By GARY DEMUTH

Salina Journal

Opera singing is not for wimps.

When tenor Patrick Greene first sang the lead role in Rossini's "Barber of Seville" in Germany, he went through five liters of water every performance.

"I still lost five pounds a show," said Greene, a Salina native. "It was like being in the Olympics."

Greene will recreate the role of Count Almaviva in "Barber of Seville" for the closing production of the Wichita Grand Opera's 2008-09 season.

He also will be featured in the season opening production of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operetta, "H.M.S. Pinafore," Nov. 1-2. Last season, Greene played the romantic lead in another popular Gilbert and Sullivan classic, "The Pirates of Penzance."

Greene, 46, is the son of Salinans Geraldine and Jim Greene. He has performed in many operatic productions throughout the world, including "La Boheme," "Candide," "Die Fledermaus" and "Barber of Seville." He also performed Mozart's "Requiem" at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Greene, who graduated from Friends University in Wichita with a music degree, said he enjoys working with the Wichita Grand Opera, which is housed at the Century II Concert Hall, 225 W. Douglas.

He has played a variety of parts for the company and served as choirmaster for the first three operas last season, leading the choruses and teaching individual parts.

This year offers Greene his biggest vocal challenges yet. Although "H.M.S. Pinafore" and "Barber of Seville" both are considered comic operas, they couldn't be more opposite in difficulty, he said.

"The music in 'H.M.S. Pinafore' is fun for me to sing," Greene said. "With 'Barber of Seville,' I'm taking a break for a month just to work on the music. It's very difficult -- it takes six to eight weeks to get in shape to sing it. By the end of the show, I'm ready for a nap."

At age 46, Greene said he's a better singer than he was 20 years ago, but he's beginning to slow down physically.

"Singing is easier for me now," he said. "Jumping around onstage takes a lot more work."

Last year's Wichita Grand Opera season featured renowned bass (and Colby native) Samuel Ramey in "Faust" and was the company's most successful season to date. This year, celebrating its seventh season, the company is offering seven productions ranging from Italian and English comedy to grand opera to flamenco dancing.

"This is our most ambitious season yet," said Parvan Bakardiev, general director of the Wichita Grand Opera. "We expect it to be a greater success than last year."

Season tickets range from $125 to $476. Single tickets are available for $85, $58 and $35.

The season begins with Gilbert and Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore" (Nov. 1-2, Mary Jane Teall Theatre at Century II), featuring Greene and directed by John Stephens, a bass with New York's Metropolitan Opera. Stephens also directed and starred in last year's Gilbert and Sullivan hit "The Pirates of Penzance."

Other shows in the season include:

n"Flamenco Espanol" (Nov. 16, Mary Jane Teall Theatre) features Spain's most acclaimed flamenco dancer, Jose Porcel.

nProkofiev's "Cinderella" (Jan. 20, 2009, Century II Concert Hall) is danced by the Russian National Ballet Theatre and featuring Marianna Chemalina, Russia's leading Prima Ballerina.

nVerdi's "Aida" (Feb. 4, 2009, Concert Hall) was turned into a hit Broadway pop musical by Elton John. This is Verdi's original grand opera of the forbidden love between Radames, commander of the Egyptian army, and Aida, a captured Ethiopian princess.

nBizet's "The Pearl Fishers" (Feb. 14-15, 2009, Mary Jane Teall Theatre) is a romance set on the exotic shores of Sri Lanka and features soprano Larisa Yudina of Russia's Mariinsky Opera.

nTchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" (March 22, 2009, Concert Hall) will be performed by the Moiseev Russian Classical Ballet, a company of more than 80 dancers.

nRossini's "Barber of Seville," (April 25-26, 2009, Mary Jane Teall Theatre) stars Greene and Italian bass Stefano de Peppo.

It has become a Wichita Grand Opera tradition to involve local actors and singers with established opera professionals in each production, Bakardiev said.

"We want to include younger local talent with the world's superstars," he said. "Variety is what we look for."

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