Introducing Thomas "Tommy" Kittle

Thomas Kittle Photo: by Jessica Christie

Our latest reader submission is our favorite kind, as it came from a fellow singer. Meet Denver native Thomas "Tommy" Kittle, who is currently singing the role of Curly in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver. There are two performances remaining on October 31st and November 2nd.

Kittle is currently a masters degree student at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. He won first place in the 2013 Denver Lyric Opera Guild’s annual vocal competition, as well as the Young Artist Encouragement award at the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. This summer he was part of the young artist program at Opera in the Ozarks.

He will be returning to the Newman Center in the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni from April 17 – 20, 2014. In the meantime, you can catch him performing Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Boulder Symphony Orchestra on December 7th and at a free recital at the Newman Center on February 1st. Visit their website for additional information.

Doug Carpenter wins Lotte Lenya Competition

Doug Carpenter from the 2012 Barihunks Calendar

Barihunk Doug Carpenter, who created quite a sensation in our 2012 calendar with his "cupcakes" photo, has won the prestigious 2013 Lotte Lenya Competition. He was the only baritone in the finals, so his victory is especially sweet to us. He walks away with $15,000 in prize money to further his career.

Contestants were required to prepare four selections: an aria from the opera or operetta repertoire; two songs from the American musical theater repertoire (one from the pre-1968 "Golden Age" and one from 1968 or later); and a theatrical selection by Kurt Weill.

Doug Carpenter sporting his Barihunk tee (and some impressive guns!)

Held annually by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music and celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, the Lotte Lenya Competition is an international theater singing contest that recognizes talented young singer-actors, ages 19-32, who are dramatically and musically convincing in a wide range of repertoire, and emphasizes the acting of songs and arias within a dramatic context.

Soprano Patricia Racette, British opera and musical theater conductor James Holmes, and Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization President and American Theater Wing Vice-Chairman Theodore S. Chapin served as judges.  

Doug Carpenter: Career is taking off

Next week, Carpenter will be doing a reading backed by Sony Music called Beautiful. He can next be seen at Pennsylvania Shakespeare doing Oklahoma from June 12-30, and then Life Could be a Dream at New York Musical Theater Festival.

Previous winners of the Lotte Lenya competition will be familiar to our readers, including barihunks Lucas Meachem, Liam Bonner and Jonathan Michie, as well as tenor Noah Stewart (who appeared in our year end feature as a tenor who we adore!).

David Adam Moore as Stanley Kowalski at Virginia Opera & Lyric Opera of Chicago

David Adam Moore as Stanley Kowalski (photo David Beloff)

American barihunk David Adam Moore looks like he'll be making a name for himself as Stanley Kowalski in André Previn’s opera A Streetcar Named Desire, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tennessee Williams. He opened in the role on February 16th with the Virginia Opera with performances running through March in Norfolk, Richmond and Fairfax. Click on the highlighted links for tickets.

He then takes the role to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for a performance on April 5th. The single performance is a special night for high school and college students, who can buy tickets for $20. The remaining performances will feature barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Stanley Kowalski.

David Adam Moore in Virginia Opera's A Streetcar Named Desire
(photo David Beloff)

After his performance in Streetcar in Chicago, Moore will remain in the Windy Cindy to portray Jud Fry in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! Performances run from May 4-19 and tickets are available online.

David Adam Moore to star in Oklahoma! in Chicago

One of David Adam Moore's pictures from the 2013 Barihunks Calendar

The Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced that 2013 Barihunks Calendar model will be starring as the farmhand Jud Fry in their upcoming performances of the musical Oklahoma! Last year, the company scored a huge success with another musical, Show Boat, starring barihunk Nathan Gunn.

The performances mark the 70th anniversary of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic that remains one of the greatest musicals ever written. Thirty-seven members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra will perform the original orchestration. The production will feature a 24-person singer-dancer ensemble (including 12 members of the Lyric Opera Chorus) plus three solo dancers. The cast also includes Broadway stars John Cudia as Curly and Ashley Brown as Laurey.

Oklahoma! premiered on Broadway in 1943 and was the first musical written by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It ran for 2,243 performances with many songs becoming American classics, including “Oh, What A Beautiful Morning,” “People Will Say We’re In Love,” and “Surrey With The Fringe On Top.” Based on Lynn Riggs‘ 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs, the story is set in the Oklahoma Territory of 1906 near Claremore and tells the story of two pairs of young lovers.

The production of Oklahoma!, which includes the original choreography by Agnes de Mille, will have sixteen performances (including seven matinees) between May 4-19 at the Civic Opera House. Lyric subscribers will receive a 10% discount through December 15. Visit the Lyric Opera of Chicago's website for additional information and tickets.

Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Stanley Kowalski

Moore will also be starring as Stanley Kowalski in the April 2013 performances of Lyric’s “Student Night at the Opera” performance of Andre Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire. The regular cast will feature fellow barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Stanley and Renee Fleming as Blanche.

Buy the calendar featuring David Adam Moore and 13 additional barihunks by clinking on the button below. All proceeds go to benefit young artists:

Opera Barihunks Taking on Musical Theater

Matt Worth as Curly

There is a sudden upsurge of barihunks crossing over from opera to musical theater. We recently featured Tom Corbeil, who has been a critical success in "The Addams Family" musical national tour an Teddy Tahu Rhodes, who is touring in South Pacific in Australia.

The Central City Opera has filled their roster with barihunks for their upcoming production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma." Matthew Worth will star as Curly, joined by Curt Olds as Will Parker and Paul LaRosa as Jud. Performances run from June 30th through August 3rd, with two performances in Denver on August 5th and 7th.

Hugh Jackman sings "Oh, what a beautiful mornin'" from Oklahoma:

The company will also be presenting Puccini's "La boheme" and Britten's "Turn of the Screw." The three bohemian baritones are the enviable trio of Troy Cook (who has appeared Full Monty on this site), Ryan Speedo Green and Chris Carr. Visit the Central City Opera website for additional performance and ticket information.

Gregory Gerbrandt

A month later and about 3,200 miles to the south, Gregory Gerbrandt will be taking on Riff in Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story" at the Teatro Nacional Sucre in Quito, Ecuador. Performances run from July 26-29.

Visit Gerbrandt's website to hear his recent recording of Gustav Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. 

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