Santa Fe bills itself as the “City Different.” For those in the jet set who truly want something out of the ordinary, nothing compares to a cool summer night at the Santa Fe opera (santafeopera.org.) You better hurry, as the season ends on August 23.
Santa Fe has many world-class hotels, but if you’re spending a weekend in the area, the Buffalo Thunder resort (buffalothunderresort.com) might be the perfect base to explore Santa Fe and the rest of northern New Mexico. The resort has gambling, golf as well as a night club for those who have tastes in music other than classical. Speaking of taste, the resort’s Red Sage restaurant has a new chef with a rotating menu.
The perfect night at the opera actually begins in the afternoon. The opera house is about fifteen minutes ride north of Santa Fe in the midst of the Sangre De Christo and Jemez mountains—there are green hills and red cliffs. The opera house is well above seven thousand feet in elevation, so stay hydrated, but be aware that alcohol packs a bit more of a punch here. Events in August start at eight at night; but the outdoor parking lot is often packed by six, as opera buffs come for the tail gating. We brought sandwiches from a nearby Whole Foods, but we sat adjacent to a stretch limo that brought a party of eight. Someone magically pulled a deluxe meal out of the trunk, along with tables complete with table cloths, fine china, and champagne. We didn’t ask what they were having.
Once we finished our dinner, we went “inside” to the theater, but were amazed that the theatre is not completely enclosed. While all the seats are covered (it does rain here in the desert), the theater is open to the sides. This is perhaps the only opera in America with a great sunset view.
As for the opera itself, we saw a production of Bizet’s Carmen. Our Carmen, mezzo-soprano Anna Maria Martinez of Puerto Rico will be taking her role to Moscow in a few weeks, and then her Madame Butterfly to Buenos Aries. Like Don Jose the soldier and Escamillo the matador, you WILL fall in love with her and she will break your heart. The rest of the cast was also superb.
Production values were first rate, especially the use of moving images projected onto the otherwise Spartan sets. Carmen is set in Spain, but written in French and for some reason this production shifted the action to the Mexican border. For those who are unfamiliar with either language, there are subtitles appearing on small screens in front of your seat. A gypsy falls in love with a soldier, and then tries to leave him for a matador. Don’t worry too much about the plot, because you will be too busy enjoying the music. Spoiler alert, it does not end well for poor Carmen.
Overall, it was a truly fantastic experience at the Santa Fe opera. It wasn’t just different, it was extraordinary.
