Festival Opera's production of Ariadne Auf Naxos with Robert Breault and Othalie Graham

Robert Breault and Othalie Graham in Ariadne auf Naxos

Robert Breault returns to the Bay Area with the Festival Opera Company in Walnut Creek, CA in a new production of Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss.  This will be his debut performance in the role of Bacchus. July 10 and 12, 2015.

This entry marks my first blog post ever!!  My wife Julia is here and we’re in production week for Festival Opera’s exciting production of Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos”.   This will my first time singing the role of Bacchus.

I remember hearing “Ariadne” for the first time when I sang Scaramuccio and the wig-maker as an apprentice with Michigan Opera Theatre when I was first getting started.   I fell in love with the piece then and couldn’t imagine that I’d ever get the chance to sing Bacchus. It’s a dream to be performing it for the first time with Othalie Graham as Ariadne. I did my first Cavaradossi, with her as Tosca, here at Festival Opera. It’s always a wonderful feeling to sing with a dear friend and colleague and since this is her first time singing Ariadne, it’s going to be very exciting. In the pit, our conductor is the wonderful Michael Morgan.

Julia and I have had so many amazing experiences in the Bay Area. We spent two summers here when I sang with the San Francisco Opera Merola Program.  San Francisco also anchored the Western Opera Tour, and, on one of those tours, Julia and I got to travel all over this beautiful country together. She was working on the costumes and I was singing the small roles and chorus. We met so many wonderful people, some of whom are still great friends. We’ve been to San Francisco for two Schwabacher “debut” recitals. (I got to do TWO debuts!!). We dearly miss Mr. Schwabacher, his friendship and guidance meant the world to me. It’s still strange to be here in fact without being able to go visit him.   We have bittersweet memories of a trip we made to see him in his last days when I was singing Tosca here. I can just imagine how surprised he would have been if he knew I was singing Bacchus.

I’ve been out here with the American Bach Soloists, many times with Nic McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque, the San Francisco Symphony, and rehearsals for Gordon Getty’s “Plump Jack”.   As you can imagine, I have a very big place in my heart for the Bay Area and I am glad to be back with Festival Opera for Ariadne on Friday, July 10 and Sunday, July 12, at the Lesher Center for the Performing Arts in Walnut Creek.  I’m impressed with the cast and will have more about them in the next segment!