Hot as Hell in Minnesota

[Pictures courtesy of Minnesota Opera; Center photo includes Lucas Meachem]

As I write this, it's 37°F in Minnesota. Nonetheless, it's hot as hell at the Minnesota Opera as barihunk Kyle Ketelsen burns up yet another stage. Ketelsen already has the opera world abuzz with his portrayal of Leporello at the Gran Teatro del Liceo with barihunks Simon Keenlyside and Gunther Groissboeck (check out the video on this site]. Ketelsen joins two other barihunks in this production, as well, joining Lucas Meachem and John David Boehr.

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Randal Turner Feeling Blue

I'm always shocked at what some directors will do to an opera. This performance of Rossini's Mose in Egitto is no exception. If one were tasked with rubbing down Randal Turner, it wouldn't be with blue body paint! Of course, the ever-popular barihunk still looks incredibly sexy. Tenor Pablo Cameselle, who is actually quite cute looks like Alberto Gonzalez on Halloween in this production(check him out at http://www.pablocameselle.com/ singing an almost campy "O mes amis").

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Barihunks Mentioned On "Sign On San Diego" with Greer Grimsley

[Photo of Greer Grimsley as Orestes from www.greergrimsley.com]

Wow, Greer Grimsley's speaking voice is as sexy as his singing voice and as dominating as his stage presence! Here he is being interviewed by Keli Dailey on the Sign On San Diego blog, which is part of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Keli asks him about Facebook and Barihunks.

For her complete post, click here:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/entertainment/street/2009/01/greer_grimsley_operas_hunk_sin.html

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A few more Ercole shots

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Hunky Hercules

[Photos courtesy of Ruth Walz, Netherlands Opera]

There is something about the story of Ercole (Hercules) that just seems like it was made for Barihunks. Unfortunately, Vivaldi's version, Ercole su'l Termodonte, was written for a tenor. The performances from Italy are already legendary because of hunkentenor Zachary Stains protracted periods of full-frontal nudity. (It's on video). We have no objection to hunky Zachary, but there are just so many more barihunks who could do this role justice!

Now the Netherlands Opera has produced Cavalli's version, Ercole amante, and it looks like a riot. It may be the one production that I regret missing this year and I hope that Cavalli's version joins the Vivaldi version on DVD. Don't miss the teaser video that I posted, as it is quite entertaining.

Barihunk Luca Pisaroni plays Hercules to its campiest extreme. The review from Opera Today, described the performance brilliantly:

I had never personally imagined mythical Hercules as a WWF Wrestler-cum-Caveman but damn if Dutch National Opera's staging of Francesco Cavalli's Ercole Amante didn't almost persuade me it could be so.

For shortly into their thoroughly entertaining mounting of this 17th Century rarity, our leading bass-baritone morphed from a Louis Quatorze persona into a quasi-cartoonish hero by strapping on muscled legs, arms and torso (think: comic Ninja Warrior padded outfits), stringy blond wig, and knee high black platform boots. Oh, yeah, and brandished a Flintstone style club.

Luca Pisaroni gave a consistently animated impersonation as Ercole (Hercules), narcissistically mugging, and grimacing orgasmically enough that he may have a future in porn should his skyrocketing international opera career stall. He clearly relished the goof on contemporary hero worship, and all the while sang most mellifluously and, when required, forcefully.

Maybe Jake Heggie and Terence McNally can team up for a modern version of Hercules. Then again, Heggie is working on an opera called "Moby Dick," which depending on the subject matter could be a lot more interesting. If it's not about the whale, Barihunks suggests casting Mariusz "The Hot Pole" Kwiecien. See our
"Guess the crotch" feature: http://barihunks.blogspot.com/2008/05/guess-crotch.html

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Tom Corbeil: Another Merola Hottie

[Top three photos of Tom Corbeil courtesy of Gotham Opera, with soprano Takesha Meshé Kizart; bottom photo courtesy of SF Opera]

The most common email that I get is someone pitching a barihunk. Nine out of ten times, it's a non-starter and usually someone who belongs on BariChunks, not BariHunks.

So imagine my joy in finding Tom Corbeil in my inbox. It didn't take long for me to realize that I'd already seen him as part of San Francisco Opera's young artist program, Merola. With apologies to La Cieca and her definition of a barihunk that appears at the bottom of this blog, the Merola program seems to be pumping out more barihunks than anyone and they can actually sing! Other Merolinis on this site include fan favorite Daniel Okulitch, Lee Poulis, Ben Wager, Eugene Brancoveanu and emerging superstar John Relyea.

Tom Corbeil was not only a standout at Merola, but he has also won awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council and Musical Merit Foundation. He also studied with the great Virginia Zeani.

His current gig is with the Gotham Chamber Opera in Joseph Haydn’s "L’isola disabitata (Desert Island)." Perhaps the title explains the lusciously revealing outfit (it can't always be Pearl Fishers). The performance is staged by Mark Morris and will run from February 18-28 at John Jay College in New York City. For more information, visit www.gothamchamberopera.org.

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Randal Turner is one HOT Escamillo

Check out Randal Turner, who is HOT just whipping off his cape.

I've also added an old photo of him from a production of Rossini's "Moise."

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