Adventure to Santa Fe

[Doug Kerr]

This past weekend, Carla and I drove to Santa Fe, N.M., the major point of which was to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary (about two weeks ago, actually) by attending the opening night performance of Puccini's La Bohème at the Santa Fe Opera. In 2003, we had both been supernumeraries (what would be called "extras" in a movie) in The Dallas Opera's Bohème, and so that work has had a special resonance for us every since.

But before I get to the opera proper, just one interesting shot from along the way (actually shot on the way home):

Douglas A. Kerr: Coury's General Store and Hotel, Duran, New Mexico, 2019

Canon EOS M50, EF-M 18-150 mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens at 18 mm (29 mm ff35 equivalent),
ISO 100, F/8, 1/320 s
​

The lettering above the windows read: "DRY GOODS FURNITURE HARDWARE GROCERY & FEED`S".

Duran is a tiny crossroads in central New Mexico, originally founded as a railroad support town (for the then El Paso & Northeastern Railroad's "Arrow Route"; there was even once a roundhouse there). And in fact the Union Pacific passes through the town today; the track was about 125 feet behind my back as I took this shot.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Robert Watcher]

Cool building

 

[Asher Kelman]

Doug,

I will return, but the openings for each store is the close structural form of the ancient Roman shops lining the ancient Roman streets discovered and excavated in Jerusalem over the past 10 years.

But we don’t know whether there were doors.

Asher

 

[Doug Kerr]

The Santa Fe Opera is one of the nation's premier opera companies, and it performs in a unique opera house. The house (formally the Crosby Theater, named in honor of John Crosby, the founder of the Santa Fe Opera) has a floating roof architecture, and gives an open view of the striking New Mexico mountain landscape on three sides (including behind the stage).

We can begin to get the idea from this shot:

Douglas A. Kerr: Santa Fe Opera Crosby Theater, view through the stage

Panasonic ZS100, ISO 1000, f/2.8, 1/60 s​

This view is from our seats, centered (in both directions) in the mezzanine (balcony), looking through the stage to the northwest. The stage is partially preset for the open; the final setting, itself wondrous drama, is done at the beginning the open. (Thus, I did not shoot it, as photography was prohibited during the performance proper.)

We get further insight into the unique nature of this house here:

Douglas A. Kerr: Santa Fe Opera Crosby Theater, view to house right

Panasonic ZS100, ISO 125, f/2.8, 1/80 s​

Here we look to the (house) right, to approximately the north.

The curved structure we see is the roof over the stage and over the main seating area ("orchestra"). Its upturned rear lip joins the forward lip of the roof over the mezzanine (balcony) with the set of clerestory windows we see here.

Behind the stage is a gigantic elevator, called the "B lift", that goes from the stage level down to the scenery storage area and, below that, to the scene shop.

During the overture to Bohème, stagehands in ninja costume pulled the sections of the cityscape we see here forward and to the side. Then, the large set piece for the garret in which Rudolfo and Marcello live comes up on the B lift and is brought forward, Then the cityscape sections are put back to where we see them above. It is wondrous theater in its own right.

Here we see the stage partially set for Act 3 (this was shot during the interval, when I felt free to shoot). But as before, the major set piece (for the tavern) will come up at the last minute.

Douglas A. Kerr: La Bohème, set for Act 2 open

Panasonic ZS100, ISO 4000, f/5.9, 1/6 s
​

The bench is of particular significance to us. In the 2003 Dallas Operation production of Bohème, the curtain goes up on Act 3 with the bench downstage center. On it is the barmaid of the nearby tavern, sleeping off the result of having downed the leftovers at the previous night's close. Mimi, the ingenue, approaches, waking her and addressing her as "Mia buono donna" (My good lady), asking her if the tavern nearby is the one at which the painter, Marcello, is working. (Marcello is the wingman of her estranged lover, Rodolfo.)

La buono donna (as this character is known in the business) responds in the affirmative with gestures, rather than vocally. That's because in that production she is played by a supernumerary, whose parts are by definition non-speaking. In this case, la buono donna was played by Carla!

In any case, the whole experience at The Dallas Opera was wondrous for me and mia buono donna. As it was at The Santa Fe Opera.

Best regards,

Doug

​

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

Doug,

I will return, but the openings for each store is the close structural form of the ancient Roman shops lining the ancient Roman streets discovered and excavated in Jerusalem over the past 10 years.

But we don’t know whether there [these?] were doors [or windows?].

Here is an archival shot of the building:

​

Seemingly some of each.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Doug Kerr]

From the historical archives, here we see a shot (by the official photographer) early in Act 3 of the 2003 Dallas Opera production of La Bohème.

We see on the bench downstage center la buono donna (played by Carla). Checking her out are two customs officers (the setting is one of the entry gates into Paris). Mimi approaches from our right.

In this production I also was a supernumerary, although without such a prominent part as Carla. I played a retired French army officer in Act 2. I had lost an arm. (I would tell my friends it resulted from a misunderstanding over a a colonel's wife.)

Here we see the two of us in the dressing room area:

​

Carla here is in her costume for Act 2, in which she played a town resident. My mustache here is courtesy of the makeup shop. But when Carla first saw it, she said, "Ooh! We have to have one of those". So as soon as the production closed, I started to grow the real one we see today.

Best regards,

Doug

​

 

[digitaldog]

I've driven past that very building a few times. Here's a mere snapshot from an old iPhone 5 back in 2014 hasn't changed much:

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, dog,

I've driven past that very building a few times. Here's a mere snapshot from an old iPhone 5 back in 2014 hasn't changed much:

View attachment 1496

Nice. Thanks.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Asher Kelman]

I've driven past that very building a few times. Here's a mere snapshot from an old iPhone 5 back in 2014 hasn't changed much:

The colors are still damn good, Rodney!

​

I’d love to know what you were doing in those parts?

The inside of the building might have some interesting murals!

I have a feeling that successive waves of drifters have been renting rooms there for free! ??
Asher