Celebrating 70 Years

The Historic El Rey Theater is owned by a friend. Her grandfather first built Puccini's Old Golden West Saloon the the theater.

. The Girl of the Golden West made its American debut at the Metropolitan Opera on December 10, 1910. Giacomo Puccini, the famous opera's composer, attended this performance and made a commitment to one day visit the Wild West. In 1913 it was rumored that Puccini was on the train, finally travelling to the West, to view the living landscape of which he had composed his opera. Iole Bachechi, a young Italian girl from Albuquerque, was thrilled to learn that she could see this famous celebrity from Lucca, Italy, the Tuscan hometown of her mother Maria Bachechi. There was definitely a Puccini on that train that stopped in Albuquerque, but it wasn't Giacomo - it was his cousin, Luigi. Luigi, a young journalist living in New York (and also from Lucca) was passing through Albuquerque, saw Iole, and fell in love. They were married in 1914.

In 1929, shortly after his in-laws, Oreste and Maria Bachechi built the Kimo Theater, Luigi built the original Puccini Building, which is now known as Puccini's Golden West Saloon. In 1941 he combined the Saloon with the new construction of the El Rey Theater. It became a popular movies palace.

Now Kathy books music and parties there. I have been to some terrific concerts there. I have also fled some ear-splittingly awful ones. I do love the place. It;s a landmark on the famous Route 66.