Breleigh Curtis jumps from being a local singer to paid entertainer

ZANESVILLE – A young aspiring actor, dancer and upstart pop singer is making a big leap.

Breleigh Curtis, who performs under the name of Breleigh Rael, made her next career move official on Nov. 25, when she signed a two-year contract as a performer and actor for an entertainment company.

The Zanesville Middle School eighth-grade student was joined by her parents and brother —Sol, Stacie and Judah Curtis — family members, friends and school administrators and staff for the signing.

By the nature of the contract, many of details are mum on Breleigh’s upcoming projects but she will begin work on a production Dec. 9 in Columbus. Her contract also comes with a third-year option.

For Breleigh, it’s a lifelong dream come true as she chases after some of her personal icons, like Beyonce, Usher, Mary J. Blige and Michael B. Jordan.

“I’m so excited to be a part of this production. I’ve always dreamed of this since I was 2 years old,” she told the Times Recorder.

“I’ve known I’ve wanted to do this for forever now, and it feels like my dreams are really starting to become true. I have always looked up to Beyonce, and now I’m on that path to be bigger than her,” she exclaimed.

In the weeks and months leading up to her deal, Breleigh and her family have gone back and forth to Los Angeles for a singing competition, which she won, and intense boot camps for singing and dancing.

Breleigh got to experience the stardom of her own Walk of Fame but also the sore feet from 16 days in training. She was able to work with singing coaches, some of which have even trained high-profile artists like Blige and Post Malone.

One of her more recent local performances was singing the national anthem at an Ohio State University men’s soccer game in September.

“(She’s) just a small-town kid with big dreams,” noted her father, Sol Curtis.

It started when she was almost 3 years old. Breleigh’s first time on stage was at church singing a gospel song, he added.

“She got a Barbie mic at 2, and I knew,” Sol said. “She never put that Barbie mic down. She’d go through the house singing songs, and she let it be known.”

Breleigh Rael has a YouTube channel with some of her songs, including “Often” and “The Hamptons,” and her music can also be found on Apple Music and Spotify. You can also follow her on social media like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

Shawn Digity is a reporter for the Zanesville Times Recorder. He can be emailed at [email protected] or found on X at @ShawnDigityZTR.