Some called it folly and others called it vision when a youthful John Crosby founded the Santa Fe Opera in 1957. History now recognizes it as genius. Santa Fe was just a fledgling tourist destination a half a century ago. But the demographic of visitors and transplants to this Northern New Mexico community was that of culture, money and more money. Crosby knew that this meant that there was a cultural niche to fill in the city’s entertainment offerings and if he built it, they would fill the seats and line his pockets. Fill it he did. The original 420-seat, open-air theater perched on a piñon-carpeted hill north of town has been replaced. The new facility now seats over 2,000, yet it retains the same intimate quality of the original. A roof now covers the seats, as protection from sudden, high-desert downpours, but the sides remain open to the splendor of New Mexico’s sunsets and star-filled skies. The opera has premiered dozens of now-popular shows. Each season offers old favorites and new, original productions.
Joining the opera in taking advantage of the long seasons of warm weather is another beautiful outdoor venue. Designed by the renowned American architect who shares the amphitheater’s name, the Paolo Soleri is a masterpiece in a city that subsists because of the arts. The theater provides a one-of-a-kind setting for entertainers like Carlos Santana, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Hornsby and Paco de Lucia. Most of the musicians who perform here prefer to play acoustically, using only their guitars, pianos, or other human-powered instruments. The acoustics at the Paolo are awesome and there is not a bad spot in the house of over 3,000 seats. Concerts here are intimate and it would be foolish to pass up an opportunity to experience an evening performance beneath the stars at this gorgeous venue.
On the campus of the College of Santa Fe, the Greer Garson Theater hosts live performances of popular comedies, dramas and musicals by the likes of Neil Simon, Ann-Marie MacDonald and Stephen Schwartz.
The most historic venue in the city is the newly restored Lensic Theater. Designed to resemble a Moorish Palace of the Iberian Peninsula, the theater was built in 1931. The Lensic was soon recognized as one of the finest palaces of stage and screen in the state. The restored theater retains its original lavish luxury, and once again plays host to live theater, dance and chamber music. A classic screen series is planned as well, with movies like Warner Brothers’ Santa Fe Trail, which is a movie that originally premiered at the Lensic in 1941.
Desert Chorale, an internationally known singing troupe, is one of the only professional chorus groups in the country. They give a moving performance inside the hallowed sanctuary of St. Francis Cathedral every other week during the summer.
The Spanish culture impassions Santa Fe’s spirit. Because of this, several groups of Flamenco and Spanish Dancers perform regularly in and around Santa Fe. Over the course of 30 years, Maria Benitez’s Teatro Flamenco has earned the distinction of being one of the finest, most precise Flamenco dance troupes in the nation. The troupe performs nightly at the Maria Benitez Theater in the Radisson Hotel of Santa Fe every year, April through September.
Each summer for a weekend in late July, more than 300 Spanish artists, both traditional and contemporary, converge on Santa Fe to display their work. Spanish Dancers, Bandoleros and modern musicians perform on stage in the Plaza during the event.
Held on the weekend after Labor Day, Fiestas de Santa Fe is the true celebration of Hispanic culture in Santa Fe. One of the oldest civic celebrations in the nation, the event has run every year since 1712. In 1926, a new character, named Zozobra, was introduced to the crowds. Zozobra is a 50-foot animated puppet of paper, wood and pyrotechnics, which is set ablaze at the opening of Fiestas de Santa Fe. In a fury of fire, amplified moans, screams of agony and flailing arms, the beast is brought down, taking with it the troubles and strife of all that attend the moving ritual.
If the Spanish culture is the lifeblood of Santa Fe, its heartbeat is Native American. Dances are staged regularly on the Plaza and the resonating beats of huge hide drums and the haunting sounds of Native American voices raised in song give listeners goose bumps. If you do not mind crowds, visit the city during mid-August and enjoy the sights and sounds of this Indian art show.
In March, a full-scale powwow takes place on the campus of the Santa Fe Community College. If you have never experienced a Native American powwow, you should. It is an opportunity to immerse oneself in the culture of the native people. The dance, drum and singing competitions at the Santa Fe Powwow attract the top performers in the country, and give spectators a chance to see the finest dances stepped out by the very best dancers.
A trip to the Southwest would not be complete without spending a day at a good, old-fashioned rodeo. Every June, the Rodeo de Santa Fe brings in the top-ranked cowboys and cowgirls in the nation for four days of bronco busting, bull riding, steer roping and barrel racing competition. Keep your eyes open in the stands for celebrities. This event is popular with Hollywood jet setters.
Of course, the streets that surround the Plaza offer one of the most popular forms of entertainment—window-shopping. At the Chile Shop, the spice that put New Mexico on the map is enshrined in just about any form imaginable. Green chile windsocks and authentic red chile ristras are among the thousands of chile-related products available. Several blocks away, one of New Mexico’s most loved artists is remembered inside the walls of the Georgia O’Keefe Museum. Her art helped shape the style of New Mexico’s artists and some of her best works are on display.
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