Philip Cutlip: Singer with a dancer's body

If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area and are looking for something to do this weekend, look no further than Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley. One of America's greatest dance companies is teaming up with one America's great orchestras in performing Purcell's "Dido & Aeneas." To top it off, they've brought in a barihunk who is as sexy as the dancers.

The Mark Morris Dance Company and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra with soloists Philip Cutlip and Stephanie Blythe will be performing the baroque masterpiece on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Morris, who danced the role in until 2000, will move to the conductor's podium for this performance. For dance enthusiasts, you'll be curious to note that Morris has switched up his traditional casting for this performance. Amber Star Merkens will take on the role of Dido with Domingo Estrada Jr.'s performing Aeneas. Previously, the role of Dido/Sorceress was performing by a male lead. Visit the Cal Performances website for additional cast and performance information.

Here is a clip from when Mark Morris was still performing Dido & Aeneas:



Anyone who has not experienced the intuitive magic between these two companies is in for a treat. Barihunk Philip Cutlip is a regular with the orchestra and has provided some of the most thrilling baritone solos in the orchestras history. The two organizations have also collaborated on Handel's "L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, " Henry Purcell’s "King Arthur" and Jean-Philippe Rameau’s ballet-opera "Platée."

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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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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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