Kevin Thompson gets devilish again

Kevin Thompson as Mèphistophélés

Kevin Thompson is back as Mèphistophélés in Gounod's Faust, this time with the West Bay Opera in Palo Alto, California. He previously performed the role at the Fundación Teatro Nacional Sucre in Ecuador to great acclaim. The 6'5" American casts a towering and imposing figure as the demon and brings a booming bass to match.

In the current production, imagined by director Ragnar Conde, the action takes place in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future, with survivors living among the scrapped, dysfunctional detritus of abandoned power plants.

Kevin Thompson sings Agnus Dei from Beethoven's Missa Solemnis:

There are three more performances at the Lucie Stern Theatre, including Sunday, May 24, Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31. Tickets and additional cast information is available online.

This summer, Thompson heads to the Santa Fe Opera, where he will appear as a Jew in Richard Strauss' Salome and cover Sparafucile in Verdi's Rigoletto.

Ryan McKinny makes role debut as Mozart's Count

Pretty Yende and Ryan McKinny in LA Opera's Marriage of Figaro

Ryan McKinny made his role debut as the Count in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro with the Los Angeles Opera. Other than a run as Der Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte at the Met last season, Mozart has been virtually non-existent in the American's repertory. There will be five more performances until the show closes on April 12th. A look at his calendar shows that it may be awhile before you can hear him in a Mozart again.

After garnering worldwide acclaim for his Kurwenal in Houston and Dutchman at Glimmerglass, the music of Richard Wagner has been playing the biggest role in his career. His upcoming calendar includes Biterolf in Tannhäuser at the Met, Amfortas in Parsifal at the Teatro Colón, Donner in Das Rheingold and Gunther in Gotterdammerung at Washington National Opera.

Ryan McKinny as Stanley Kowalski and the Dutchman

After L.A., McKinny heads to the Santa Fe Opera to sing Jochanaan in Richard Strauss' Salome  from July 18- August 27. The cast also includes hunkentenor  Brian Jagde as Narraboth and Alex Penda as Salome.

NEWS FLASH: José Carbó wins Helpmann Award

José Carbó in Die Tote Stadt at Opera Australia

We just learned that barihunk José Carbó has won a prestigious Helpmann Award as "Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera" for his performance in Korngold's Die Tote Stadt at Opera Australia. The award is the Australian equivalent of Broadway's Tony Awards and London's Laurence Olivier Awards. They recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in live performances in Australia, including musical theatre, contemporary music, comedy, cabaret, opera, classical music, theatre, dance and physical theatre.

Also winning in the category of "Best Male Performer in Opera" was baritone John Wegman for his performance in Salome at Opera Australia.

Also nominated were Italian barihunk Giorgio Caoduro for his performance in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at Opera Australia and Dmytro Popov for his performance in Carmen on Sydney Harbour with Opera Australia.

Click HERE for a complete list of winners.

Nmon Ford about to get his head served on a platter

Nmon Ford

It looks like Nmon Ford will be able to show off his amazing body next month when he debuts the role of Jochanaan (John the Baptist) in Richard Strauss’ Salome at the Opéra National de Bordeaux.

The new production by Dominic Pitoiset will be the first fully opera staged in the Palais des Sports (Auditorium de Bordeaux). The opera was impossible to present in the Grand Théâtre because of the size of the orchestra pit. 

This production reunites Nmon with the celebrated French soprano Mireille Delunsch, who is singing Salome for the first time, and with whom he performed in Hamburg Opera’s new production of Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride. This will also be Ford's debut with the company.  

“Jochanaan is one of those roles that can surely be counted among the ‘Dream List’ of characters for a baritone,” explained Nmon during a recent interview.  “First of all, it’s beautifully written.  So many dramatic baritone roles don’t offer solid opportunities to show the beauty and colors of a voice, but Jochanaan isn’t like that.  The vocal writing is powerful yet lovely, and it allows the voice to demonstrate fully those two qualities as well.  Second, Strauss’ sense of dramatic timing is as well developed as Puccini’s, or Verdi’s, or Mozart’s.  Not a single note is wasted, and Jochanaan gets one of the best stage entrances in opera, on par with Scarpia’s or Dutchman’s.  Seriously, what more could one want?”

