I’m back in Salt Lake City now!!

Julia and I were able to spend a lovely week together in Walnut Creek. What a beautiful city!!! We took long walks every day and Julia found both a Ross and Tuesday Morning store. She was in heaven! It gave me a chance to walk an extra 15 miles while she was shopping. 😉

Robert Breault and Julia Haywood Breault

One of my best opening nights ever!

Coming home, I was welcomed by our kids (8 wonderful mini dachshunds) and a few projects, the kind that have to be done when you’re gone for a while.  Before I could even get through all of them, Julia asked me if I had updated my blog since coming home. I had to admit that I hadn’t. It’s easy to write about the show when it’s going up, not so easy when it’s finished.

It’s difficult to explain, but, when a show like this closes, there is a huge hole in my heart. The cast becomes something like a family, and, saying good-bye is always difficult. The music is still swirling around in my head and my heart and soul want to hold on to the experience dearly.

Most importantly, we presented a production that will help Festival Opera thrive and grow.  The audience really seemed excited by the show and judging by the reviews I read, things are moving in the right direction.  The Bay Area offers so many opportunities to see great art, hear great music, and, be inspired by timeless works.  We were proud to be part of this unique offering, our version of “Ariadne auf Naxos“.

The reviews are coming in:

San Francisco Chronicle, Alan Ulrich says:

San Francisco Classical Voice, Charlise Tiee:

Berkeley Daily Planet, James-Roy-MacBean:

I’m so glad about this and must give a shout out to Sara Nealy who has been instrumental to the company’s success. Her great people skills, positive attitude, and healthy energy combine to make her a driving force in the success of the company and our production. The music staff, Michael Morgan, and Andrew Whitfield, in the short time we had to prepare, these two guys did an amazing job of conducting and directing.  We singers felt the guidance and love and this made the process of learning this difficult piece all the more easy.

As many of you know, Bacchus was my first excursion into “heldentenor” repertoire. I’ve sung Narraboth, the Italian Tenor, and have admired Strauss all my career but have never “excursed” this far!  While I would never consider myself a true “heldentenor” it was sure rewarding to dabble in this rarified land. My teacher Lorna Haywood has always told me that I should sing with my own voice. She always reminds me to emulate all the great things great singers do musically but to never try to manufacture the sound quality that they make. In other words, be honest to your voice.  I tried hard to do that with Bacchus. Let me know what you think! Click here for “Bin Ich ein Gott.”  Want more? Click here. “Du! Alles du.  Frankly, I had the time of my life singing Bacchus. Honestly, nothing much has changed in the manner in which I sing, but the sound that comes out now is much different than it used to be!

Othalie Graham and Robert Breault photo

I have to say, one more time, to Othalie Graham, my wonderful Ariadne, THANK YOU! You made me feel like a million bucks every time I opened my mouth. The looks you gave me on stage still make me grin. It’s an incredible feeling to sing next to you, wonderfully fulfilling to share the stage with you, and, my confidence singing this kind of repertoire increased ten-fold thanks to your encouragement and support!

So, what’s next? I am going to take some time off and catch up on my projects. I’m also going to be considering some new repertoire to work on. I’d love to hear suggestions! On a daily basis, I’ll be trying to get to the gym, have at least two dog piles a day, cook healthy food, work in our beautiful yard, and, of course, I’ll be checking in here too.

I’m listening to Pavarotti sing Calaf right now BTW. What a voice! 😉

Till next time!

BB