David Adam Moore returns to Atlanta Opera as Eugene Onegin

David Adam Moore in A Streetcar Named Desire (Photo: David Beloff)

American barihunk David Adam Moore returns to the Atlanta Opera on March 2nd in the title role of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. He previously sang Schubert's Winterreise with the company in a  production designed by GLMMR with costumes by Moore's partner Vita Tzykun.

He last sang the role of Onegin with the Arizona Opera in 2015. The Atlanta cast includes tenor William Burden as Lensky, Raquel González as Tatyana and Megan Marino as Olga. There are additional performances on March 5, 8 and 10 and tickets are available online.

David Adam Moore highlights from Winterreise:

Tchaikovsky based his opera on Alexander Pushkin's s novel, which was written in verse and is considered a classic of Russian literature. The idea of setting the story to music was suggested to the composer by the great Russian mezzo-soprano Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya. Tchaikovsky arranged much of the verse himself into the libretto with help from his friend Konstantin Shilovsky.

Moore will also be making his Teatro Colòn debut in May 2019 singing one of greatest roles,  Stanley Kowalski in Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire. 

Wayne Tigges singing title role in The Flying Dutchman in Atlanta

Wayne Tigges as the Dutchman

Wayne Tigges, who just scored a huge triumph as Ray Cohn in New York City Opera's production of Péter Eötvös's Angels in America, will be taking on a completely different role at the Atlanta Opera. 

Tigges will be taking on the title role in Richard Wagner's The Flying Dutchman with an all-star cast that includes soprano Melody Moore as Senta,  Jay Hunter Morris as Erik and the booming bass of Kristinn Sigmundsson as Daland (you have to hear it to believe it!). The production will be directed by Atlanta Opera's General and Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun before moving on to Houston and Cincinnati. 

Wayne Tigges sings "Die Frist is um" from Flying Dutchman:

Based on a Norwegian ghost story, The Flying Dutchman tells of the famed ghost ship doomed to wander the seas until its captain can find a wife. The ghost captain finds his love in a sailor's daughter, Senta, who is trapped in an arranged marriage, but finds escape from her mundane life through her obsession with the Dutchman. When the ghost ship makes port in her hometown, Senta is confronted with the consequences of her love.

Performances are on November 4, 7, 10 and 12 and tickets are available online.

Zacharias Niedzwiecki on the cover of our new 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!

Ed Parks to make Hungarian debut

Ed Parks to appear at the Budapest Congress Center

Operalia finalist Ed Parks will be making his Hungarian debut at the Budapest Congress Center on December 21st in Budapest. He'll be performing a Christmas concert with soprano Ingrid Kertesi, the Kodály Children's Choir and the Máv Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ádám Medveczky.

The benefit concert will make complementary tickets available for grandparents and their grandchildren. The goal of the concert is to strengthen the Christmas bond between generations.

Parks returns to the U.S. to cover David Pershall (who we recently posted about) as Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème at the Metropolitan Opera from January 6-23. On February 13th, he'll appear as part of the Cliburn Concerts in Fort Worth, Texas performing the music of Ben Moore with accompanist Brian Zeger. In May, he'll head to the Atlanta Opera to perform Mercutio in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette.

ONE WEEK UNTIL CHRISTMAS! Time is running out to order your 2016 Barihunks Charity Calendar, featuring 18 of the sexiest men in opera. ORDER TODAY by clicking HERE (you won't regret it!).

Marco Vassalli & Malte Roesner

 

Jesse Blumberg in Jake Heggie's Three Decembers

Jesse Blumberg and Jennifer Black in Three Decembers at the Atlanta Opera

Barihunk Jesse Blumberg is the latest singer to take on the role of the gay son Charlie in Jake Heggie's chamber opera Three Decembers.

The opera deals with family secrets that are uncovered over the course of three Decembers, each a decade apart. Glamorous actress Madeline Mitchell and her two adult children struggle to reconcile the truth and lies about their lives and relationships.

Mezzo-soprano Theodora Hanslowe sings the role of the mother Madeline Mitchell, which the composer wrote for the legendary Frederica von Stade, while Jennifer Black portrays the other sibling Beatrice. The piece will be performed in the intimate Alliance Theatre on May 29, May 30 and May 31.

Daniel Teadt sings Charlie's aria from Three Decembers:

Two other companies will be performing Three Decembers this season, with the Kentucky Opera's running from November 13-15 and Florentine Opera from March 11-20. 2016. Keith Phares will sing the role of Charlie at Florenine Opera, a role he has performed in San Francisco, Houston and Des Moines.

The Dallas Opera has announced the commission of Heggie's next opera, Great Scott, with a libretto by Terrence McNally, set for a premiere on October 30, 2015, starring Nathan Gunn. The production will then head to the revived San Diego Opera in May 2016.

Upcoming performances for Jesse Blumberg include excerpts from Monteverdi's L'Orfeo with Voyces, Rosebmüller's Cantatas with ACRONYM, and Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Handel's Messiah with the American Bach Soloists.

Barihunks star in Atlanta Opera's new season

David Adam Moore in Winterreise at the Anchorage Opera

Some of the most popular barihunks in the world will be headlining in a number of performances in the just announced 2015-16 Atlanta Opera season.

David Adam Moore, who is currently performing the title role in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at the Arizona Opera, will bring his critically-acclaimed semi-staged production of Schubert's Winterreise. The production was designed by GLMMR with costumes by Moore's partner Vita Tzykun.

Eugene Opera runs through February 8th at the Arizona Opera and the cast also features barihunk Nicholas Masters as Prince Gremin. Barihunk Chris Carr takes over the title role for one performance on February 7th. Additional information is availabel online.

