Shirtless Samuel Dundas Heats Up Cosi with Oz Opera

Samuel Dundas in Opera Australia's 'Cosi Fan Tutte' (©Branco Gaica)

Australian barihunk is singing Guglielmo in Opera Australia's visually stunning run of Mozart's Così fan tutte. Dundas who has played Masetto opposite the famously shirtless and ripped "Teddy Bare" a.k.a. Teddy Tahu Rhodes, appears to be the next generation of sexy barihunk from Down Under.

Dundas has been performing throughout Australia and New Zealand since 2005.  Since 2010, he has been a member of the Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist program at Opera Australia.  In 2010 his roles included Doctor/Inquisitor/Judge/Stanislaus in Candide, the appropriately named character Handsome in La Fanciulla del West, Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Ceprano in Rigoletto.  In 2011 his roles include Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, Pish Tush in The Mikado, Cascada in Merry Widow and Masetto in Don Giovanni. 

Samuel Dundas in Opera Australia's 'Cosi Fan Tutte' (©Branco Gaica)

Other recent engagements have included Papageno The Magic Flute for Victorian Opera, the bass solos in Brahms Requiem with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus and his debut with Sydney Sinfonia in a Discovery series concert at the City Recital Hall in Sydney.

Dundas's 2012 roles include Fiorello in The Barber of Seville and Yamadori in Madama Butterfly for Opera Australia and the Title role in Opera Australia's tour of Don Giovanni. 

Watch a trailer of the production:

Performances of Così fan tutte are running through March 26. Get additional performance information or ticket on the Opera Australia website. In July 2012, Dundas will be reprising another Mozart role when he performs Don Giovanni in Michael Gow’s new production for Opera Australia.

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Dead Man Walking Closes in Tulsa, Opens in Dresden

Michael Mayes (L) & John Packard (R) as Joseph de Rocher

Michael Mayes created quite a stir when we posted pictures of him on Barihunks as Joseph de Rocher in the Tulsa Opera production of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking. We followed it up with a post about his dramatic weight loss and workout routine that got him his "prison gym" body, which also generated intense interest. Mayes received rave reviews for his intense performance and became the talk of the opera world overnight even though he was performing in a city that is hardly considered an opera capital of the world. Such is the power of the internet.

Philip Cutlip (top) and Daniel Okulitch (bottom)

Heggie's opera has quickly become a mainstay of the operatic standard repertory, something that rarely happens this soon after a work's debut. The opera premiered at the San Francisco Opera in 2000 with an all-star cast led by John Packard as Joseph de Rocher, Frederick von Stade an his mother, Susan Graham as Sister Helen Prejean and Jay Hunter Morris as Father Grenville.

Mel Ulrich (L) & Teddy Tahu Rhodes (R)

Some of the hottest barihunks in the world have taken on the role of Joseph de Rocher including Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Mel Ulrich, Daniel Okulitch, Jordan Shanahan, Marcus DeLoach and Philip Cutlip.

Here is a promo piece from the Dresden Opera in German:

Dead Man Walking - Semperoper Dresden from Theater-TV on Vimeo.

Just over 5,000 miles from Tulsa, as the curtain comes down on the final performance of Dead Man Walking, another production is running at the Semperoper in Dresden with John Packard returning as the convicted killer. Remaining performance are on March 4, 9, 18 and 23 with Antigone Papoulkas as Sister Helen Prejean. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online. 

In related casting news about barihunks who played Joseph de Rocher, read our recent post about Daniel Okulitch, who is reprising Willy Wonka in Atlanta, a role that he created. Philip Cutlip opens two weeks from today as Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte at New York City Opera in a cast that includes fellow barihunk Rod Gilfry. Michael Mayes heads to the Ft. Worth Opera Festival to perform in Mark Adamo's Lysistrata, Jordan Shanahan will be performing in La boheme with the Green Mountain Cultural Festival, Marcus DeLoach will be performing in Of Mice and Men with the Utah Opera and Teddy Tahu Rhodes will be taking his famous Don Giovanni to Bordeaux opposite the Leporello of fellow barihunk Kostas Smoriginas

And we leave you with Jordan Shanahan:

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Teddy Tahu Rhodes' Tattoo Becomes a Popular Search

A tattooed Teddy Tahu Rhodes in Così fan tutte

We recently noticed that we were getting a lot of hits for a 2008 post about Teddy Tahu Rhodes showing off his tattoo to female reporter. When we explored why there was a sudden interest in his tattoo, we realized that he's been heavily tattooed for the current production of Mozart's "Così fan tutte" at the Washington National Opera.

