Santa Fe and its Opera: Grand

        Before you point your nose in the direction of New Mexico to travel to Santa Fe, do buy Barbara Harrelson's book,  Walks In Literary Sante Fe: A Guide to Landmarks, Legends and Lore. Harrelson makes sure that you do not have to scrounge for literature, as I did, about the grand town of Santa Fe. With only a few hours available to walk around in Santa Fe, the city provided a packed time and interesting subject matter for art enthusiasts and photographers. In addition to the remarkable culture, the weather seemed remarkable. In one direction we viewed lightning, and in another we spotted rainbows. Santa Fe seemed to me well-worth the altitude sickness for this Panhandle Plains gnome.

View outside my hotel window at El Dorado. 

Northwest corner of the plaza in downtown Santa Fe.

Visitors outside the Sage Creek Gallery.

Ken Rowe's work astonished me with its presence.

       Look through a shop's doors or windows in Santa Fe and one could encounter strong artistic renditions, such as Ed Natiya's sculpture pictured above.

 

Zuber Gallery.

We chatted with some of the artists. 

Gogy Farias sculpted the image of the Lady of Guadalupe for display at the sanctuary.

       Oh, I neglected to see who sculpted the above rendition of Saint Francis (my hero) standing before the Basilica of Saint Francis. 

       Inside and outside the buildings of Santa Fe, one can appreciate art. Here, the staircase of the Chapel of Loretto. My wager, were I a betting person, would pit all photographs taken of the staircase against any future architectural photographs by FEK. Frances, put this one on your bucket list, please.

       Gabriel stands outside the Analco House -- the oldest house in Santa Fe -- built to shelter the fellows who built the Church of San Miguel across the street. 

The Church of San Miguel has many details that make it a good stop when you visit Santa Fe. 

       Opening the season of the opera in Santa Fe calls for champagne. We attended a tailgate party hosted by our newest friends, Lauren and Walter. 

       Somehow the ominous clouds delayed their performance to provide special effects during the last scene of Madame Butterfly. As Butterfly learned of her betrayal, thunder shot across the north of the city, and rain poured sideways, drenching opera fans sitting underneath the roof of the Crosby Theatre. 

Clouds and a setting sun behind the Jemez mountains in the distance, and white pansies in the foreground at the entrance of the Crosby Theatre.

The amazing Crosby Theatre has no walls. Only until recently it had no roof. 

Experienced opera-goers bring umbrellas with them.

       Are those clouds in the sky in the background the stage producer's painting? No! Sitting in your seat at the Crosby Theatre you can see through the stage to the New Mexican horizon, stormy clouds and all. 

      Kelly Kaduce and the other artists who performed in Madame Butterfly stand, drenched by the sideways rain, before a long ovation. Flawless, perfect, and spirited performances by great artists bring tears to my eyes. The opening evening, with its great performance, seemed all the more memorable with the lightning, thunder, and rain blowing side-ways onto the people, the artists on the stage, and the orchestra. 

      After the performance finished at mid-night, the rain still poured by the bucket-full. I had the opportunity to capture the image above of ladies coming out of the ladies room at the Crosby Theatre.