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A Scary Stay: Opera Writer And Composer Visit Haunted Bisbee Hotel That Inspired Their Work

John and Clint at room 315
John de los Santos
John de los Santos (left) and Clint Borzoni pose in front of room 315.

Call them what you like — ghosts, spirits, haunts, phantoms — October is the time to share their stories. There are the classic scary stories we share over the campfire, and the surreal stories we share about our own encounters.

John de los Santos is an out-of-state opera librettist who wrote an opera about an infamous ghost at a hotel in Bisbee. The Copper Queen was almost finished when he and composer Clint Borzoni decided to take a road trip and check into the haunted hotel room themselves. Before going to sleep in Room 315 — the rumored haunt of ghost Julia Lowell — they played an aria from the opera. 

The night that followed is one they won’t soon forget.

Stay tuned to The Show for another story that's sure to raise your spirits.  

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Annika Cline was a producer for KJZZ's The Show from 2014 to 2019.