Teddy Tahu Rhodes' actual tattoo

The Jonathan Miller production runs through March 15th with a cast that also includes Elizabeth Futral, Renata Pokupic, Joel Prieto, William Shimell, and Christine Brandes. Visit the opera company's website to purchase tickets. The 6' 5" New Zealand barihunk received a nice mention from Tim Smith in the Baltimore Sun:

As Guglielmo, Teddy Tahu Rhodes towers over his colleagues physically and reveals a beefy sound to match his animated delivery.

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Teddy Bare to Make Chicago Debut: Craig Verm Heads Barihunk Casting in Windy City

Teddy Bare aka Teddy Tahu Rhodes

The Lyric Opera of Chicago has released its 2012-13 schedule and two of the sexiest men in all of opera have been cast. Teddy Tahu Rhodes will make his Lyric debut as Stanley in a semi-staged version Andre Previn's "Streetcar Named Desire." There will be four performances, which will be made available to subscribers first before being sold individually. Renee Fleming will sing the role of Blanche Dubois. There will also be a single students-only performance with an understudy cast.

Fans of Teddy Bare will have other opportunities to see him in 2012. In the United States, he will perform Guglielmo in Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte" at the Washington National Opera and will also return to the Metropolitan Opera. On the other side of the Equator, he will tackle his first Scarpia with the West Australian Opera and return in his signature role of Don Giovanni with both Opera Australia and Opera de Bordeaux.

Craig Verm as Aeneas

Craig Verm, who unquestionably has one of the nicest chests in opera, is one of the numerous barihunks cast next season. Verm, who has bared his torso as much as Teddy Bare, will be performing the unsexy role of Albert in Massenet's " Werther." However, with Verm playing Albert, we can certainly understand why Charlotte's mother wanted her to marry him and not the suicidal tenor.

For those who want to see Verm in some of his sexier fare, you'll have to travel to the Teatro Municipal de Santiago in Chile. He'll be performing in both Bizet's "Carmen" and the title role in Britten's "Billy Budd."

Ildebrando d'Arcangelo (L) & Bo Skovhus (R)

Although they've cast a good number of barihunks, none of them will be in roles that show off their non-vocal assets.  For those of you who like "more mature" barihunks, Lyric is rolling out some of the hotter over-40 singers around in some Verdi and Wagner.  

Craig Verm as Zurge and Sean Panikkar as Nadir in the famous Pearl Fishers duet:

Other barihunks appearing with Lyric next year include Bo Skovhus as Beckmesser in Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg," Thomas Hampson as the title character in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, Ildebrando d'Arcangelo in the title role of Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" and Lucas Meachem as Marcello in Puccini's "La boheme." Visit the Lyric website for tickets and additional performance information.

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Kwiecien & Pisaroni in rehearsal and on Met Feature; Teddy Tahu Rhodes on Barihunks

Mariusz Kwiecien backstage at the Met

Mariusz Kwiecien, Luca Pisaroni and Barbara Frittoli were featured on the Metropolitan Opera's recent HD broadcast of Don Giovanni in movie theaters across the globe. Here is the intermission feature with Renee Fleming talking to the singers. The video includes some great video from the final dress rehearsal.



Teddy Tahu Rhodes is on a concert tour of Australia with tenor David Hobson, which we've covered in a previous post. The Gay News Network recently caught up with the singer and asked him about Barihunks. Here's what he had to say.

Whereas Hobson has a more wholesome public image, Rhodes is often painted in the media as the bona fide rock star of the opera. He’s never been afraid of whipping his shirt off at a moment’s notice, which has earned him a certain kind of internet idolatry as well coverage in sundry dubious blogs like ‘Barihunks’, dedicated to the noble pursuit of documenting ‘the sexiest baritone hunks for opera’.


