Operatic dreamboat Nathan Gunn will be starring as Clyde Griffiths in the December 2 premiere of Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy at the Metropolitan Opera House. Its libretto based on Theodore Dreiser’s classic novel, An American Tragedy relates the tale of Clyde, involved with Sondra and Roberta, but truly enamored of Sondra. Roberta becomes pregnant; Clyde plots her murder and is eventually sent to the electric chair for her death.

Baritone Nathan Gunn set tongues to wagging when he appeared as the protagonist of Benjamin Britten’s opera Billy Budd. Based on Herman Melville’s novella, the story has homosexual undertones stronger than Kona coffee. Gunn played most of the role shirtless, his chiseled pecs detracting not one iota from his magnificent vocal performance. If you can scare up a DVD of him in the role, you will be well rewarded.

Tobias Picker is one of the nation’s foremost composers; discreet about his sexuality, his sexuality nonetheless is. So if we’re asking anybody to come out, we’re asking you to come out and support this new work, An American Tragedy. For those unable to make the Met Opera debut, the Saturday matinee will be broadcast live on December 24.