Updated Cosi's in Florence and Wiesbaden (and shirtless men!)

Omar Montanari, Juan Francisco Gatell and Simone Alberghini

Così fan tutte at Opera di Firenze

We introduced Italian barihunk Omar Montanari back in 2011. He specializes in comic roles, such as Dandini and Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola and Dulcamara in L'elisir d'amore, and is currently singing Don Alfonso in Mozart's Così fan tutte at the Opera di Firenze through October 27. The popular new production directed by Lorenzo Mariani was sold out on opening night. It updates the action and features lots of shirtless men, as you can see from the pictures above.

The cast also includes Anna Goryachova as Dorabella, Juan Francisco Gatell as Ferrando, barihunk Simone Alberghini as Guglielmo and Giulia Semenzato as Depsina.

Omar Montanari sings Strangers in the Night in Italian (Solo piu' che mai):

Upcoming peformances for Montanari include Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia in Rome and Venice, Taddeo in Rossini's L'italiana in Algieri and Dulcamara in Venice. 

Another new production, directed by Uwe Eric Laufenberg, will open in Wiesbaden on November 1st and feature American barihunk Christopher Bolduc as Guglielmo. The production is offering limited seating on a special rostrum at the back area of the stage,  allowing audiences to get close to the action with the beautiful theater as the backdrop.

Christopher Bolduc and Silvia Hauer (Dorabella) in Wiesbaden

The cast includes Heather Engebretson as Fiodiligi, Silvia Hauer as Dorabella, Ioan Hotea as Ferrando, Gloria Rehm as Despina and Wolf Matthias Friedrich as Don Alfonso.

This season in Wiesbaden, Bolduc can also be seen as Belcore in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore and Sharpless in Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

MAKE SURE TO ORDER YOUR 2016 BARIHUNKS CALENDAR BEFORE THE HOLIDAY RUSH; 18 OF THE WORLD'S HOTTEST SINGER FROM 9 COUNTRIES.

 

Vittorio Prato sporting Barihunk t-shirt on website

Vittorio Prato

We love that Vittorio Prato is proudly sporting his Barihunk t-shirt on his website's photo gallery. Few singers look better than the hunky Italian in or out of a t-shirt! Fans will be thrilled to know that he'll be back again this year in our annual charity calendar.

On September 2nd and 6th, he'll be appearing as Figaro in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia at Opera di Firenze. The cast includes Laura Verrecchia as Rosina, Alessio Verna as Don Basilio and Filippo Adami as Almaviva. You can listen to his Largo al factotum on his YouTube page. Tickets are available online. 

Vittorio Prato backstage and at the gym

In November, he heads to the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich to sing Dandini in Rossini's La Cenerentola, which will be directed by the great mezzo-soprano Brigitte Fassbaender. The cast includes Arthur Espiritu as Don Ramiro,  Jasmina Sakr as Clorinda,  Dorothea Spilger as Tisbe and  Diana Haller as Angelina.

In December, he returns to Italy where he'll sing Belcore in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna with Fabrizio Paesano singing Nemorino. Tickets are available online.