--- In fansofnathangunn@yahoogroups.com,
sansoncarrasco1615 <no_reply@y...> wrote:
> Did anyone else out there see Nathan Gunn's Figaro in the
new San
> Francisco production of Barbiere? This is a very "busy"
production
> of Barbiere with lots of non-libretto props and stage business -
-
> Figaro, for instance, enters on a motorcycle and gives a
homeless
> person a total make-over during the "Largo al factotum"!
Nathan
> proved a very assured, charismatic Figaro, even though his
usual
> facial expressiveness was hampered by having to wear an
old-fashioned
> leather motorcycle helmet during much of Act I (the knee-
length
> leather motorcycle coat worked much better). He seemed to
be
> enjoying himself onstage and together with veteran Paul
Plishka made
> the opera what it should be, a duel of wits between Figaro and
> Bartolo. Vocally he sounded in good form with vivid Italian,
though
> the rapid-fire portion of the "Largo" didn't seem comfortable for
him
> and for some reason his voice didn't seem to fill the War
Memorial
> Opera House the way it does Chicago or the Met. Instead
there were
> places, especially in ensembles, where he was much less
audible than
> I expected, but I'm wondering if the sets, which didn't seem
designed
> to project sound outward, weren't to blame.
>
> In sum, this was not the most congenial role or production in
which
> I've seen Gunn (his superb Billy Budd still leaves everything
else in
> the dust, I think), but he had Figaro's engaging rogueishness
down
> pat and this Barbiere definitely made for an enjoyable evening
at the
> opera. I also got to speak with him after the performance,
which is
> always a pleasure -- he's so unassuming and approachable
that there's
> no intimidation factor, as there is with some singers.
>
> Gunn now moves on to perform his Guglielmo in Dallas
toward the end
> of November, will sing the Messiah in San Francisco for the
holidays,
> and in the spring is doing Pearl Fishers with Bill Burden in
both
> Philadelphia and Detroit. He will be bringing his Billy Budd to
San
> Francisco next fall and said backstage that SFO may also do
Pearl
> Fishers in their summer 2005 schedule.
>
> Christopher Weimer

Do you know when he'll be back in Chicago?