Barihunk duo join SF Symphony for semi-staged Ravel opera

Kelly Markgraf and Michael Todd Simpson

Barihunks Michael Todd Simpson and Kelly Markgraf will join the San Francisco Symphony in a semi-staged performance of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortilèges (The Child and the Magic Spells) on June 27 and 29–30 at Davies Symphony Hall. They'll be joined by an all-star cast including Isabel Leonard, Anna Christy, Nikki Einfeld, Marnie Breckenridge, Ginger Costa Jackson, Jennifer Johnson-Cano and Ben Jones under the baton of Martyn Brabbins.

The semi-staged production has previously been seen at the Opéra de Lyon in 2012 and 2016, and at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich in 2013. Tickets for the San Francisco performances are available online.

In L’enfant et les sortilèges, Ravel captures the fanciful world of a young child. Set in a country house in Normandy, the story opens with a boy being scolded by his mother and left alone in his room. Rebellious and fractious, the boy causes mischief—ripping the wallpaper and tearing pages from his schoolbook, sweeping the teapot off the table, swinging from the pendulum of the grandfather clock, and even injuring his pet squirrel. The objects of his tantrum come to life and turn against him, admonishing him for his misdeeds. More accusations and frightful encounters follow when the boy runs out to the garden, until he finally learns his lesson—showing kindness to the injured squirrel—and the magic of the garden turns to moonlight enchantment.

Christopher Maltman featured in Marnie on Great Performances

Isabel Leonard and Christopher Maltman in Marnie (Image courtesy of The Met)

British barihunk Christopher Maltman will star alongside mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard in Nico Muhly and Nicholas Wright’s “Marnie” on PBS’s Great Performances son Friday, February 1, 2019. Check HERE to see what stations are broadcasting near you.

Nico Muhly’s opera, based on the 1961 Winston Graham thriller that inspired the iconic Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name. The opera also features Mark Rutland. Janis Kelly, Denyce Graves, and Iestyn Davies, with Robert Spano conducting.

Michael Mayer’s production, which had its U.S. debut at the Met in fall 2018, takes place in England, where the alluring Marnie pursues a life of crime and dishonesty by assuming new identities after stealing from her employers. After pulling off another heist and adapting a new look successfully, she moves on to a new job at Halcyon Printing where her new boss is widower Mark Rutland. Marnie makes an attempt to steal from the company’s safe but is caught red-handed by Mark, who blackmails her into marrying him by threatening to turn her in to the police. Now forced into a loveless marriage, Marnie must face the traumas of her childhood and past indiscretions to free herself from a vicious cycle of deception.

Christopher Maltman and Isabel Leonard sing Marnie excerpts at the Guggenheim

Christopher Maltman (Photo: Pia Clodi)

British barihunk Christopher Maltman will sing excerpts from Nico Muhly's opera Marnie at the Guggenheim Museum as part of the Works & Process series, presented jointly with The Metropolitan Opera. He'll be joined by mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard and director Michael Mayer on Monday, October 1, 2018 at 7:30pm.

With a libretto by Nicholas Wright, Marnie is based on the novel by Winston Graham and it examines the cost of freedom, the limitations of forgiveness and the impossibility of escaping the past. Set in 1950s London, the psychological thriller tells the story of a woman who has gone through life embezzling her employers, changing her identity, being forced into a loveless marriage by Okulitch's character, and eventually being forced to confront her past. 

Leonard and Maltman will sing excerpts from the opera and join in a discussion about the opera. Tickets are available online. 

Marnie opens at The Met on October 19 and runs through November 10. Also in the cast is Denyce Graves, Iestyn Davies and Janis Kelly.  Tickets are available online.

Watch Philippe Sly as Don Giovanni at Aix-en-Provence

Philippe Sly as Don Giovanni as Aix-en-Provence

Barihunk Phillipe Sly is a particularly sexy (and scantily clad) Don Giovanni in Mozart's classic at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. This performance marks his debut in the role, as well as the role debut of Isabel Leonard as Donna Elvira.

Performances are running through July 21, but one can also catch a broadcast of it on July 10th on Medici.tv at 12:30 PM PDT.

 The new production by Jean-François Sivadier includes Nahuel Di Pierro as Leporello, Eleonora Buratto as Donna Anna, hunkentenor Pavol Breslik as Don Ottavio, Julie Fuchs as Zerlina,  Krzysztof Baczyk as Masetto and David Leigh as Il Commendatore.

Barihunk switch in Opera Philadelphia's Cold Mountain

Jarrett Ott

Opera Philadelphia has announced that Jarrett Ott will replace fellow barihunk Nathan Gunn as W.P. Inman for all five performances of Jennifer Higdon's Cold Mountain. The opera is being performed from  Februar 5-14 at the Academy of Music.

