Here we are at a very exciting time in life...

Tony and I are now living together in perfect harmony...(almost).

I have (earlier in the month) performed in the 50th Anniversary Production of Bernstein's 'Candide' at the Wales Millennium Centre with the Welsh National Opera's Youth Opera straddling the roles of Voltaire and Pangloss. I had the responsibility of narrating the entire musical and singing some solos throughout. With only 3 performances and very little rehearsal time, I had a huge task ahead of me, which I rose to and because I put all the work in throughout the entire rehearsal process, the performances were a joy. Though I never got the entire script perfect, the meaning of the story was clear and the pace was fluent and made the 3 hour performance fly by. The ensemble cast was amazing, managing to sing intricate harmonies, belt out high notes, and skillfully wielding heavy scenery with ease. John Caird adapted the original into a new version that is much more true to Voltaire's original satire by the same name. We were honored to have John Caird attend the closing performance and stay for a few drinks in the bar afterwards. I had a nice chat with him about the role I played and a bit of banter about where I'm from and what might lie in my future. He was a very warm man with a good outlook on things, not to mention he was very complimentary of our show. The director, Nik Ashton conducted rehearsals with a great deal of (what I now see as) genius. He managed to direct the ensemble in such a way that everyone was working together and in the same direction, so the story was fluent because everyone took the responsibility for the telling of the story and knew how to help and adapt if something went a bit awry. Though many of the cast were in their mid-teens they were very professional and took great pride in their work. It was a tremendous joy to work with so many amazing voices. Once 'Candide' finished I wrote off to a few musical theatre agents, and immediately got a call off one requesting a meeting. I'll be taking in a brief singing demo and discussing our potential future together. I'm very optimistic because of how keen he seemed when he phoned me personally the day after I sent the letter with my headshot and cv (resume).

Yesterday, I had an audition for the amateur leg of the BBC's Voice of Musical Theatre Competition at the Wales Millennium Centre. In the afternoon session, there were 3 groups of about 20 and we all learned an extract from a Broadway musical. My group learned 'Another Opening, Another Show' from 'Kiss Me, Kate'. At the end of our hour long session a small group of responsible for casting came in and chose only 5 of the 20 to have a recall. There were 6 from and 2 from the other two groups. In the recall everyone was to sing one prepared song of their choice in front of the casting panel. I pushed my nerves aside and had fun. I walked into the audition room (oddly enough, the same room I rehearsed 'Candide') happy and optimistic. I shared a bit of light-hearted banter with the panel and when they asked what I was going to sing for them, I told them I had two pieces they could choose from and they told me they didn't mind. I sang 'A Bit of Earth' from 'The Secret Garden'. As I sang, the panel's smiles of politeness turned into smiles of enjoyment (when I auditioned for Les Mis, the smiles of politeness remained as smiles of politeness and nothing more). They chatted between themselves and when I finished, to my amazement asked to hear the beginning of the other piece, 'Proud Lady' from 'The Baker's Wife'. It is much more fun and up-tempo than 'A Bit of Earth' and I gave it my best. When they stopped me, they said that they wanted to hear more, but didn't need to. We then shared some more light conversation and then the woman on the panel asked, being from Texas, how I would be able to stay and work in this country. When I flashed the ring on my finger she gave me a high-five. All three of them seemed pleased and as I floated out of the room a man stopped me and introduced himself as Nik's partner, the director of 'Candide', who then complimented me on my performance in the show. Needless to say I was buzzing as I left and I wished all the other applicants good luck as I wandered out to the bus stop in a very dream-like state. I know I may have sounded a bit egocentric just now, but if you have every been in a bad audition (which I have been in) when you have an audition that you know you did your best, there is almost no greater high. Whatever happens with the outcome, I know I could not have done any better than what I did, and that feels good.

I may be living in the French Alps for 3 or 4 months starting in December. A new band I'm singing in is recording a demo this week, which we will send to a Band Management Agency and if they like what they here (which we feel pretty confident about) we will be playing around resorts in the Alps during ski season. We get paid a lot just for playing a few sets in the nights and we have all day to do what we want. I've always wanted to learn how to ski. So though its not set in stone yet, I'm very hopeful and optimistic. Four months of good pay will give me and Tony enough to move to London! Not to mention if we get this gig, it ensures that we'll have the odd gig whenever we are needed around the UK.

I just hope things keep going my way... Who knows, I could be in a film next!