“I know! People bring it up all the time!” Rhodes sighs. “I swear I have never looked at it, but believe me, I know about that site. [Editor comment: Gotta love the Gay News Network calling us a "dubious blog"]

We're not sure we believe that Rhodes has never seen the site. We saw another interview with a singer from Down Under who was featured on the site who also said that he'd never looked at Barihunks. That, of course, begged the question of who was sending us all those emails with his name and photos attached.

Don't forget to order your 2012 Barihunks calendar. Click HERE to order. All proceeds go to support young artists.

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Teddy Tahu Rhodes Sings The "Champagne Aria"

"Teddy Bare" burning up the stage in Sydney

We've had a number of emails asking for more pictures or video of Teddy Tahu Rhodes' performance of Don Giovanni. We're tired of running the same old leather outfit photo, but we now have this great video of him singing "Fin ch' han dal vino" from the current run.

Performances at the Sydney Opera House run until November 5th and then the show moves to the Arts Centre in Melbourne from December 2-December 17. Visit the Opera Australia website for additional information.

Don Giovanni: The Champagne Aria ('') sung by Teddy Tahu Rhodes 



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Share the stage with Teddy Tahu Rhodes

 

Limelight magazine and AMcK Fine Entertainment are inviting one lucky singer to perform with tenor David Hobson and barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes during their Encore concert at the Sydney Opera House on November 4, 2011. 

If you live in Australia and want to be considered, upload a short video (no more than one minute in length) of yourself singing a short a piece of light opera, musical theatre or folksong. It can be a cappella or with accompaniment. The two singers will personally select their guest from the entrants. 

• Entrants should briefly state their full name, location and age before singing. 
• Please note videos must not be longer than one minute in duration and must show the singer performing. Audio recordings alone will not be accepted, and any videos deemed to be dubbed, lip-synced or sung over an existing vocal performance will not be eligible. 
• Submit to Limelight using the online entry form or as a YouTube link sent to editors(at)limelightmagazine.com.au with "David & Teddy" in the subject line. 
• You must be over 18 and submit by midnight Friday October 21, 2011.

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Teddy Tahu Rhodes Redux & More Barihunk Mozart

Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Don Giovanni

It's not often that we feature a singer two days in a row, but (A) it's a slow news day, and (B) why would we pass up an opportunity to post more pictures and a video of Teddy Tahu Rhodes?

Teddy Tahu Rhodes' return as the title character in Don Giovanni is big news in Australia, where his career was launched as the Don and Joseph de Rocher in "Dead Man Walking."



If you love Mozart then Opera Australia should be your destination in 2012. They are also performing the Magic Flute, Marriage of Figaro and Cosi fan tutte. All of the opera include barihunks, including Joshua Bloom, Luke Gabbedy and Sam Dundas.

Luke Gabbedy (L), Sam Dundas (C) & Joshua Bloom (R)

Visit the Opera Australia website for additional cast and performance information.

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"Teddy Bare" Returns as Don Giovanni

Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Don Giovanni

New Zealand barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes has been singing the title role in Don Giovanni for  twelve years. He recently sat down for a video interview that was featured on the online version of the Sydney Morning Herald, which you can watch HERE. He discussed how his interpretation of the role has changed among other topics.

The print article is a good read as well. Our favorite paragraph is this:

His impressive physique hasn't gone unnoticed, either by directors, who delight in undressing Tahu Rhodes for the stage, or critics - The Dallas Morning News wrote of his performance in The End of the Affair: ''Connoisseurs of the male derriere will sit up and take notice when the curtain rises.''

Performances at the Sydney Opera House will run from September 24-November 5 and he will alternate the role with fellow barihunk Jose Carbo. Click HERE for additional cast and ticket information.

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"South Pacific" Heads to the South Pacific

Teddy Tahu Rhodes to perform Emile de Becque

The Bartlett Sher-directed production of Broadway's "South Pacific," which won seven Tony Awards in 2008 and played to sold-out housed for two years is heading to the South Pacific. The successful show, which catapulted barihunk Paulo Szot to international prominence, will feature New Zealand barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Emile de Becque in the "down under" run.

