Philippe was raised on a frog farm near the Eiffel tower and the
Folies Bergeres. Since the age of 12 he has suffered from acute operitis, an obscure but very noisy condition which causes the patient to break into song at the most inopportune moments (you just think we're kidding). Ironically, it is not operable. There is no known cure, but the treatment consists in the liberal dispensation of earplugs. The disease worsened some time after Philippe's 17th birthday when the so-called singing became bellowing. Along with the common side effects of being inexplicably attracted to women wearing horned helmets and breast plates, and going through life making large gestures and big faces, he started developing a dark personality to match his baritone
condition. Physicians thinking outside the box did try a hyperbaritonic chamber, to no avail. Never getting the soprano didn't help either. Philippe is, understandably, strongly allergic to tenors. Recent local manifestations of this terrible ailment include impersonating a boneheaded miser in "Don Pasquale", an overly possessive and opportunistic guardian in "The barber of Seville", a murderous (and murdered, eventually) chief of police in "Tosca", a diplomat in "Madama Butterfly" and many more. His symptoms also plagued the non-operatic world with a solo recital of Schubert's Winterreise, and will return to strike in the upcoming concert of the Brahms Requiem early next year.
To the best of our knowledge this pathology is not contagious, but please do sign the disclaimer at the back of this program releasing OTG of any liability for induced operitis before you leave the theater. Thank you.