For His Abs, Not His Arias

The term “opera buff” has taken on a new meaning, thanks to California’s home-grown opera star, Rodney Gilfry. The baritone is buff. Good looking, too.

“I have to be in really good shape for some roles, so I work out six days a week. Sounds pretty fanatical, doesn’t it? It’s not, but it is very goal-oriented,” Gilfry, 38, explained over dinner at Otto’s Restaurant at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Riolobo in the L.A. Opera’s “Florencia en el Amazonas” is one of those roles. Go see for yourself. Six-feet, 3-inches tall, 200 pounds, shirtless--and he even flies. There are two more performances of Daniel Catan’s opera, Wednesday and Saturday.

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Question: It’s still hard for me to accept this business about being buff being part of the opera world.

Answer: You know why I think it’s changed? Because opera has to compete as a form of entertainment. Performers who can not just act and sing, but they also look the part. It brings it up one notch.

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Q: Your workout has nothing to do with your singing?

A: You know, singers don’t have to be in great shape to sing. It’s really not that athletic, believe me. I don’t like to have to make any excuses about my performance. I want to look the part. Also, I like feeling strong. I like to be able to pick up my kids and do hard work in the yard, like dig a ditch.

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Q: What exercises help you look the part?

A: I start on a Monday at the gym, where I do weights for chest and triceps, and then on Tuesday I’ll do back and biceps. Also I ride my bike five miles to the gym. Then Wednesday I either run or ride my mountain bike up in the foothills of the San Bernardino mountains. Thursday and Friday I’m at the gym again, and Saturday I’ll go for a bike ride or a run. Then Sunday’s off.

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Q: Are there any exercises that you avoid?

A: No, not really. The one great danger of lifting weights and being an opera singer is having to do all the exercises without making any noise, without grunting, because that puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the vocal cords. If I ever found that my workouts were changing the quality of my voice, I would stop.

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Q: Anything else that you have to watch out for?

A: Every other week I’ll do leg exercises--extensions, squats and half-squats. That is extremely intense. I can’t do that on the day of a performance because I’m dead the rest of the day. Even the next day I still feel wiped out.

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Q: Do you diet?

A: Well, I have a typical see-food diet. See food and eat it.

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Q: I can’t believe you said that.

A: But when I’m working out intensely, when I’m really getting serious, I eat a lot of extra protein--supplements and lean meat. Breakfast for the last few weeks has been a bowl of oatmeal with protein powder and a cup of coffee. Then when I come back from my workout, I’ll make myself a protein shake, with skim milk, protein powder, a banana and orange juice blended up. Mind you, this is only when I’m getting ready for a role.

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Q: And when you’re not getting ready for a role?

A: I’ll have sandwiches with lots of mayonnaise and I could eat pizza every day, but not when I’m trying to get into shape for these roles. I can tell you, my two great vices are In-N-Out burgers and doughnuts. You know In-N-Out burgers? I can hardly drive by them. You like In-N-Out burgers?

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Q: You want to know something? I’ve never been.

A: Oh, man, they are heaven. You’ve never had an In-N-Out burger?

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Q: No. Really, I haven’t.

A: When we have visitors from Europe, I say, “I’m going to take you to the best American hamburger,” and that’s where I take them.

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Guest Workout runs Mondays in Health.