Performances are March 21, 24, 27 and 29 and tickets are available online.

Ryan McKinny

If France is too far to travel, barihunk Ryan McKinny will be reprising his sexy Jochanaan at West Palm Beach Opera on March 15, 16 and 17 with Erika Sunnegardh as Salome and the riveting Denyce Graves-Montgomery as Herodias. Tickets are available online.

Ryan McKinny as Jochanaan in New Orleans

Ryan McKinny as Jochanaan (Photo: New Orleans Opera)

Check out the photo of barihunk Ryan McKinny as Jochanaan in Richard Strauss' Salome at the New Orleans Opera, which had its final performance today. We're not sure how we missed this performance!

McKinny's career has taken off since he was a Grand Finalist in the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was featured in the film tenor-laden film The Audition. He has performed regularly with the Houston Grand Opera and Los Angeles Opera and has begun establishing a reputation in Europe, singing in Berlin and Leipzig. In fact, his next performance will be with Oper Leipzig as Hercules in Gluck's Alceste (Alkestis). He returns to the United States on May 4th when he sings Lt. Ratcliffe opposite Nathan Gunn in Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd at the Metropolitan Opera.

 Ryan KcKinny as Jochanaan and Mlada Khudoley as Salome in the 

New Orleans Opera's production of Salome:

 Theodore P. Mahne of the New Orleans Times-Picayune wrote:

As Jokanaan, baritone Ryan McKinny was simply amazing. Even from the depth of the cistern in which he is imprisoned, his rich voice soared. When he is brought to the surface, his prophetic warnings resonate with increased power and command. 

There is a savage beauty to McKinny’s acting, depicting a man of God who had removed himself from the ways of the world to live in the desert. Now chained in the palace of the Tetrarch, McKinny’s Jokanaan moves like a caged animal, carefully aware of his surroundings, easy to spook, yet knowing that he has a strength and power to overcome his captors.

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

A Toast to the French: Courjal and Varnier (Happy Bastille Day)

[Nicolas Courjal]

French bass Nicolas Courjal has always been one of our favorites at Barihunks, but he rarely sings roles that show off his hunkiness. Such is the life of a bass. However, he is currently performing in the provocative production of Salome at the Royal Opera House with Angela Denoke in the lead and warning of nudity on the ROH website.

After the final performance of Salome on Friday, Courjal heads of to perform Berlioz's "Damnation of Faust" with the Malaysian Symphony Orchestra with another of our favorite French barihunks, Jérôme Varnier.

[Patricia Fernandez and Jérôme Varnier]

[Nathalie Manfrino & Nicolas Courjal sing Les Pêcheurs de Perle in Seville]

You can email us at barihunks@gmail.com

Subscribe to Barihunks by Email

What a Dahl

Over the last decade Gregory Dahl has forged a career primarily in the principle opera houses of Canada. With the Winter Olympics having recently wrapped up, it seems appropriate to highlight yet another Canadian barihunk.

Dahl is known for singing both the standard repertory and for his dedication to new operas. One of his first roles was in "Beatrice Chancy" by George Elliott Clarke and James Rolfe. He also created the role of Charlie in Calgary Opera's production of John Estacio's and John Murrell's "Filumena," performed George in the Canadian premiere of Jake Heggie's "Dead Man Walking" at the Calgary Opera, created the role of Robert Peary in Linda C. Smith's "Facing South" for Tapestry New Opera Works and he created The Alchemist in Murray Schafer's "The Palace of the Cinnabar Phoenix," which was broadcast on Canada's CBC Radio Two.



Despite all of his Canadian credentials, his entry onto Barihunks comes via the St. Louis Opera where we got this stunning photo of him performing Jokanaan in Richard Strauss' "Salome." We can certainly understand why Salome sang, "Ah! Ich habe deinen Mund geküsst, Jokanaan." (Ah! I've kissed your mouth Jokanaan!).

As an added treat, here is Dahl singing Scarpia's "Te Deum" from Puccini's Toscs:


*************************************
Subscribe to Barihunks by Email
*************************************

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