Nathan Gunn created the role in the August 2015 world premiere at The Santa Fe Opera, but had to pull out of the East Coast premiere due to a serious family illness.

Jarrett Ott, who is a popular singer on this site, is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and a member of Opera Philadelphia’s Emerging Artists Program. He has been involved with the development of Cold Mountain and the character of Inman for more than three years. He performed the role in two workshops in 2012 and 2013, sang with the full cast in March 2015 as part of a Works & Process presentation at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, and covered the role in both Santa Fe and Philadelphia. He began the 2015-2016 Season with Opera Philadelphia as Marchese D'Obigny in Verdi's La traviata.

The opera is based on Charles Frazier’s National Book Award-winning novel, Cold Mountain, which follows the American odyssey of W.P. Inman, a wounded Civil War soldier who deserts the Confederate Army at great peril to reunite with his love, Ada Monroe (which will be sung by mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard). Ada's once privileged life on Cold Mountain has become one of loneliness and deprivation. As Inman makes his way home, he wonders if the violence he has experienced has made him unworthy of love, and is forced to question just where his allegiance lies. Amidst the destruction of the American Civil War, a pivotal conflict in America’s history, the transformative journeys of Inman and Ada go to the very center of their souls.

"South Pacific" Romance?

Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahy Rhodes

Woman's Day magazine, the Daily Telegraph and the Adelaide Sunday Mail have stirred up quite a controversy with pictures of barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes and South Pacific co-star Lisa McCune sharing a passionate kiss in an alley. The two are starring and touring in Bartlett Sher's acclaimed production of South Pacific throughout Australia.

According to the Sunday Mail, "Lisa renewed her wedding vows to husband Tim only two years ago and has not let on to family and friends that there were problems with the marriage. She has been residing in Sydney a few days a week while performing the stage musical. The two have three children."

Tahu Rhodes is married to mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, but it's been rumored that the couple has separated.  Rhodes has been married twice and has a 3-year-old son. You can check out their wedding picture that we posted in 2009.

REMINDER that submissions for the 2013 Barihunks Charity Calendar must be receieved by August 31. High Resolution pictures should be sent to Barihunks@gmail.com

"Teddy Bare" in a Tee

[Pictures from the Ft. Worth Opera - the sexiest opera company in America!]

We go forever without a post of Teddy Tahu Rhodes, and now we have two in as many days. Here is Teddy Bare at a Ft. Worth Opera event with his new bride Isabel Leonard. Teddy is showing some nice biceps and a bit of his tattoo if you look r-e-a-l c-l-o-s-e.

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Teddy Bare's Wedding Picture

[Photo by Jared Slater of J & J Photography]

This is going to break some hearts, but here is the wedding photo of mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard and Barihunks favorite, Teddy Tahu Rhodes.

Barihunks would like to congratulate the couple and wish them the best. You both look great!

On January 15 and 16, Teddy Bare will be performing Barber's "Antony and Cleopatra" at Carnegie Hall. For more information, please click here:
http://www.carnegiehall.org/SiteCode/Search/BasicSearch.aspx?searchTerms=cleopatra

Also, the New York City Opera has offered Barihunks readers a group discount if a bunch of you want to go see what promises to be a great performance, especially with the amazing Lauren Flanigan portraying Cleopatra. For more information concerning group packages, please contact Michelle Levengood by phone (212) 870-4259 or e-mail mlevengood@nycopera.com.

No word if Antony sings without his shirt.

Hopefully, the Leonard/Rhodes marriage ends better than the Cleopatra/Antony affair.

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Teddy's Tattoo

Teddy Tahu Rhodes recently showed off his tattoo to a TV reporter in his native New Zealand. The female reporter was very funny and seemed genuinely disappointed to learn that he was marrying mezzo Isabel Leonard in December. But she perked up as he began to disrobe to show off the tattoo.

After all, who doesn't want to see Teddy Bare?

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Having the "Right Package" & Wedding Bells

Finally a new picture of Teddy Bare from Billy Budd, courtesy of the New Zealand Herald. That paper also ran this fun quote from our beloved barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes:

He is relaxed about the headlines about his good looks. If it improves his marketability, then good. "We can be politically correct and say casting is not about that, but ..."

He hastens to add it's ultimately about the voice, but in an increasingly mobile world if a director has to choose between two singers of the same level, "I guess they'd go for the package they thought was right."

Also, OperaChic reported that Teddy Bare is marrying the equally stunning mezzo Isabel Leonard.

Isabel, congratulations on going for the right package!