Take a good look at this guy. Know him? He swims every day, pumps iron at the gym four times a week and plays a round of 18 holes on the weekend. And now, he’s bucking to become the oldest Otello on record at the age of 77.
Photo Courtesy of The Times
He’s a Wagner/Verdi specialist who hasn’t sung a starring role in over 25 years; however, New Zealand-born Jon Andrew has kept in tip-top shape, vocally and otherwise, and has agreed to tackle the role for a small opera company performing in Bournemouth this June. Should he make it through the night, it’ll be one for the record books: Andrew will become the oldest Otello ever to successfully tackle the part.
Our guess is this guy’s up to the demands: He’s known–not only for his muscular singing–but for accidentally breaking the thumb of a co-star during a staged fight scene in “Carmen.”
Thumb-breaking opera singers…Hmmm…I’d applaud with BOTH hands, if I were you.
Suzanne Calvin, Assoc. Dir. of Marketing, The Dallas Opera