Sexy preview of Randal Turner in Bonfire of the Vanities

Randal Turner as Sherman McCoy

The creators of composer Stefania de Kenessey and librettist Michael Bergmann's operatic version of Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities have been gracious enough to give us brief preview of the opera. The scene shows barihunk Randal Turner as Wall Street trader Sherman McCoy in the iconic "Masters of the Universe" scene after the prisoners have stripped him of his clothes.

The phrase is taken from the original book and refers to the ambitious young men who racked up millions of dollars in bonuses at investment banks like Salomon Brothers, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

Randal Turner in "Masters of the Universe" scene from Bonfire:

The story takes on the universal socioeconomic tensions in 1980s New York City that is home to both Wall Street and Harlem. Turner's character is a successul bonds trader whose popularity propels him to the top of the financial world. But just as he meets the peak of his success, he collides with a scandal that brings all of New York City crashing down upon him. His former admirers and current problems include a ferocious Harlem reverend, played by fellow barihunk Keith Miller; a wealthy and sexually predatory femme fatale, sung by Yingzie Zhou; Sherman's cossetted housewife, sung by Anne-Carolyn Bird; and, an idealistic lawyer who demands better for her city, performed by Adrienne Danrich.  

 

The world premiere will be on October 9 and 10 at the El Teatro at El Museo del Barrio in New York City. Tickets are available online.

Randal Turner in world premiere of operatic Bonfire of the Vanities

Randal Turner

Randal Turner, who recently had a successful run as Ned Keene in Britten's Peter Grimes at the Theatre Koblenz, is now jumping into a completely different different English-language opera. He will portray Wall Street trader Sherman McCoy from Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities, in a new operatic adaptation from composer Stefania de Kenessey and librettist Michael Bergmann.

The story takes on the universal socioeconomic tensions in 1980s New York City that is home to both Wall Street and Harlem. Turner's character is a successul bonds trader whose popularity propels him to the top of the financial world. But just as he meets the peak of his success, he collides with a scandal that brings all of New York City crashing down upon him. His former admirers and current problems include a ferocious Harlem reverend, played by fellow barihunk Keith Miller; a wealthy and sexually predatory femme fatale, sung by Yingzie Zhou; Sherman's cossetted housewife, sung by Anne-Carolyn Bird; and, an idealistic lawyer who demands better for her city, performed by Adrienne Danrich. 

Expect to see the gym-toned Turner show a little skin, because in Act 3 his character Sherman McCoy is in prison and the other prisoners know he is the one responsible for the hit and run that has put the young African-American kid Henry Lamb in a coma even though his mistress Maria Ruskin was driving and is thus far taking the rap for it. The prisoners strip him of his clothes and then Sherman sings his aria "Masters of the Universe."

The world premiere will be on October 9 and 10 at the El Teatro at El Museo del Barrio in New York City. Tickets are available online.

Doug Williams & Jesse Blumberg in Early Music Gala

Doug Williams

Two of the most talented and arguably sexiest barihunks performing today will appear together at the Boston Early Music Festival's gala performance on Sunday, December 1st. Jesse Blumberg and Douglas Williams will be joined by members of the company's ensemble in selections from seven operas that have been featured in their Chamber Opera Series since 2008.

Led by three-time Grammy-nominated Artistic Co-Directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, the singers will perform excerpts from Handel’s Acis and Galatea, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Monterverdi’s Orfeo, Blow's Venus and Adonis, and Charpentier's Actéon, La descente d'Orphée aux enfers, and La Couronne de Fleurs.

Jesse Blumberg as Ulysses with Opera Omnia

The Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Opera Series has become a favorite of early music devotees with its fully staged operas focused on rarely heard masterpieces at Boston’s Jordan Hall. Other performers includee soprano Amanda Forsythe, tenor Aaron Sheehan, mezzo Thea Lobo, tenor Jason McStoots, mezzo Danielle Reutter-Harrah, tenor Zachary Wilder and soprano Teresa Wakim. 

Performances are at the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall and tickets are available at 617-661-1812,  online. or at the box office located at 30 Gainsborough Street in Boston.

Douglas Williams can next be heard with the Houston Symphony in Handel's Messiah under the baton of Nicolas McGegan. Performances run from December 19-22 and tickets are available online. 

