Powers, leading bass-baritone of the Metropolitan Opera, transforms with costumes and props into some of opera’s most notorious villains, performing arias from Faust, Don Giovanni and others; followed by American Song Book favorites such as I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and The Impossible Dream.

Since making his New York City Opera debut in 1972, Chicagoan William Powers has performed over 100 operatic roles with the major opera companies in the United States, Europe, and South America. While the stylistic range of his portrayals spans the gamut from Renaissance (Monteverdi’s ORFEO for San Francisco) to Contemporary (Pasatieri’s SEAGULL for Washington DC), William Powers has earned a reputation as a “heavy” – due in large part to the dark, penetrating color of his voice – thus the portrayal of rogues and villains has dominated his career.

Does William Powers feel bad about the label of “evil” that has been hung upon him? Not at all! As a matter of fact, he delights in it! It is not often that a person can act “as bad as he wants to be” and get away with it!