Interview with Lee Poulis

 

Lee Poulis & Sean Panikkar (photo: Rachel Parker)

Theater Jones, which covers the arts scene in North Texas, recently ran a feature on Lee Poulis, who is starring in the Fort Worth Opera Festival production of Bizet's Pearl Fishers directed by John de los Santos.

“The role of Zurga has a lot of singing and two of the highest notes I have ever sung on stage,” he says. “Usually, a high G is the top in baritone roles. Bizet writes an optional A flat and an A natural. I am singing them because they fit in my voice and they are not in highly dramatic moments, where you would be tempted to oversing. I love this role.”

You can read the entire article HERE. 

There are two performances remaining on April 27 and May 2. Click HERE for tickets or additional information.

Barihunk Feast in Fort Worth: Pearl Fishers and Silent Night

Photos by Rachel Parker

The Fort Worth Opera Festival, one of our favorite stops on the opera circuit, kicked off the season with a stunning production of Bizet's Pearl Fishers featuring barihunks Lee Poulis as Zurga and Justin Hopkins as Nourabad. We should also mention that hunkentenor Sean Panikkar, of Forte fame, adds to the beefcake fest AND sings Nadir's beautiful aria "Je crois entendre encore."

Any opera directed by John de los Santos promises to be entertaining and an oft-static work like Pearl Fishers needs the touch of someone who can direct AND choreograph. De los Santos' non-stop action in the Mikado at the Festival in 2011 had audiences rolling in the aisles. We've heard that his dance scenes are magnificent. Throw in a shirtless Lee Poulis with his pants hanging low on his torso and you have an operatic feast for the eyes and the ears.

Justin Hopkins and the dancers from Fort Worth Opera's Pearl Fishers

The opera is the story of two men who fight over the same woman, make up and then fight over her again when she reappears. In between there is one of the most famous duets in all of opera and a beautiful aria for the girl Leïla. One of the men gives up his life to save Leïla and his friend. This was reality TV before reality TV.

There are additional performances on April 27 and May 2 and tickets are available online.

Dan Kempson, Lt. Gordon in Fort Worth's Silent Night

If two barihunks isn't enough for you, then you'll enjoy the next opera at the Fort Worth Opera Festival, which has four bariunks.  Kevin Puts' Silent Night will be performed on May 4 and 10 with barihunks Dan Kempson as Lt. Gordon, Aaron Sørensen as the French General, Craig Irvin as Lt. Horstmayer and Morgan Smith as Lt. Audebert.

Aaron Sørensen, the French General in Silent Night: "Il est mignon!"

The opera is based on the screenplay Joyeux Noël by Christian Carion and recounts a miraculous moment of peace during one of the bloodiest wars in human history. On WWI’s western front, Scottish, French and German officers defy their superiors and negotiate a Christmas Eve truce. Enemies become brothers as they share Christmas and bury their dead.
 
You can listen to the entire opera online at composer Kevin Puts' website. 

Justin Hopkins makes role debut as Leporello

Justin Hopkins in Leporello and Opera in the Height's Don Giovanni artwork

Barihunks calendar model and rising star in the bass-baritone repertory Justin Hopkins just made his role debut as Leporello with Houston's Opera in the Heights. Although the role was originally double-cast, Hopkins is slated to sing all seven performances. The production has been moved to the mid-20th century with artwork from surreal artist René Magritte covering the sets. 

This is certainly not Hopkins first foray into Mozart, as he's performed Bartolo and Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Verbier Festival, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with the Santa Fe Concert Association and Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte with Pensacola Opera.

Music critic D.L. Groover in the Houston Post called his Leporello the "standout performance."

Remaining performances are on February 7, 8 and 9 and tickets are available online.

Lee Poulis, John de los Santos and Sean Pannikar

Hopkins is returning to the Fort Worth Opera Festival to perform Nourabad in Bizet's The Pearl Fishers in a production directed by the amazing young director John de los Santos. Barihunk Lee Poulis will sing Zurga and hunkentenor Sean Panikkar takes on Nadir, so this production promises lots of eye candy. Performances are on April 19, 27 and May 2 and tickets are available online. 

If you haven't experienced the amazing opera that happening in Fort Worth, you should make travel plans now. They are also featuring Kevin Puts' Silent Night, Mozart's Così fan tutte and Daniel Crozier and Peter M. Krask's With Blood, With Ink.

Barihunk Craig Verm's Rock Hard Pecs Coming to Steel City

Craig Verm (left), Hotter than the ad model?

American barihunk Craig Verm is returning to the Pittsburgh Opera as Zurga in Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers." The role of Zurga made Nathan Gunn's pecs famous and helped launch the term "barihunk" into general usage. We have a feeling that Verm's Zurga is going to make him a household name. How often is the singer in a role as hot or hotter than the model used by the marketing department?

Internationally-renowned fashion designer Zandra Rhodes who wowed audiences in San Francisco with her Aida has been brought on to design the costumes for one of opera's most exotic spectacles.

Verm returns to the Pittsburgh Opera after a successful run in Ricky Ian Gordon's "The Grapes of Wrath" in 2008. Verm will be joined by tenor sensation Sean Panikkar in the famous duet “Au fond du temple saint.”

Craig Verm

Performances run from November 12-20 and tickets are available on the Pittsburgh Opera website. 

Here is the now legendary performance of the duet from The Pearl Fishers with Nathan Gunn and William Burden:



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