I have been spending this past week in the most beautiful countryside in the French county of Vendee with my newly wed partner. We’ve been rambling over all the narrow roads winding all across the fields of grain and corn and wild flowers. On our journey throughout this county and the county of Brittany we have passed though tiny French villages that date back past our grandfathers’ grandfathers. Our vehicle is a little maroon Renault Five from the early ‘80s. I’m surprised it can reach the speed limit of 130 on the motorway (km/hr, that is). I’m glad Tony has been the driver, because most of our destinations have been smaller towns not very well sign-posted. Even though he grew up in this area we have spent our fair share of time going the wrong way and then having to backtrack and start again. We’ve covered a few hundred kilometres this week having arrived in Dinard in the north of Brittany after missing our scheduled flight to Nantes. The trip from Dinard to St. Fulgent (half and hour south of Nantes) where Tony’s parents’ house is took us about 2 1/2 – 3 hours in a little SEAT we rented from the airport (the airport was roughly the same size as a refrigerator box). We were five altogether in the car. Tony and I plus his friends Mimi, Fabien, and Julian all made the trip back to France from Cardiff after our Civil Partnership ceremony. We dropped everyone off at their respective homes and then finally arrived at Tony’s parents’ house where his parents Bernard and Danielle, brother Christophe, sister-in-law Sonia, and nephew Florian were all waiting for us to have dinner with them. From that moment on I have not stopped meeting friends and family from random crossings of each other’s paths to the enormous family gathering for the wedding of Tony’s cousin Julian (different to the Julian who came to our ceremony). The wedding took place up in Brittany in the small town of Ereac. All of the family stayed in a little cluster of flats and then drove to Ereac together. A French wedding is truly amazing. They first have to go to the registry office to sign the official legal documents and then the Registrar pronounces them legally wed. Then the whole family goes over to the church (which in this town was across the street) and the Groom and Bride enter separately after all the guests have sat down. The service was beautiful in the old stain glassed Catholic Church, but the priest talked forever about everything that was on his mind. When he finished everyone breathed a sigh of relief and made our way to our cars and drove in one big line through the countryside following the bride and groom in their chauffeured classic old Citroen. We all honked our horns incessantly as we finally arrived at a big barn in the middle of nowhere where we drank champagne and ate expensive nibbles all afternoon until it was time to drive on to another building for the wedding feast. There were six courses altogether I think I remember but there was so much singing and dancing and drinking and everything else I may have lost track. We all carried on drinking and laughing and then all the cousins went up to sing a song that Olivier (one of the cousins) had written. Since I am now Tony’s partner I am included as a cousin as well and had to learn the song to sing with everyone else. It was great fun in the end as everyone was singing together out of key and at slightly different tempos. Then they all sang and danced to some traditional songs of Brittany that everyone knew and joined in with. Soon some of the cousins found out that I was a singer, too and would stop at nothing to get me up to sing for Julian and his bride Marie-Eve. I sang ‘Ain’t no Sunshine’ with Olivier on the guitar which he improvised after listening to me sing it once on my own. That was by no means anywhere near the end of the night, there was still more champagne to drink and at least 15 cakes to devour. The singing and dancing continued until we all made our way back to our rooms and went to bed…well, I went to bed pretty soon with most people, but there were a few who stayed up until seven in the morning drinking beer and having a good time. The celebration continued the next day as well when we all ate some traditional food of Brittany and drank more wine and homemade cider and then I was made to sing again. I sang ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ again and then Olivier flipped through his song book and there were two more songs that I knew: ‘With Or Without You’ by U2 and ‘Save Tonight’ by Eagle Eye Cherry. Tony’s family didn’t want me to stop singing, but Olivier and I didn’t know any more common songs. We all kept nibbling and drinking as family members began to drift off to their cars and journey home. We were one of the last to leave after taking our farewells with each of Tony’s aunts and uncles who were still about. We then drove on to Rennes where we met up with Tony’s friend from childhood, Caroline and her boyfriend, Tony. We stayed at their lovely house about 20 km outside of Rennes which Caroline drew the plans for. We stayed there overnight and then spent the next day in Rennes’s city centre where we bought my friend Juliet a couple gifts for being so helpful with our partnership ceremony. We had a drink and a wander and then went back to Caroline’s house to have a coffee before we drove back to St. Fulgent. We’ve been spending so much time with family and friends the atmosphere has been truly wonderful and I have enjoyed spending time with them all. I have to say that not being able to speak their language has left me feeling very lonely for some of the trip. In retrospect the whole time has been absolutely delightful driving through the beautiful countryside being welcomed by everyone we have stayed with or visited and even meeting very friendly people as we asked for directions when we got lost, but throughout every day I’ve had a slight pain in my stomach that comes from the alienation I’ve felt because I am only monolingual. I have no doubt experienced fully the wonderful and rich culture there is here in the French countryside, but I have missed out in not being able to share stories with Tony’s family and friends and be able to truly express how happy I am to be a part of Tony and their lives. I never thought it would be a difficult as it has been this week, but because of everyone’s warm spirits I’m left with fond memories of everyone and everything that has happened along the way. I can’t wait to come back and visit once I’ve learned a bit more French, and hopefully I’ll be able to have a complete conversation with someone without Tony having to fill in the blanks of my very broken stuttering.