Behind the Scenes - The Prop Rooms at the Santa Fe Opera

Last month I had the opportunity to go see La Bohéme at the Santa Fe Opera. Before the performance, we got a little backstage tour, which I loved! As someone who gets as excited about the sets and set design as the actual performance, it was a dream. As expected, it was much different than the prop rooms and backstage sets of my high school theater days. There were rooms and rooms of props. We learned that this was only a fraction of the props that the Santa Fe Opera has. They have an offsite warehouse where the rest is stored, neatly catalogued. The attention to detail with the props was really impressive.

My favorite corner of the Santa Fe Opera prop rooms was the aisle full of fake flowers. There were all kinds of flowers, separated by kind, in neatly labeled boxes. Sunflowers, carnations, tulips, spider mums, English roses, dahlias, and lots more.

As the sun began to go down, we found our seats in the beautiful auditorium, and watched the sunset behind the stage.

Things to see in Santa Fe: La Bohéme at Santa Fe Opera

Last week I had a blast at the Santa Fe Opera. Caitlin and Amy of Simply Santa Fe invited me to an #instameet at the new production of La Bohéme at the Santa Fe Opera. I jumped at the chance. I had seen a production that my friend Silvie Jensen performed in at the Lyric Opera in Chicago a few years ago, and really enjoyed it. I’ve heard that the Santa Fe Opera always has innovative sets and costumes, as well as having such a unique location, so I was looking forward to seeing what they did with this opera.

The Santa Fe Opera organized a backstage tour for us (more on that in another post), and we got to see all of the prop rooms. We had dinner and champagne, and they bought the director Mary Birnbaum and the set designer Grace Laubaucher to tell us a bit about their process for putting together this production. I loved getting a chance to hear about how they worked together. I’ve always loved sets (from hanging out in the theater classes and productions back in high school), so I was really excited to see how this one came together.

The Santa Fe Opera is an open air theater. There is a roof, but as you can see above and below, you can see directly out, behind the stage and to the sides. It did look like it would rain, but thankfully it stayed away. The sun set around 8ish, and La Bohéme started right at 8:30, so we got a nice view of the sunset from our seats before the performance started.

I was not dissapointed.

The set was beautifully done, with the structure of the garret being used in every act, as the garret, later as the café, a bar, and then the garret again. The costumes were very colorful, and there was even a scene with Musetta wearing a hot pink sequined jumpsuit (my FAVORITE ever) (see below).

The production of La Bohéme runs through the end of August, so if you have a chance to go see it this Summer, I definitely recommend it! I’m looking forward to getting back to this lovely space soon…

Almost Summer in the San Juan Mountains

The last weekend of Spring, Soni I drove up to the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, heading for the little ski village Purgatory, in between Durango and Silverton. Purgatory is about a half hour from Durango, but it’s at an elevation of about 8700 feet, so the weather can be drastically different from Durango’s at 6500 feet. The air was a lot chillier as we pulled in. It was clearly off season when we got there, and very quiet, perfect for us.

The first day we decided to have a slow morning, and go for a short hike, as it was supposed to rain in the afternoon. Soni had been reading about some of the trails on AllTrails and many were still impassable because of snow. We drove by the trailhead for the upper trail at Molas Lake but it was still blocked off, with the road still too snowy for cars or trucks. At the lower trail we started hiking down, and it was clear that snow had just melted or it had rained a ton, it was the muddiest trail we’d been on possibly ever. We walked down and around Molas Lake. There is a campground there, and I would love to get back there to stay sometime soon. As we got about halfway around a thunderstorm arrived.

The Colorado Trail runs near Molas Lake, and we decided to come back the next day and hike the part of the trail that goes down to the Animas River. We drove into Silverton after our walk, and saw the train about to leave for Durango. The train runs between Silverton and Durango, along the river. We’ve never done it, as it’s a lot slower of a trip, but I imagine it’s a beautiful ride.

The next day was sunny and warmer, much nicer for a longer hike. The aspen leaves were just getting started at this elevation. The first part of the trail is very open, and it feels very much like you’re walking through the Sound Of Music, but in the San Juan Mountains instead of the Alps.