Upcoming performances for Jesse Blumberg include a December 3rd recital at Cary Hall in New York City celebrating the release of the AMR album Winter Songs, featuring vocal music of Robert Paterson. On December 8th, he'll be perfroming Finzi's In terra pax and selections from Handel's Messiah at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey. On December 13 and 14, he returns to Bean Town for Handel's Messiah with the Boston Baroque at Jordan Hall.

Keith Miller: Mr. November

Time is running out to purchase your 2014 Barihunks Charity Calendar, so order it today by clicking the Lulu button below. All proceeds go to benefit young artists. There isn't a better way to get into the spirit of holiday giving than to help out the next generation of opera singers.

Keith Miller: Jockera Star

Keith Miller (photo Pavel Antonov)

We have to commend American barihunk Keith Miller's public relations machine, as they've gotten unlimited mileage on his "jock to opera" story. We've even posted it a few times and figured why not post the latest Associated Press story. After all, it's another excuse to look at his amazing body. 

Miller next appears at the Metropolitan Opera in Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera"alongside Dmitri Hvorostovsky, opening November 8th, followed by a global high-definition broadcast December 8th.

Keith Miller - Chest voice?

NEW YORK (Associated Press) — Keith Miller was a bruising fullback out of the University of Colorado who never quite made it to the National Football League. He has, however, become a star at the Metropolitan Opera.

How Miller made the unlikely transition from football to the pinnacle of opera is an all-American story of reinvention, made all the more amazing by the fact that he had no formal musical training when he set out to become a singer.

"This is the real thing, this is the juice," says the 38-year-old Miller. "Instead of a number, you're a character, but the spirit of competition is the same, and you do it for the love of the art versus the love of the game."

It began almost by chance in 1994, while still at Colorado, when he took his girlfriend to see a traveling production of the Broadway musical "The Phantom of the Opera." He was so enthralled that tears rolled down his face. He bought a CD and learned the songs.

[Continue reading HERE]

Why Being in Shape Matters for Singers

Donovan Singletary is a regular at the gym

We have a lot of people ask us if the focus on looking good physically is good for opera. That question almost presumes that it's a voice vs. physical appearance, when both are important to a long, successful career.

Here are our Top 10 reasons that an opera singers should stay in shape:

1. HEALTH - Good health will allow you to endure the stress and physicality of the business. Out of shape singers often have shortened careers and obesity can take years off of a singers life.
2. COMPETITIVENESS - Opera directors and companies are making increasing demands on singers. If two singers come in to audition with equal vocal gifts and one is fit and appears to have the endurance for a demanding role, who do you think is more likely to get cast?
3. HIGH DEFINITION BROADCASTS - More people will see opera on TV and in movie houses than will see live performances in the theater. Opera is competing with television and the movies for audiences. Are you ready for your closeup?

Andrew Garland bikes to improve his cardio

4. TRAVEL - Not only can travel take an increased toll on your body, but it can effect your voice. It's also easy to slip into the routine of vegging out in a hotel room and getting out of shape. A disciplined workout routine can help a singer overcome the challenges of life on the road.
5. ACTING - Being limber and fit enhances not just endurance but what you can do as an actor. It also creates stamina to sing as well at the end of Act 4 as in your opening aria.
6. UNDERSTUDIES - These guys are just waiting for you to cancel and score their own success. Singers like Renata Scotto and Leonie Rysanek shot to stardom after taking advantage of an indisposed singer.

Michael Mayes is so into his Spartacus workout, he'll use a rock when there are no barbells

7. BROADWAY - Many opera singers are now being cast on Broadway and in touring shows. Imagine singing eight shows in seven days (even with a microphone!).
8. MEMORY - Singers are asked to learn a lot of music and research has shown that fitness increases memory function. Don't take a chance that your prompter might have dozed off.
9. SLEEP  - A successful opera singer will travel a lot and change time zones regularly. Exercise promotes healthy sleep patterns. You'll be better rested, your mood will be enhanced and you'll perform better.
10. BARIHUNKS - You won't have to write us one of those emails that starts, "What do I have to do to get on Barihunks...? If you sound good and look good, we'll find you.

Keith Miller trains fellow opera singers

One opera singer has even developed his own training program for opera singers. Former football player Keith Miller offers Puissance training to keep singers in top shape. Check it out at http://www.puissancetraining.com.

