Worth has also scored major successes with two other Britten operas, Owen Wingrave and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Californians will get the opportunity to see him reprise his definitive portrayal as Tarquinius with fellow barihunk Michael Rice with Cal Performances in Berkeley on March 24 and 25.

Barihunk Michael Rice coming to Berkeley

Readers of this site might also recall that he created a bit of a sensation as Don Giovanni at the Virginia Opera, so it appears that he's equally adept at drama, comedy and portraying seductive rakes.

Matthew Worth: Sexy in a tee

Fans of Matthew Worth in the Pittsburgh area can see him in the Barber again tonight, Friday, October 15 or Sunday, October 17. Visit the Pittsburgh Opera website for ticket information.

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Barihunks on OperaNow!

Two of the best opera podcasts are Handlemania and OperaNow! We particularly love OperaNow! because it's run by barihunk Michael Rice a.k.a. "Steamy Rice." He generally includes other singers on his show and his latest podcast had fellow barihunk Keith Phares. We would argue that Phares may have the most beautiful eyes in opera and Rice the best arms.

What made the latest podcast fun for us that Oliver Camacho, a regular on the show who always has great insights, introduced Phares as a barihunk.

If you're an opera fan, we strongly suggest that you subscribe to OperaNow!, which you can do on iTunes. It's a fun show that often contains serious discussions about opera and the state of the artform.

Keith Phares is currently at the Central City Opera where he is singing his signature role of Charlie in Jake Heggie's "Three Decembers." Michael Rice will be performing in Britten's "Rape of Lucretia" with Cal Performances in March 2011.

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Benjamin Britten's Barihunks In Berkeley

Opera fans on the West Coast learned this week that they are going to experience the amazing Britten operas that conductor Lorin Maazel has been performing at his ranch in Castleton. Maazel is bringing the barihunk laden "Rape of Lucretia" and "Albert Herring" to Cal Performances in Berkeley. Both operas will be fully staged. Maazel's Castelton Festival has become something of a cult among opera connoisseurs and this promises to be some of the most visually and vocally exciting Britten to hit California in recent memory. Also, make sure to check out classical music critic Anne Midgette's post on this road tour.

[Michael Rice]


Heading the cast of "Rape of Lucretia" will be two of our favorite young barihunks, Matthew Worth and Michael Rice (a.k.a. Steamy Rice). We once had a post called "Our Michael Rice Crush" where we spelled out a number of reasons why we love this young singer. Not only is he eye candy and a wonderful singer, but he is the host of the OperaNow! podcast, one of the most entertaining shows about opera to be found anywhere. You can subscribe to his podcast on iTunes.

[Matthew Worth]


Matthew Worth has become one of the most popular barihunks on this site, often receiving as many hits as established stars like Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Erwin Schrott and Nathan Gunn. He has rapidly developed a reputation in the opera world as a talented young singer, gifted actor and wonderful colleague. Opera fans in the Bay Area should race to buy tickets to see this young singer before he is gobbled up by the Metropolitan Opera and other large companies.

Fans of Matthew Worth in the Midwest can see him from May 8-16 at the Chicago Opera Theater performing the role of Charlie in Jake Heggie's "Three Decembers" opposite Federica von Stade.

[Adrian Kramer]


The second offering at Cal Performances will be "Albert Herring," which along with "Rape of Lucretia" is probably one of Britten's most unfairly neglected operas. It was also written as a companion piece to "Rape of Lucretia" and is another one of Britten's exploration of a societal outcast, a theme that is quite pronounced in his more famous operas "Billy Budd" and "Peter Grimes."

Adrian Kramer, a graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music, will be singing the role of Sid in "Albert Herring," as he did at the Castleton Festival.

Visit the Cal Performances website for ticket and performance information.

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Barihunks Showing Some Skin

At Barihunks we celebrate the beautiful men who grace our operatic stages. There is nothing sexier than Erwin Schrott or Mariusz Kwiecien ripping his shirt off in "Don Giovanni." Or who can blame Carmen for dumping Don Jose when Kyle Ketelsen struts out on the state as Escamillo. There are few things on the stage hotter than Matthew Worth in "Rape of Lucretia," Simon Keenlyside or Nathan Gunn in Billy Budd, or Daniel Okulitch baring everything in "The Fly." So we decided to showcase a bunch of the hottest barihunks around in one post.

One thing that we've noticed about our readers is that they like to see a little skin once in awhile. So here are some of the dreamiest barihunks showing off their goods onstage and offstage.

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TOM CORBEIL IN Haydn’s "L’isola disabitata AND LAURENT ALVARO IN "The Fly"

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TOM FORDE, SIMON KEENLYSIDE & MICHAEL RICE

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JONATHAN KIMPLE & PAUL LAROSA

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CALE OLSON ON THE L/R & JOHN CHEST (CENTER)

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ANDREW GARLAND & ANDREA CONCETTI

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Our Michael Rice Crush

Barihunks has to confess to having a major crush on Michael Rice, who just finished a run at Castleton, which we covered extensively. Unfortunately, we didn't feature "Steamy Rice" nearly enough.

Our excuse is that "Steamy Rice" played the role of the very unsexy Mr. Peachum in The Beggars Opera under Lorin Maazel. To our dismay, Rice has landed some pretty unsexy roles in his young career, landing parts in Ariadne, Butterfly, Fanciulla, Sonnambula and L'Italiana. We think directors need to start casting him in some Britten operas (which Castleton specialized in), Pearl Fishers, Dead Man Walking or any opera directed by a gay German, because Rice has the sexiest arms in all of opera (and the rest of him isn't too bad, either).

But "Steamy Rice" is more than a hot bod, he's also one of the funniest men in opera (who is actually trying to be funny.) His OperaNow! podcast is the most entertaining opera broadcast on the web. You can access it at iTunes or by clicking here.

The top photo is by David Deal and was part of an NPR feature where the camera seemed to stick to "Steamy Rice." The bottom two photos were sent to us by his colleagues at Castleton who really seemed to enjoy performing with him.

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