As we descended much of the rest of the trail was in dense forest. There was a lot of snow left in among the trees, and without the sun the temperature dropped. Further down, there were some beautiful look out spots, with a great view of the river. We didn’t make it quite the whole way to the river. We saw and heard the train go by, snaking along the river.

Snowstorm on the Chamisa Trail

One morning in January, my friend Mary and I set our alarms early, and headed up the mountain to see the first light in a snow storm. We were headed for the Chamisa Trail, a 4.5 mile loop trail in Hyde Park Memorial State Park. I love how the mountains and trees get shrouded in the fog and snow heavy clouds, and wanted to see it up close. We parked at the trailhead, pulled our cameras out and our gloves on, and headed up the trail. A lot of snow had already fallen before sunrise, but there was a break in the snow. The forest was quiet, with a snowy untouched path leading further into the woods.

Mary heading back along the trail after the snow picked up.

The weather really changed quickly. We were enjoying the break in the snow on our walk, but as soon as it started snowing again, it was so heavy and fast that it really limited the visibility.

We hung out in the car for a bit to warm up. Once it slowed down, we headed back into town. Old Fort Marcy Park in Santa Fe has a great vantage point of the city, so on our way back we stopped to get a photo of the snowy city.

It was a completely magical morning. Mary and I were both back in Santa Fe and working on our normal day to day around 9 am. This is one of the things that I love most about living in Santa Fe - the closeness to the mountains and the desert. It’s easy to get away into the woods, even if you just have an hour or so.

Making mixtapes again / All the best sea songs / I love the ocean

When I’m working in the studio I listen to audio books, podcasts and music. I don’t have a radio in the studio, so I tend to listen to things on my phone or computer. A few months ago, I realized that I wasn’t listening to very much music anymore. I occasionally buy new records, but the record player isn’t in the studio so I signed up for Spotify again. I used to make mixtapes for friends all the time, and miss the hours spent listening to songs, trying to find the right ones to go in just the right spot.

When I lived in Chicago, I made a mixtape for the ocean every year. I missed the ocean and there are so many good songs about the sea. I made one a year until I got to six, and then I’m not sure why I stopped. Going through some of my old papers, I found the trackless again and decided to recreate them in order, on Spotify. A handful of the songs aren’t available, as a number of them were rare songs found on old records, or from friends’ albums. But the majority of the songs on Sea Mixes 1-6 are all up on my spotify page. And I just made a new one - Sea Mix 7. You can listen to them all on Spotify.

Below, I’ve shared all the original tracklists of the Sea Mix Tapes. If you have a favorite sea song that I should add to the next Sea Mix, leave it below in the comments.

Sea Mix 1 (circa 2005)

Side A:

Iggy Pop - The Endless Sea

The Cure - Killing an Arab

Queen - Sail Away Sweet Sister

Erica Eigen - I want to marry a lighthouse keeper

Roy Orbison - Blue Bayou

Heart - Soul of the Sea

Sinead O’Connor - Jackie

Electric Light Orchestra - The Whale

Looking Glass - Brandy (you’re a fine girl)

Gene Pitney - The Ship True Love Goodbye

Van Morrison - Into the Mystic

Black Heart Procession - On Ships of Gold

Side B:

The William Young - The Enemy

Adam and the Ants - Jolly Roger

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Stove by a Whale

Catpower - Sea of Love

Laurie Anderson - Beautiful Pea Green Boat

The Beach Boys - Sloop John B

Smokey and Miho - Ocean in Your Eyes

Joanna Newsom - This Side of the Blue

The Pogues - Thousands are Sailing

Tracy Chapman - I used to be a sailor

Pete Seegar - I will never marry

Sea Mix 2

Side A:

Scott Walker - Port of Amsterdam

The William Young - Captain Morgan’s Revenge

Laurie Anderson - Love Among Sailors

Parliament - Aquaboogie

David Bowie - Red Sail

The Murder City Devils - Hey Sailor

June of 44 - Sharks and Sailors

The Beatles - Octopus’ Garden

The Beach Boys - Sail on Sailor

Jiha Lee and Charlie Vinz - Sea of Love

Side B:

Chad Willis and the Beachstones - Jack was every inch a sailor

The Be Good Tanyas - Lakes of Pontchartrain

Brian Wilson - On Holiday

Donavan - Starfish on Toast

Coco Rosie - Sea is Calm

mystery track from a mixtape that Matt Mele made me in 2005

Christopher Cross - Sailing

Porno for Pyros - Tahitian Moon

Gal Costa - Empty Boat

Ramona Cordova - Introduction

The Pixies - Dancing the Manta Ray

Woody Guthrie - What did the deep sea say"?

Velvet Underground - Ocean

Sea Mix 3

Side A:

Brian Eno - The Big Ship

The Unicorns - Sea Ghost

The Shins - Sea Legs

Cocteau Twins - Sea, Swallow Me

Future Bible Heroes - She-devils of the Deep

Chiffons - Taylor BOy

Depeche Mode - Sea of Sin (Blue Enya Remix)

Phil Phillips - Sea of Love

Ween - She Wanted To Leave

Nina Nastasia - Ocean

Birds of America - I am in love with an ocean

Side B:

Regina Spektor - Sailor Song

Sparks - Slowboat

Styx - Come Sail Away

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Matthew Sweeney - My Home Is The Sea

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Ship Song

The Be Good Tanyas - Ship Out on the Sea

Frank Sinatra - Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Sonic Youth - Diamond Sea

Enya - Orinoco Flow

Sea Mix 4

Side A:

Beat Happening - Sea Hunt

Beach House - Saltwater

Panda Bear - Comfy in Nautica

Six by Seven - Ocean

Old Time Relijun - Giant Boat

Iron Maiden - Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Buckingham Nicks - Crystal

Keren Ann - The Harder Ships of the World

Jim O’Rourke - Ghost Ship in a Storm

Side B:

Hüsker Dü - Standing by the Sea

Mastodon - Battle at Sea

The Arcade Fire - The Well and the Lighthouse

Electrelane - At Sea

Roxy Music - Sea Breezes

Olivia Tremor Control - The Ships

Antipop Consortium - Rinseflow

Dengue Fever - Ocean of Venus

The Paragons - The Tide is High

De La Soul - Tread Water

Queen - Seven Seas of Rhye

Sea Mix 5

Side A:

Weezer - Across the Sea

Crystal Stilts - Love is a Wave

Peter Murphy - Deep Ocean Vast Sea

Neko Case - Red Tide

AIr France - Beach Party

Arthur Russel - The Platform on the Ocean

mum - Hu Hviss - A Ship

Belle and Sebastian - Ease Your Feet In The Sea

Pram - Play of Waves

Jonsi and Alex - Daniell In The Sea

Side B:

The Carter Family - The Wave On The Sea

Beck - Rowboat

Silver Jews - Trains Across The Sea

Dirty Three - Deep Waters

Rasputina - Sweet Water Kill (The Ocean Song)

PJ Harvey - We Float

Bjork - Oceania

Movietone - Ocean Song

Sea Mix 6

Side A:

The Wailing Souls - Row Fisherman Row

Joe Simon - Drowning in the Sea of Love

Cinematic Orchestra - Ode to the Big Sea

Air France - Karibien

Grouper - Heavy Water / I’d Rather Be Sleeping

Bon Iver - Beach Baby

Fairport Convention - A Sailor’s Life

Grizzly Bear - Deep Blue Sea

Johnny Cash - Sea of Heartbreak

Side B:

Dance Yourself To Death - Sea of Love (JD Samson Remix)

Gossip - Love Long Distance

Wavves - Beach Demon

Dead Kennedys - Moon Over Marin

Black Sabbath - Children of the Sea

Slint - Good Morning, Captain

Beck - Ship in the Bottle

Mott The Hoople - Sea Diver

Camera Obscura - Lunar Sea

The Righteous Brothers - Ebb Tide