The production will open in Sydney for a four week run on August 11, 2012 and then head on a nationwide tour of Australia.

Paulo Szot sings the classic "Some Enchanted Evening":

Also, don't forget that for the next two weeks we'll be taking submissions for our first-ever charity Barihunks calendar. Send High Res photos and bio to Barihunks@gmail.com.

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Teddy Tahu Rhodes Talks About "The Ship Song Project"

The Ship Song Project - Teddy Tahu Rhodes

We thought it made sense to follow up the oft-shirtless Daniel Okulitch with the oft-shirtless Teddy Tahu Rhodes. The New Zealand bass was recently part of "The Ship Song Project," which reinterpreted Nick Cave's iconic song. The project included a number of well-known artists from different musical worlds, including Neil Finn, Kev Carmody The Australian Ballet, Sarah Blasko, Martha Wainwright, Katie Noonan, the Sydney Symphony, Temper Trap, Daniel Johns, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, John Bell, Angus and Julia Stone, Paul Kelly and the Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Here is a video of Teddy Tahu Rhodes discussing the project followed by the video.





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Peter Grimes Premiered June 7, 1945

Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Ned Keene at The Met

Benjamin Britten's "Peter Grimes" is certainly not a "barihunk opera" like "Billy Budd" or "Rape of Lucretia," but it is one opera's greatest pieces of theater. The opera premiered on June 7, 1945 and was the first opera to be performed at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre near the end of the Second World War.

Britten’s first full length, and possibly best known, opera originated in part from the composer’s reading of the article ‘George Crabbe: the Poet and the Man’ by E.M. Forster, which appeared in The Listener in May 1941. It was through Forster that Britten developed an interest in the work of Crabbe, a fellow East Anglian, a curate as well as a writer born in the Suffolk town of Aldeburgh on the east coast of England in 1754. Peter Pears purchased a volume of Crabbe’s poetry shortly after Britten read Forster’s article and, as he was later to inscribe in the flyleaf of the book, it was from his and Britten’s reading of the long poem ‘The Borough’ that “we started work on the plans for making an opera out of Peter Grimes”.

Britten and Pears were at the time resident in the United States and had of course come into contact with a number of American musicians and music lovers. They met Serge Koussevitzky, the Russian born American conductor who became a champion of the young composer’s work. The Koussevitzky Music Foundation was set up to support the encouragement of new music and it was through this that Britten was awarded a $1,000 commission to write an opera. Britten realised his debt of gratitude to the conductor and the opera is dedicated to the memory of Koussevitsky’s wife Natalie. It was Koussevitsky’s request that Britten’s manuscript of the full score of Peter Grimes remain in America and it can seen at the Library of Congress in Washington DC.

Philip Langridge: "Old Joe has gone fishing":

In 1942 Britten and Pears returned to England, but it was not until January 1944 that work was begun on the opera. Composition took place while Britten was living in the converted Mill in Snape, five miles from Aldeburgh. The scenario was selected from one section of George Crabbe’s poem about the lives of people on the Suffolk coast. For Crabbe, Peter Grimes was a sadistic figure whose rough ways earn little sympathy from the reader. The character is, however, depicted somewhat differently in Britten’s opera. The story was adapted by Montagu Slater, with the assistance of Britten, Pears, Ronald Duncan and Eric Crozier. The Grimes of Britten’s opera, although isolated and at times violent, is more to be pitied than despised. In the words of Peter Pears he is ‘neither a hero, nor a villain’.

 [Material adapted from Britten-Pears Foundation]

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Teddy Tahu Rhodes Talks About His New CD (with vocal highlights)

We haven't featured one of our most popular singers in awhile, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, so we thought the release of his new CD would be a great excuse. Here are two features, one is an audio interview with Brooke Green from ABC Classic FM. Click HERE to listen. 

Teddy Bare

The other is a video about the the CD, "Serious Songs." The recording features Johannes Brahms' "Serious Songs" with an updated orchestration by Detlev Glanert, Schubert's "Erlkonig," excerpts from the Brahms Requiem, Samuel Barber's "Dover Beach" and four Schubert songs. 

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