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Matthew Worth will take on David T. Little's Soldier Songs, which David Adam Moore had a critical success with in 2008 when it was presented by Beth Morrison Projects in New York. Worth is currently preparing the role of Sergeant Raymond Shaw in the world premiere of Kevin Puts' The Manchurian Candidate at the Minnesota Opera. The opera opens on March 7 and runs through March 15.

Matthew Worth (left) and Theo Hoffman (right)

Soldier Songs is an evening-length multimedia event that combines elements of theater, opera, rock-infused-concert music, and animation to explore the perceptions versus the realities of the Soldier, the exploration of loss and exploitation of innocence, and the difficulty of expressing the truth of war. The libretto was adapted from recorded interviews with veterans of five wars.

Moving into the standard repertory, rising star Theo Hoffman will sing the role of Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème in a cast that also features Trevor Scheunemann and Leah Partridge. The remainder of their season included Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance and Gounod's Romeo & Juliet. Visit their website for additional information.

Michael Mayes, Jesse Blumberg to perform Jake Heggie's Three Decembers

Barihunk Michael Mayes who has been called the definitive Joseph de Rocher in Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking is taking on a new role from the composer. From September 27-October 4, he'll be singing the role of Charlie in Three Decembers at Urban Arias. Mayes will be joined by Janice Hall and Emily Pulley. Tickets are available online.

The chamber opera tells the story of family secrets that are uncovered over the course of three Decembers, each a decade apart. Glamorous actress Madeline Mitchell and her two adult children, Charlie and Bea, struggle to reconcile the truth and lies about their lives and relationships. The story is based on a short play by Terrance McNally with a libretto by Gene Scheer.

Kathyrn Bates and Jesse Blumberg in Ricky Ian Gordon's "Green Sneakers"

A number of barihunks have taken on the role of Charlie including Keith Phares in San Francisco and Houston, and Matt Worth in Chicago and Fort Worth. Keith Phares will be singing the role again on December 5, 6 and 7 at the Des Moines Metro Opera. Jesse Blumberg will sing the role with the Atlanta Opera on May 29, 30 and 31 of 2015.

The Dallas Opera has announced the commission of Heggie's next opera, Great Scott, with a libretto by Terrence McNally, set for a premiere on October 30, 2015. It will also star Michael Mayes.

Andrew Garland in recital of Jewish Composers

Andrew Garland as photographed by Matt Madison-Clark

Andrew Garland will be performing a recital of "Jewish Composers of the 19th & 20th Century" on Sunday, January 19 at 3pm. The recital is part of the Molly Blank Jewish Concert Series at the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum in Atlanta which celebrates the Jewish contribution to music. The concert series is a partnership with the Atlanta Opera.

Garland's recital will include music from the German Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn, late-Romantic Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, and American composer Leonard Bernstein. Garland will be accompanied by a string quartet made up of members of the Atlanta Opera Orchestra.

You also may want to check out the review of Andrew Garland's CD "American Portraits" from the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Journal, which is one of the best reviews we've ever read. You may recall that we named his CD one of our "Barihunks Best of 2013."

Accompanied by Donna Loewy on piano, Garland sings four song cycles, Stephen Paulus' "A Heartland Portrait,"  Tom Cipullo's "America1968" (dedicated to Garland and Loewy), Lori Laitmen's "Men with Small Heads" and Jake Heggie's  and "The Moon is a Mirror." You can order a copy at GPR Records.

Daniel Okulitch Reprises Willy Wonka in Golden Ticket

Daniel Okuitch as Willy Wonka (Photo © Tim Wilkerson)

Canadian barihunk Daniel Okulitch will reprise his huge success as Willy Wonka in The Golden Ticket opening tonight with the Atlanta Opera. The opera is based on author Roald Dahl's classic story "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which became the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." The opera was written by American composer Peter Ash and British librettist Donald Sturrock and was co-commissioned by the American Lyric Theater and Felicity Dahl. The Opera Theater of St. Louis, Wexford Opera Festival and the the American Lyric Theater co-produced the world-premiere.

Here is some rehearsal footage from the current production:

Okulitch created the role for the world-premiere of The Golden Ticket in 2010 with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. This will be his debut with the Atlanta Opera debut. From all accounts, his performance is a "must see" masterpiece of acting and singing.

Fair warning to Wonka purists, four of the roles played by children in the movie will logically be performed by adult opera singers.

Daniel Okulitch in rehearsal (Photo © Jeff Roffman)

The opera will run from March 3-11 and you can find additional information on the Atlanta Opera website. The cast also includes barihunk Jason Hardy as Grandpa George/Mr. Beauregard.

You can order Daniel Okulitch's CD at a special 10% for Barihunks readers by clicking on the logo at the bottom of the GPR Records page that looks like this:

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Kenneth Kellogg To Honor Ben Holt

Ben Holt & Kenneth Kellogg

We might as well continue posting about barihunks doing good deeds in their community. This time it's bass Kenneth Kellogg who will perform at a special free concert for the Ben Holt Memorial Branch of the National Association of Negro Musicians on Sunday, October 17, 2010, 3 P. M. at Asbury United Methodist Church, located at 11 and K Streets in Washington D.C.. 

The concert honors Ben Holt, a baritone who sang with the Metropolitan and New York City Opera companies before succumbing to  Hodgkin's disease at age 34. Holt created and recorded the title role in the opera ''X (The Life and Times of Malcolm X).

Kellogg created the role of  Tobias in San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program 's world premiere of Thomas Pasatieri’s The Hotel Casablanca. He was later selected to participate in the San Francisco Opera's prestigious Adler Fellowship program. The 6'5" singer is known for his commanding stage presence and resonant voice, which has clearly caught the attention of major opera houses. After leaving the Adler program, he was booked by the Los Angeles Opera, Wolf Trap, Washington National Opera and the Atlanta Opera. 

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