Gregory Gerbrandt as Stanley with Opera Santa Barbara
Barihunk Gregory Gerbrandt will reprise his portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in André Previn's operatic version of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. The American baritone sang the role two years ago and Opera Santa Barbara and now takes it north to Opera Idaho.
The company is presenting a cast that would be the envy of most major opera houses, with 2014 Metropolitan Opera Audition winner Julie Adams as Blanche, Met Audition finalist Casey Candebat as Mitch, Micaëla Oeste as Stella and Alasdair Neale conducting. Tickets are available online for both the April 6th and 8th performances.
A Streetcar Named Desire was premiered at the San Francisco Opera in 1998 with Rod Gilfry as Stanley and its become one of the most popular contemporary American operas in the repertory. It has gone on to see performances in New Orleans, Kentucky, San Diego, Washington D.C., San Francisco (Merola Opera), Cleveland, Chicago, Santa Barbara, Honolulu and Virginia Opera. It had it European premiere in Strasbourg in 2001 and its U.K. premiere in 2003, with subsequent performances throughout Europe and in Tokyo.
Sexy Stanley's: Rod Gilfry, Ryan McKinny, Dan Kempson and David Adam Moore
Gerbrandt is part of a veritable Who's Who of barihunks who have taken on the role of Stanley Kowalski made famous by Marlon Brando in the movie. They include Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Dan Kempson, Wes Mason, Ryan McKinny, David Adam Moore and Philip Cutlip.
Gerbrandt is waiting long to sing the role again, as he'll perform the opera with the Opera Company of Middlebury in Vermont from June 1-9. He'll be joined by soprano Cree Carrico as Stella, who is rapidly being recognized as one of the most compelling actresses in opera. Tickets and additional cast information is available online.
Barihunk Edward Nelson looking sexy onstage and offstage
Barihunk Edward Nelson is heading up an all-star cast of singers for an Oktoberfest celebration at San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall on October 3rd. The American singer will be joined by the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and opera stars soprano Julie Adams, mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack and tenor David Blalock.
Bavarian-born associate conductor Christian Reif will lead the orchestra in its first ever Oktoberfest, complete with German food and beer, as well as a polka dance party. Nelson will perform “Fin ch'han dal vino” from Mozart's Don Giovanni and Ambroise Thomas' "Ô vin, dissipe la tristesse" from Hamlet, both of which have themes around drinking wine.
Other selections on the program include Lumbye's Champagne Gallop, Johann Strauss, Jr.'s Champagne Polka, Romberg's “Drinking Song" and "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" from Verdi's La traviata
Tickets and additional information is available online.
Barihunk Richard Rittelmann and rising soprano star Julie Adams are teaming up for a campaign fundraiser to "Stop Bullying in Schools" sponsored by the Golden Gate Opera. The concert will be at Servino Ristorante in Tiburon, which has spectacular view across the bay to San Francisco.
The duo will perform selections from Puccini's La bohème, Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Dvorak's Rusalka, Korngold's Die Todte Stadt, Wagner's Tannhauser, Bernstein's West Side
Story and others.
The Hungarian-French baritone recently presented Julie Adams with the Richard Rittelman Award at the James Toland Vocal Competition in Oakland, which provided the soprano with an all-expense paid trip to perform at the new cultural center “L’Espace du Theiy” in Provence, France. Adams, who was a Metropolitan Opera Auditions winner, also took away the top prize at the James Toland Competition.
You can donate to the Stop Bullying campaign or purchase tickets online.
Brian James Myer, Colin Ramsey and Matthew Hanscom
Opera San Jose's upcoming performance of Puccini's La boheme will feature the barihunk trio of Matthew Hanscom as Marcello, Colin Ramsey as Colline and Brian James Myer as Schaunard. There will be six performances from April 15-30, including three with budding soprano superstar Julie Adams as Mimi.
The opera will be updated the end of WWI, when Paris was delirious with
optimism for the new century and great artists like Nijinsky, Stravinsky, Picasso and
Coco Channel were creating a new way of life in the art's capital of the world.
The barihunk trio also appeared together in Opera San Jose's production of Kevin Puts' Silent Night, with Colin Ramsey as Father Palmer, Brian James Myer as Ponchel and Matthew Hanscom as Matthew Hanscom as Lt. Gordon.
The April 23rd performance will also feature a pre-performance brunch in the elegant courtyard of the California Theatre. Tickets for La boheme and the brunch are available online.
