Fort Worth Opera Welcomes “Hunks” To Production

Young cast makes up this season's productions

At the Fort Worth Opera, the old joke about the "fat lady singing" doesn't hold up.

"People never believe me, I say I'm an opera singer, they say what do you really do?" said Donovan Singletary, lead in the production of "Figaro."

For the oldest continually performing opera company in the state, the Fort Worth Opera has assembled one of the youngest casts to perform this season.

Donovan Singletary and Andrea Carroll star in "Figaro," the classic comedy of errors. They're hip, they're young and very talented.

Andrea's skill is in such demand, she's missing her college graduation for her performance here. And vocal muscles aren't the only muscles these performers have to keep in shape.

Donovan is featured on a blog called "Barihunks" that's dedicated to baritones and... well... hunks.

For the next generation of opera singers, that's almost as good as seeing their name in lights.

"Someone says, 'have you seen your photos on the Barihunks website?' I went to look and I thought, 'oh this is amazing,'" Singletary said.

It's all part of a transformation this cultural art is going through to appeal to both regular patrons and newcomers.

"There's this stigma attached that it's this high, unapproachable, intellectual, and I think more than not being interested in it, people feel they're below it," said Andrea Carroll, who plays "Suzanna" in "Figaro".

There's no fat lady here, in fact quite the opposite. Music, muscle and melodrama --- all make up another day at the opera.

For ticket information, visit the Fort Worth Opera website here.

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