Youngstown has embraced this 'beautiful duet'

Editor's note: Seventh in a series about First Night performers.
Opera duet will be part of the Youngstown First Night celebration.
By KATIE LIBECCO
VINDY.COM CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- Opera has been the source for some of the greatest love stories of all time. And it's even created one of its own.
Miss Ohio 2004, Amanda Beagle, and fianc & eacute; Craig Raymaley met while studying opera at Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University, where they both received their undergraduate degrees.
And while both said they've found success in their solo careers, they've partnered in music with bel Duetto.
bel Duetto, Italian for "beautiful duet," will perform New Year's Eve as part of the First Night Youngstown celebration. Raymaley and Beagle will perform at 8 and 9 p.m. in the Butler North building, formerly the First Christian Church, at the intersection of Wick Avenue and Spring Street.
Raymaley and Beagle said they enjoy living and performing in the Youngstown area.
"We're proud to call Youngstown home. Youngstown has completely embraced both of us. There's been an incredible amount of support from this community," said Beagle, a soprano.
Beagle said one thing that has helped bel Duetto's popularity was her reign as Miss Ohio, during which she made frequent appearances and performed at various Ohio locations, sometimes performing with Raymaley.
At the Miss America Pageant, Beagle was a talent award winner for her performance of "Quando M'en Vo" from Puccini's "La Boheme."
"I study opera for the same reason a dancer would study ballet. It provides a good foundation for strong, healthy technique in all musical styles," she said.
Raymaley, a tenor, said he wanted to be a jazz saxophonist in high school, but had a hand injury that kept him from pursuing a career as a professional musician. However, he was exposed to opera by his father, who was also an opera singer.
He said he resisted opera from the over-exposure growing up, but one performance changed his mind.
"After hearing it, I thought about it and went, 'Girls would really like this,'" Raymaley said with a laugh. "To be honest, I did it for the chicks."
But while the duet is based on opera, Raymaley and Beagle said it includes more, with popular Italian music, musical theater, jazz and blues numbers in the performances.
"We have something for everyone," Beagle said.
For the First Night performance this year, the singers said to expect songs made famous by Andre Boccelli, some Verdi, Gerswhin and Bernstein.
One of their most popular songs is a rendition of "Amazing Grace," which is on their latest album. The song features Beagle's vocals with Raymaley on saxophone and will most likely be a part of the First Night set list.
Raymaley and Beagle said they work to create a relaxed atmosphere that is fun for everyone, even if the listener doesn't necessarily like opera. Raymaley said the pair have a "sort of Sonny and Cher" gimmick on-stage.
"We feed off each other," Beagle said. "It's something special we have together."
Offstage, the couple are also teaching artists at the Students Motivated by the Arts Center, teaching a broad range of the performing arts.
Beagle said she started working SMARTS more than five years ago through YSU. Raymaley said he got involved through Beagle.
For their own training, Beagle and Raymaley have teachers in New York and Pittsburgh and fly to New York occasionally for auditions.
"There's a wealth of options for us here. Youngstown is a good home base," Beagle said.
They recently recorded a new, self-titled album. "bel Duetto" is a 10-track CD that was recorded entirely by the two of them.
"We did it all ourselves," Raymaley said.
It took about 12 hours a day for a week to record everything, and Raymaley said he spent more than 100 hours creating the music, a lot of it synthesized.
The album "bel Duetto" is available at Jimmy's Italian Food Specialties, 3219 Belmont Ave., Liberty, where the "la Rosina" sandwich is her creation. The "bel Duetto" album can also be purchased at their live performances and by visiting & lt;a href:"http://www.belduetto.com" & gt;www.belduetto.com. & lt;/a & gt;
klibecco@vindy.com
Photo by Katie Libecco