The 2016 Class of the Adler Fellows in San Francisco
The Adler Fellowship Program, which operates under the auspices of the San Francisco Opera, has turned out some of the greatest singers in the world, including Patricia Racette, Ruth Ann Swenson, Dolora Zajic, Deborah Voigt, Heidi Melton, Brian Asawa and Stuart Skelton. The program is a two-year fellowship that provides gifted singers to develop their craft with the best coaches in the world and to perform on the main stage of the San Francisco Opera.
It's also turned out a number of barihunks who have gone on to world-class careers, including John Relyea, Hadleigh Adams, Philippe Sly, Ryan Kuster, Efraín Solís, Mel Ulrich, Lucas Meachem, Joshua Bloom, Kenneth Kellogg, Austin Kness, Daniel Sumegi and Eugene Brancoveanu. The 2016 class featured some amazing low voices and some favorites of Barihunks readers, including baritone Edward Nelson, bass Anthony Reed, bass-baritone Brad Walker and bass-baritone Matthew Stump.
Julie Adams and Brad Walker in a selection from Carlisle Floyd's "Susannah":
On December 2nd, the latter four joined soprano Julie Adams, soprano Amina Edris, mezzo Zanda Švēde, soprano Toni Marie Palmertree, mezzo Nian Wang and tenor Pene Pete for the Adler Fellows annual showcase called "The Future is Now" at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. We thought that we'd share some of the highlights with readers.
Baritone Edward Nelson sings Billy Budd's "Look, through the port...":
This season at the San Francisco opera, Edward Nelson performed Prince Yamadori in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Dr. Malatesta in Donizetti's comedy Don Pasquale, Fléville in Giordano's Andrea Chenier and the Eunuch/Stone in the world premiere of Dream of the Red Chamber. The previous season, he created the role of John Buckley in Marco Tutino's Two Women with the company. His 2017 engagements include the Steward in Jonathan Dove's Flight with Opera Omaha, Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème at Cincinnati Opera and the title role in Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet with West Edge Opera.
Anthony Reed sings "Wie schön ist doch die Musik" from Die schweigsame Frau:
Bass Anthony Reed, who has appeared in our Barihunks charity calendar, is currently singing the King in the San Francisco Opera's production of Verdi's Aida. Other roles with the company include various roles in Hector Berlioz's epic Les Troyens, the Speaker in Mozart's The Magic Flute, Hans Schwartz in Wagner's Die Miestersinger von Nürnberg, Doctor Primus in Gordon Getty's Usher House, the Mayor in Janacek's Jenufa and Schmidt in Giordano's Andrea Chenier. You can check out his website HERE.
Brad Walker sings Hai già vinta la causa!":
Bass-baritone Brad Walker made his debut with the San Francisco Opera this summer as Zuniga in Bizet's Carmen. At the Yale Opera, he sang the title role in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Colline in Puccini's La bohème and Don Magnifico in Rossini's La Cenerentola. On December 16, he'll be giving a free concert at the Peace Lutheran Church in Lake Zurich, Illinois, performing opera, lieder, jazz and musical theater. You can check out his website HERE.
Matthew Stump sings "Die Frist ist um" from The Flying Dutchman:
Bass-baritone Matthew Stump made his San Francisco Opera debut as a Trojan Soldier in Hector Berlioz's Les Troyensin 2015. He has appeared with the company as Hans Folz in Wagner's Die Miestersinger von Nürnberg, the Monk in Verdi's Don Carlo and the Foreman in Janacek's Jenufa.
Time is running out to order your 2017 Barihunks in Bed calendar.
Bass-barihunk Brad Walker will return to the San Francisco Opera's successful SF Opera Lab pop-up on Halloween eve. The last pop-up was held at a mortuary turned night club and the latest will be hosted by legendary drag diva Heklina at the OASIS night club.
Walker will be joined by soprano Julie Adams and tenor Brenton Ryan, who he is appearing with at the San Francisco Opera in Janacek's Makropulos Case. Also performing will be mezzo-soprano Renée Rapier and pianist Jennifer Szeto.
Walker is a first-year San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow and graduate of the 2015 Merola Opera Program, where he appeared as Betto in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. He has been an apprentice with Des Moines Metro Opera, Chautauqua Opera Company and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and received an award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Attendees to the SF Opera Lab are encouraged to come in costume or visit the costume booth provided by the San Francisco Opera Costume Shop for a chance to win SF Opera Lab swag and tickets. The performance begins at 8pm (doors open at 7pm) and the party continues after the show with a live DJ. This event is 21+ only with valid photo ID.
Tickets are $25 advance at sfoperalab.com and you must be older than 21 years of age.
