The Santa Fe opera house has a location as dramatic as Sydney’s. Perched on the top of a hill overlooking the town, it looks across the valley to the Sangre de Cristo mountains. What started out in 1957 as an open-air theatre has over the years grown a roof which covers the stage and auditorium, but the sides of the auditorium and back of the stage are still open to the elements. The operas are timed to begin as the sun sets and, depending on the whims of the opera’s designer, it is possible to watch it disappear behind the mountains as the conductor enters the pit. This year the weather has been unusually wet; storms, complete with lightning and thunder, have augmented the drama on stage.