Florida Grand Opera's "Opera's Sexiest Men"

The Florida Grand Opera has been having a great time on Facebook and Twitter with the recent Marie Claire feature about the sexiest men in opera. They've now created they're own meme of "Opera's Sexiest Men."

We certainly won't take issue with ANY of the barihunks on their list, which includes Seth Carico, Mariusz Kwiecien, Nathan Gunn, Randal Turner, Gabriel Bermudez, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Michael Mayes, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo and Keith Miller, all of whom have appeared on this site. They've even included some of our favorite tenors, like Jonathan Blalock, Alek Shrader Michael Fabiano and Eric Margiore.

Make sure to check out Florida Grand Opera's upcoming season, which includes Puccini's La boheme, Mozart's Magic Flute, Verdi's La traviata and Bellini's La sonnambula. Visit their website for additional information.

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

NY Phil's "Don Giovanni" Hottest Ticket Around

Keith Miller

Good luck trying to get a ticket for the New York Philharmonic's concert next weekend at the Park Avenue Armory. It's sold out and today's article in the New York Times is only going to increase the demand. The concert is entitled "Philharmonic 360 – Spatial Music from Mozart’s Don Giovanni to Stockhausen’s Gruppen."

Most of the buzz is around German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen's "Gruppen," which is played by three orchestras in a spatially separated configuration. However, we're excited about the scene from Don Giovanni, which includes three of the hottest barihunks around. Ryan McKinny will sing the title role with Keith Miller as Leporello and Kelly Markgraf as Masetto in the final scene of Act 1.

The concert will also include Boulez's "Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna" and Ives' "The Unanswered Question."

Kelly Markgraf

Ryan McKinny will be focusing on Wagner's Tristan und Isolde after wrapping up this project. He'll debut as Melot in Toronto and then debut Kurwenal in Houston. The Isolde in Houston will be the amazing Wagnerian soprano Nina Stemme. On April 26 and 28 of 2013, Kelly Markgraf will graduate to the title role in Don Giovanni at the Madison Opera. We couldn't find Keith Miller's up-to-date schedule, but you can follow him on Twitter @KeithMillerBass.

Latest Hot Photo of Buff Keith Miller

Keith Miller prepares for Florencia en el Amazonas (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

The story about barihunk Keith Miller going from football fullback to full-fledged opera star has been covered extensively in the press. However, when we saw the latest article in the Denver Post with this photo, we figured it was worth covering again. After all, some shirtless pictures of Miller that we posted remains one of our most popular features.

Miller is opening in Daniel Catan's Florencia en al Amazonas on March 27 with Opera Colorado. 

If you haven't read about Miller's career change, you can read the article HERE.

You can learn about Miller's Puissance Fitness training HERE. 

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

Wes Mason at Glimmerglass

Wes Mason: Morales at Glimmerglass

We recently ran a feature on former football player Keith Miller who is the Escamillo in the Glimmerglass production of Bizet's "Carmen." Fans of this site will be thrilled to know that Wes Mason, who was named one or our "Hottest Future Superstars of 2010" (along with Matt Worth), is portraying Morales. There are fifteen performances between tonight's opening and August 23. Click HERE for additional cast and performance information.


Mason is also performing Mac and is the cover for fellow barihunk Rod Gilfry in "Annie Get Your Gun," who is portraying Frank Butler opposite the Annie of Deborah Voight. Click HERE for additional cast and performance information.

Wes Mason in Before Night Falls (L) and hanging out (R)

Regular readers will remember that Mason became an overnight sensation at the Ft. Worth Opera Festival in 2010 when he took on the lead role in "Before Night Falls."

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

Erik Anstine Featured on Seattle Opera Blog

Barihunks in disguise: Anstine and Cutlip (Photo by Rozarii Lynch)

We recently introduced Erik Anstine to readers and we suspect that he has a big career ahead of him. He is currently one of the priests in the Seattle Opera's "Magic Flute," which includes the Papageno of barihunk Philip Cutlip and the Sarastro of barihunk and ex-football player Keith Miller. The second cast also includes British barihunk Leigh Melrose as Papageno, a singer who we blogged about last year and who should be better known on this side of The Pond. Cheers to the Seattle Opera for showcasing him to U.S. audiences. The always entertaining Seattle Opera blog has a profile of Anstine and tenor Eric Neuville, which you can read HERE.

