Robert Breault always comes up with interesting ideas for the University of Utah Lyric Opera Ensemble’s annual opera scenes concerts.

This year the concert is called “Scene da un Ristorante Italiano,” a take off on the 1977 Billy Joel song “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.” In a phone interview with Reichel Recommends Breault promised that it’ll be a veritable buffet featuring a rich variety of selections. “It’s a smorgasbord.”

University of Utah Lyric Opera Ensemble

Each year Breault, who directs the opera program at the U., tries to load the program with as many different arias and ensembles as possible. “I’m always trying to see how many things I can make work.” This year, there will be a cornucopia of composers, from Mozart and Johann Strauss to Verdi, Beethoven and many others. And as far as music goes, there will be everything from operetta, musicals and Disney movies. Hence the buffet/smorgasbord reference. “A lot of the times the students will have certain things they want to do,” Breault said. “And some are so advanced I have them go out and look at things to sing.”

There are several food related pieces on the program, including “Take a Little Noodle” (with its double entendres) from Strauss’ A Night in Venice, the “Ice Cream Sextet” from Weill’s Street Scene and “Gluttony” from Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins. Also on the program is the “Lullaby” from Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, which doesn’t have anything to do with food. But according to Breault, “it gives you some bitter greens in your salad.”

To complete the culinary motif, there will be a stage onstage at Libby Gardner Concert Hall, and the setting will evoke a restaurant. “It’s going to be like the singing waiters at Macaroni Grill,” Breault said. All of the singers will be onstage the entire time, and when it’s their turn to perform they’ll just get up and sing. “This kind of setting can be a lot of fun, and keeping everyone onstage the whole time will be an integral part of the story.”

Most of the musical numbers will be double cast with most of the students in the opera workshop program taking part. “The cast has every junior and senor in the program,” Breault said. “There are also a few younger singers and a few graduate students in the cast.”

Breault is thrilled with how the program has turned out. “The music is fantastic. You might hear something new or you might feel nostalgic, which is great. The program is designed to be really pleasurable.”

Pianist Jeffrey Price will accompany.

• CONCERT DETAILS
• What: Lyric Opera Ensemble, “Scene da un Ristorante Italiano” (“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”)
• Venue: Libby Gardner Concert Hall, University of Utah
• Time and Date: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21-22
• Tickets: $10 general, $6 seniors/non-U. students/U. faculty and staff, free for U. students with valid I.D.
• Phone: 801-581-7100
• Web: www.kingtix.com