Drew Petrie had an eye opening experience during the week when he was joined in the Arden Street gym by bass baritones Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Jud Arthur.
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| Drew Petrie offers some football advice to Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Jud Arthur |
While the Kangaroos' vice-captain spends a huge amount of time fine-tuning for the rigours of AFL, both Rhodes and Arthur also frequent the gym to help them hit the high notes.
"I do gym work to keep the size on. It helps the visual on stage. Size looks more imposing and the singing requires a lot of force so it's good to keep fit," Rhodes told kangaroos.com.au.
Petrie said he was amazed by the imposing physique of the singers.
"If you walk past the guys in the street you'd think they played some sort of football code," Petrie said.
In fact he's not far off the mark. Arthur played state rugby and basketball in New Zealand and represented his country in show jumping before being struck down by injury. It was only after his second knee reconstruction he rediscovered his passion for singing.
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| Opera singers Jud Arthur (left) and Teddy Tahu Rhodes (middle) frequent the gym to help hit the high notes. |
Arthur is currently performing in Australia's Rigoletto as Monterone while Rhodes plays the lead role in The Marriage of Figaro.
"It's amazing the work they put in to their profession. It's certainly a switch that you can't just flick on and off to be able to belt out the tunes. They have to keep generally fit and keep their abdominal muscles strengthened so they can belt out those great tunes."
Special offer for North Melbourne supporters:
Opera Australia is currently offering North Melbourne supporters up to 50% off tickets to performances of The Marriage of Figaro at the Arts Centre, Melbourne on Thursday 9 December at 7.30pm. Don’t miss the chance to experience a night at the opera this spring with a very special discount . Bookings must be made through Opera Australia on 03 9685 3730. Please quote ‘FIGARO' to redeem this offer when making your booking.
* Terms & Conditions: Discount available on A, B & C reserve Adult tickets only. Limit of 4 per customer. Strictly limited offer, subject to availability. Not available in conjunction with any other offer or for past purchases. Not available on concessions. Offer expires 6 December 2010. Offer available only via Opera Australia by phone or in person.
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| Jud Arthur (left), Drew Petrie and Teddy Tahu Rhodes (right) |