Seattle Young Artist member Erik Anstine

Tickets remain for the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday performances. The costumes for this productions are by the internationally renowned fashion designer Zandra Rhodes and are not to be missed! You can click HERE for ticket and performance information.

Philip Cutlip (Top) and Keith Miller (Bottom)

Here is a sampling of Anstine singing Mozart's "Ha! Wie will ich triumphieren" from Die Entführung aus dem Serail.



Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

Subscribe to Barihunks by Email

Tweet

Chat Live with Keith Miller

Barihunks Dmitri Hvorostovsky & Keith Miller at The Met

Barihunk Keith Miller continues to be one of the leading opera singers in utilizing social media and the internet for promoting his career. The barihunk who regularly tweets and posts on Facebook, is now offering a live chat on Ustream.

Miller will be online HERE on Thursday, January 13 at 6:30 EST/3:30 PST.

Podcasters and Barihunks Michael Mayes and Michael Rice

Don't forget that you can follow other barihunks online. Michael Rice runs the informative and entertaining OperaNow! podcast and Michael Mayes has the always hysterical Texapolitan Opera podcast.

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

Barihunks Top 10 of 2010

We had some amazing highlights in 2010 and we want to share the “Top 10” with you. We are both amazed and pleased at the popularity of this site. Our network of fans and “scouts” across the globe has kept this site interesting and informative. Compiling this list was tougher than we imagined, but here it it:

HOTTEST BARIHUNK:

Reader's Top Pic: Gabriel Bermudez

This was a no-brainer. Pictures of Gabriel Bermudez in Poulenc’s “Les mamelles de Tiresias” drove traffic to the site in numbers that we had never seen and his post has remained the most popular each and every day since it debuted. We’ve learned that readers like to be titillated with a little skin and Bermudez delivered.


HOTTEST NEWCOMER:

Zach Altman: Readers can't get enough

We don’t want to say that we were surprised that a picture of  Zach Altman was incredibly popular, because he’s incredibly sexy. But we were taken aback at the staying power of the post, which continues to generate traffic to this day. We have to give and honorable mention to Jason Hardy, who appeared shirtless in New York City Opera’s Don Giovanni. We received an email from a soprano titled “Jason Hardy” and the body of the email read, “Who knew!!!”

HOTTEST U.S. DEBUT:

Belated U.S. sensation: Randal Turner

Somehow Europe managed to keep this American singer away from his native country. But in 2010 Randal Turner made his stage debut as a searingly hot Don Giovanni in Detroit and then followed it up with a recital in San Francisco highlighting American composers. He looked as hot singing Jake Heggie songs as he did singing Don Giovanni and chasing around the women of Spain, Italy, France…

HOTTEST BLOGGERS: 

Michael's on the Mike: Mayes & Rice

Blogging has become the realm of barihunks and Michael Rice’s OperaNow! and Michael Mayes’ “Texapolitan Opera” are the two hottest shows on the planet. And the two singers ain’t too bad either! An appearance by barihunk David Adam Moore on the Texapolitan Opera broadcast may have given us the best new term for 2011: The Full Okulitch. The term refers to a singer who appears in full frontal nudity on stage, which Daniel Okulitch did in the Los Angeles Opera’s “The Fly” a year before Gabriel Bermudez.

FOREVER HOT: 

Top Gunn

No one consistently gets fan mail and hits to the site like Nathan Gunn. He is popular across demographic groups, age groups and geographic borders. He is as sexy in his 40s as he was at the beginning of the career and the Wall Street Journal even wrote about his workout regime. Who else appeared in the New York Post because he made a woman faint?

HOTTEST MEDIA DARLING: 

Keith Miller: No wonder the media loves him

Former football player Keith Miller has captured the attention of the media with his exotic good looks and is poised to become the next Nathan Gunn. Runner up status has to go to Erwin Schrott and Paulo Szot, both of whom generate press anywhere that they go. Miller broke through the media clutter in 2010, which Szot and Schrott managed to do before 2010.

HOTTEST RECITALIST: 

Hot recitalist: Edwin Crossley-Mercer

Like Randal Turner, the European opera community has kept Edwin Crossley-Mercer to themselves. His recitals are worth an operatic pilgrimage. When we received emails about his recitals in English, French, German and Spanish, we knew that we had to check him out.

