Erik Larson makes role debut at Billy Bigelow

Erik Larson as Billy Bigelow

We first met Erik Larson busting out of his pants two years ago and we instantly fell so in love with the Midwestern barihunk. Now he's singing "So In Love" for the first time ever as Billy Bigelow in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical Carousel. It's is role debut and it played for two nights at the Middleton Players Theatre in Wisconsin. He'll also sing the beautiful Soliloquy, which is one of the most famous baritone arias from a Broadway musical 

Gordon McRae sings Soliloquy from Carousel:

Known as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s favorite of all their collaborations, Carousel tells the beautiful and heartwrenching story of a young woman who falls in love with a roustabout carnival barker. Carousel is based on Ferenc Molnár's Hungarian-language drama, Liliom, which premiered in Budapest in 1909. Except for the ending, the plots of Liliom and Carousel are very similar.

Famous interpreters of Billy Bigelow have included John Raitt, Gordon MacRae, Stephen Douglass, Robert Goulet, Nathan Gunn, Bruce Yarnell, Michael Hayden, Howard Keel and Patrick Wilson.

Listen to interview with Teddy Tahu Rhodes on ABC Sydney

Teddy Tahu Rhodes (photo on left: Opera Australia; photo on right WSJ)

Check out this half-hour segment with New Zealand barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes on "Weekends with Simon Marnie" on ABC Sydney.  He shares stories about his career, plays some of his favorite movies and music (and you may be surprised), talks about hair loss, his favorite books, future roles and other topics.

Teddy Tahu Rhodes will be opening in Rodger & Hammerstein's King in King and I at the Sydney Opera on September 7th. Did you know that the Maori word "Tahu" means "to set on fire"?

Ryan McKinny returns to Glimmerglass as Billy Bigelow

(Photo: Karli Cadel/The Glimmerglass Festival)

Über-barihunk Ryan McKinny, whose photos from the Glimmerglass Festival's production of Wagner's The Flying Dutchman last summer instantly went viral, is now appearing as Billy Bigelow in their new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel. The production opened last night and runs through August 22nd. 

Performances on August 12 and 19 will feature the young barihunk Chris Carr as Billy Bigelow. The production also features Glimmerglass Young Artist Ben Edquist as Jigger Craigin. Edquist, who took first place in the Lotte Lenya Competition, is completing his Masters in Music at Rice University.

Ben Edquist

 

Ben Edquist as Jigger Craigin (Photos: Karli Cadel/The Glimmerglass Festival)

Carousel is one of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most famous musicals, and was reportedly the composer’s favourite score. The show was turned into an MGM film in 1956 which starred Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones. The original 1945 Broadway production featured the legendary John Raitt as Billy Bigelow. Carousel tells the story of a carousel barker’s struggles to rise above challenging circumstances. The musical includes such favorites as “If I Loved You,” “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

Ryan McKinny as Billy Bigelow and Andrea Carroll as Julie Jordan (Photo: Karli Cadel/The Glimmerglass Festival)

Carousel will run in repertory with Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, Strauss’ Ariadne in Naxos and Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy.

For more information on the 2014 Glimmerglass Festival and performance dates and times, call the Box Office at (607) 547-2255 or visit their website.

 

Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes to star in "The King and I"

Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes in "The King & I"

Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes are joining forces in another musical after their critically acclaimed tour in South Pacific. The duo will appera in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I in an Australian tour that will take them to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The show opens in Brisbane on April 13th and you can follow the show on Twitter @kingandiau. Click HERE for tickets or additional information.

You can read an interview with Teddy Tahu Rhodes in The Weekend Australian Magazine by clicking HERE. 

Introducing Thomas "Tommy" Kittle

Thomas Kittle Photo: by Jessica Christie

Our latest reader submission is our favorite kind, as it came from a fellow singer. Meet Denver native Thomas "Tommy" Kittle, who is currently singing the role of Curly in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver. There are two performances remaining on October 31st and November 2nd.

Kittle is currently a masters degree student at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. He won first place in the 2013 Denver Lyric Opera Guild’s annual vocal competition, as well as the Young Artist Encouragement award at the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. This summer he was part of the young artist program at Opera in the Ozarks.

He will be returning to the Newman Center in the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni from April 17 – 20, 2014. In the meantime, you can catch him performing Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Boulder Symphony Orchestra on December 7th and at a free recital at the Newman Center on February 1st. Visit their website for additional information.

Tenor Daniel Koek and Barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes show off their guns during "South Pacific" run

Tenor Daniel Koek & Barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes

Here's one form of "gun control" that we can't support. Hunkentenor Daniel Koek challenged Barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes to an arm wrestling match and we have to admit that he's showing off a nice set of guns. However, we have no doubt that the old Barihunk rule applied: "The tenor may win in love on stage, but the baritone always prevails in real life."

Daniel Koek making a case for the Hunkentenors site

By the way, there are lots of hunky men in this production, including a shirtless Daniel Koek, who created a few sighs in the audience.

Koek, Rhodes and co-star Lisa McCune are continuing their successful tour of South Pacific throughout Australia. There are upcoming performance in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney and tickets and performance information are available on the South Pacific website.

Teddy Tahu Rhodes' "South Pacific" coming on DVD

Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes

Opera Australia's touring production of South Pacific, starring barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes has been a little distracted by tabloid headlines and photographs of an alleged affair between "Teddy Bare" and his leading lady Lisa McCune.

Fortunately for the two married co-stars, the focus is back on the show, which was filmed yesterday for a subsequent release on DVD. No release date has been announced yet.

This is the first time that the Rodgers and Hammerstein organization and Oscar Hammerstein's grandson have approved filming of South Pacific for release on DVD.

With a cast of 40 and a live orchestra, the production will play Sydney Opera House for four weeks, and then Melbourne’s Princess Theatre for a strictly limited 10-week season.  For more about South Pacific's Australian tour, visit www.southpacificmusical.com.au. 

Jonathan Estabrooks Takes on Rodgers & Hammerstein

Jonathan Estabrooks

The Toronto Symphony has announced that barihunk Jonathan Estabrooks will be one of the singers featured in their upcoming "Some Enchanted Evening" concert. The evening will showcase the music of Rodgers & Hammestein. Estabrooks will be joined by soprano Ashley Brown and tenor Aaron Lazar in selections from The Sound of Music, The King and I, Oklahoma, Carousel, and South Pacific. 

There will be an evening performance on October 9th and both a matinee and evening performance on October 10th. Visit their website for additional information.

You can check out some sound files of Estabrooks singing both opera and Broadway musicals at Reverbnation.

You can also follow the internet savvy singer on Twitter @estarp, on his Facebook fan page, or on YouTube where he hosts "A Singer's Life."

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Two Chances To Hear Doug Carpenter

Doug Carpenter

Residents of the Los Angeles area are in luck, as they will have two opportunities to see the rising young barihunk Doug Carpenter in performance. On Saturday, October 30th, he will be performing in a Rodgers and Hammerstein Concert with full orchestra in Downey, CA.  He'll be performing such classics as "Younger than Springtime," "Climb Every Mountain," and "Soliloquy."

For information and tickets visit the Chorale Bel Canto website. Carpenter is incorrectly listed on their website as a tenor, but we can assure you that he is still a baritone.

On Wednesday, November 3, Carpenter will be performing in Kritzerland at the Gardenia in West Hollywood.  He will be performing music written for television by such composers as Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter. Call (323) 467-7444 for ticket information.

You can hear this gifted young singer by visiting his website.

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

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