Keenlyside's Sexy ads for Met's "The Tempest"

Simon Keenlyside

If there was ever any doubt that sedxy men in opera are finally being recognized for having the same marketing potential as their female counterparts, it was firmly dispelled with the arrival of the new Metropolitan Opera 2012-13. In the past, one could count on Anna Netrebko, Kiri Te Kanawa or Elīna Garanča gracing the cover. Barihunk Simon Keenlyside graces the cover with a full body tattoo and have exposed torso. The British singer, who turns 53 on August 3rd, looks as stunning as singers half his age.

Composer Thomas Adès will conduct and Robert Lepage will direct the Met premiere of this modern masterpiece. Keenlyside will sing the role of Prospero, the banished Duke of Milan who practices his otherworldly arts. The entire cast could be out of Hollywood central casting. It includes Isabel Leonard as Prospero’s daughter, Miranda, Toby Spence as his brother Antonio and Audrey Luna as the spirit Ariel.

The cast also has other barihunk connections, as Leonard is the wife of barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Luna is the wife of barihunk Jordan Shanahan.

If you can't make it to New York City, you can watch the performance in the Met's Live in HD broadcast of Saturday, November 10, 2012.

Kyle Ketelsen to star in Carmen

Other barihunks performing at the Met his Fall include Dmitri Hvorostovsky in Un Ballo in Maschera and Don Carlo, Mariusz Kwiecien in L'Elisir d'Amore, Peter Mattei in Parsifal, Guido Loconsolo in Giolio Cesare, Kyle Ketelsen and Teddy Tahu Rhodes in Carmen, Nathan Gunn in Le Comte Ory, Ildar Abdrazakov and Erwin Schrott in Don Giovanni and John Relyea in Faust.

Visit the Met's website for additional performance and cast information.

Jordan Shanahan in Dead Man Walking

Elise Quagliata as Sister Helen Prejean Jordan Shanahan as Joseph De Rocher

Jordan Shanahan, who won our favorite opera couple poll along with his wife Audrey Luna, will be peforming Joseph De Rocher in Jake Heggie's "Dead Man Walking" with the Union Avenue Opera in Missouri. The opera is the modern-day story of Sister Helen Prejean and her journey as she undertakes the role of spiritual advisor to Joseph De Rocher, an inmate on Louisiana's death row. 

Performances will take place August 19, 20, 26, and 27 at 8:00 p.m. The real-life Sister Helen Prejean will be attending the opening night performance on August 19th. Tickets for the dinner are $250.00 per person. Additional information is available HERE.

Don't forget to listen to "Mr. Barihunks" on the Texapolitan Opera Roadshow. 

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Listen to Jonathan Beyer Live This Wednesday

Jonathan Beyer with Soprano Audrey Luna

Regular readers of this site will know that we've given barihunk Jonathan Beyer a lot of coverage for his uncanny ability to win singing competitions. Now you can hear this talented performer live on Wednesday, August 3rd no matter where you live. Beyer will be performing a recital that is being streamed worldwide.

The recital is part of the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert series. Since their inception in 1977, the concerts have been presented free of charge each week before live audiences of 500. More than 1,600 free weekly concerts have been presented in the series over the course of the past 34 years. The series is modeled after chamber music concerts presented by British Myra Hess in London's National Gallery during the German blitz on that city during the Second World War.

 

The concert will be broadcast live on WFMT 98.7 FM in Chicago at 12:15pm CST (6:15 PM London).

 

Beyer's program includes music of Tchaikovsky, Reynaldo Hahn, Ernesto Lecuona, and selections from Copland's Old American Songs.  For more information click HERE.

 

If you're in the Chicago area, you can attend the concert for free at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St. at Michigan Avenue). 

 

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Who is your favorite opera couple?

We love seeing our reader responses to our poll questions. Not only is it fun, but it helps inform us what is of interest to you. It's been fun watching the current race to see who your favorite opera couple is in the world. As of today, three couples are leading the pack, so make sure to vote.

Dan Kempson & Zach Altman

 

Anna Netrebko & Erwin Schrott

Jordan Shanhan & Audrey Luna

Jordan Shanahan showers while singing some Mozart:

Introducing Another Opera Couple: Lunahan

Lunahan: Jordan Shanhan & Audrey Luna (photo by Greg James)

We've featured many opera couples on this site, from barihunk couples like Zach Altman and Dan Kempson, to superstar couples like Erwin Schrott/Anna Netrebko and Teddy Tahu Rhodes/Isabel Leonard. So let us introduce two fast rising stars who have also tied the knot, Tebaldi International Voice Competition winner Audrey Luna and Jordan Shanahan, who has been featured on this site before.

The original Barihunk couple: Dan Kempson (L) & Zach Altman (R)

The couple is singing Rosina and Figaro in Rossini's "Barber of Seville" in a collaboration between Mississippi Opera and Opera Memphis. They begin in Jackson, Mississippi on Saturday, April 9th and then head to Delta State University in Cleveland on Tuesday, April 12th. The production then wraps up in Memphis with performances on April 16 and 17.

You can hear Shanahan sing the famous "Largo al factotum" at his website.

Since all of the star couples have nicknames, we're suggesting "Lunahan" for opera's new love couple.

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