JUST PLAIN HOT: 

The Hot Pole: Mariusz Kwiecien in King Roger

This site was founded because two of us saw Mariusz Kwiecien in separate performances and were going to create a fan site. Instead we decided to seek out other hot baritones after reading about other barihunks on the  Parterre Box website. Of course, the Polish singer has the best nickname, as well: The Hot Pole.

HOTTEST GOOD GUY: 

The Newlyweds: Chris Herbert at his wedding with Aunt Martha Stewart

We love Chris Herbert because he’s smart, sexy, talented and gives back to the community. Herbert has devoted much of his time to "Sing for Hope," following in the path of mega-star Erwin Schrott, who regularly gives benefit concerts. He is currently on tour with New York Polyphony.

HOTTEST FUTURE SUPERSTAR:

Matt Worth: Talent you don't mind keeping an eye on

When we ask people in the opera world who is destined for stardom, the name of Matt Worth consistently comes up. We think that this hot young American will be the breakthrough star of 2011.

We should also mention Wes Mason, who had a breakthrough performance in "Before Night Falls" at the Ft. Worth Opera and proved that he has a place on the international opera stages of the world.

Have a great 2011 and keep in touch with us at Barihunks@gmail.com

Keith Miller Maximizing Social Media

Kieth Miller's website

Popular barihunk is a prime example of a singer using social media to promote his career. Like Mariusz Kwiecien, whose incredible new website we recently featured, Miller has a new site with schedules, photos, features and multimedia.

One can't help but imagine how different opera would be if Caruso, Callas or Bjoerling had access to social media. It also would have exposed opera singers who never became famous worldwide like Flabiano Labo and Magda Olivero to new audiences. Of course, this is what is happening today, as Keith Miller's 552 Facebook friends come from all over the planet, creating an instant global fan base.

The success of Miller and Kwiecien's website certainly makes one wonder why a singer like Teddy Tahu Rhodes has avoided social media, even on YouTube.

Miller not only can be followed on his website but you can follow him on Twitter where you can only get his thoughts on opera, but his feelings about college football, which he played at the University of Colorado.

Miller is also on Facebook where there are additional photos and some interaction with fans.

Of course our only disappointment with both the Kwiecien and Miller sites is that there is no link to Barihunks.

Barihunks Keith Miller & Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com

How to Scar a Barihunk

Check out this video of barihunk Keith Miller receiving a scar before a performance of Carmen.

By the way, it's his birthday today.

Send your Messiah listing to Barihunk@gmail.com

Former Buff Keith Miller's Buff Photos

Barihunk Keith Miller, who used to play football for the Colorado Buffaloes (aka Buffs), is starting to become a regular on the Metropolitan Opera's roster. To read about his road from the football field to the opera stage, read this NY Times article.

Hopefully, Miller will be cast in some barihunk roles, as he may have the hottest chest in opera.

*****************

YOU CAN CONTACT THIS SITE AT barihunks@gmail.com

Subscribe to Barihunks by Email

Watch Out City Opera, It's Hot Across The Plaza At The Met

The Metropolitan Opera is about to roll out the sexiest Carmen cast ever, regardless of what night you show up. For Hunkentenor fans Don José will rotate between the ruggedly handsome Brandon Jovanovich, Germany's greatest export Jonas Kaufmann and the recently divorced Roberto Alagna. But check out the low voices:

Escamillo will rotate between Mariusz "The Hot Pole" Kwiecien and "Teddy Bare" Tahu Rhodes. [Top photo of Teddy Tahu Rhodes; Bottom photo of Mariusz Kwiecien]



But the eagle eye in charge of casting at the Met cast barihunks in the smaller roles, as well.

Liam Bonner will be one of the two baritones singing Moralès. Make sure to read the wonderful Opera News feature on him.


But the Met even cast barihunks as Zuniga, rotating ex-jock Keith Miller and Los Angeles Opera's house hunk Richard Bernstein.



Just to make sure that the boys don't get ALL of the attention, one of the Carmen's is the stunningly beautiful Elina Garanca.

On an unrelated note:

Since Matthew Worth's agent doesn't seem to think it's important to post his schedule online, we found his next performance courtesy of a reader. He will be performing the "Glorious Sounds of Christmas" with the Philadelphia Orchestra on December 17, 18 & 19.

*****************

YOU CAN CONTACT THIS SITE AT barihunks@gmail.com

Subscribe to Barihunks by Email