The Great Passion Play: Signs of the Times?

[Junior]

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette today reports that unless about a half million dollars in donations comes in between now and the end of October, the Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs will NOT OPEN its doors next year. The article says the attraction lost over $100,000 last year, and is at just over a $500,000 loss for this season. I can tell you this, when I visited the play for the first time in early spring, there were fewer than 300 people in a theater that could hold at least 1,000. They apparently had, as a cost cutting measure, put dialog and music on a pre-recorded track, and the actors just "mouthed" their parts as the CD played. NOT very impressive to me. There were only a few "chill up the spine" moments in the play, and the acting was sub par, too. However, the grounds looked well maintained, and I did go through the main gift shop and they had well stocked shelves and a variety of items for sale. I purchased a play program, and that looked good, too. I was told by a friend at work that the Texans dinner show was good when she went to it. The Texans, formerly of Branson, have been playing at a theater on the Passion Play property for a few years. It appears tourism in Eureka Springs is good downtown this year, and the motorcycle events and shops and restaurants appeared to me to be doing well. The Fun Spot, as I reported here earlier, was open again under the "Pig Trail" name. A spokesman for the play said in the newspaper article that they had borrowed all the money they could. A spokesman says if you just send a dollar in an envelope in the mail, it would be appreciated. Sad commentary on the state of things...a major attraction in Eureka for 45 years! Truely this is a "signs of the times" thing, in this terribly depressed economy we have now. 

[chittlins]

I don't know that it's all depressed economy. The town of Eureka Springs has evolved(or devolved, it's all relative) and the type of folk that live and visit there has changed. With more and more of 412 getting four laned or upgraded along with 67 north of Harrison getting 4 lane divided, it's now out of the way and lots of folks don't remember or know the back way to Branson anymore.

If someone new moved to Fayetteville and wasn't aware of the Great Passion Play before hand, they sure wouldn't learn about it cause the has been a serious lack of marketing over the years.

[crsjrr]

In addition, although it's not new, the Railroad in Eureka Springs hasn't had an operating steam locomotive in years.  Memories of the good old days.  I should thank my parents for the trips to Dogpatch, Passion Play, Eureka Spring RR, SDC, and Shepard of the Hills.   I've shared a few of these with my kids, some have held up to the test of time and some not.  As an adult I have returned to Eureka Springs, got married there and have attended a scooter rally.  Made a trip to Turpentine animal sanctuary.   I guess somethings are always evolving.   

[chittlins]

In addition, although it's not new, the Railroad in Eureka Springs hasn't had an operating steam locomotive in years.  Memories of the good old days.  I should thank my parents for the trips to Dogpatch, Passion Play, Eureka Spring RR, SDC, and Shepard of the Hills.   I've shared a few of these with my kids, some have held up to the test of time and some not.  As an adult I have returned to Eureka Springs, got married there and have attended a scooter rally.  Made a trip to Turpentine animal sanctuary.   I guess somethings are always evolving.   

If you like railroad excursions, the one from Springdale to Van Buren is a good one when the leaves are right and the trees here in Fayetteville are getting a touch of color in them. For the life of me, I haven't figured out how that haven't figured out a game day train that stops and departs from Dickson in Fayetteville for river valley folk.

I hate the news of the Passion Play, but I think lots of it was lack of marketing but the weather the past two years could have impacted it as well with it being so gosh darn hot even at night when typically in the Ozarks it's pleasant in the evenings.

I got a neat concept to bring Dogpatch back to life in a new way but not in Newton Co.

[Junior]

Chittlins: Let's hear about your Dogpatch idea. Not at the old site in Newton County, though? Interesting...do you think the old hillbilly theme would go over now? Most people that were young in the 1990s did not know about the comic strip, and the theme park greatly suffered.

[Gilligan]

That's too bad, Junior.  I hate to hear that.  I'm afraid the same thing is going to happen to Shepherd of the Hills.  That's why I decided I better go see it this summer.  Hubs and I are going again this Fall when the leaves change.  The crowd was so low that I don't know how they made payroll.  I'm not sure what it takes to keep places like this going.  The things that I didn't like about SOH were the tracked background music (much better to hear the night sounds w/o it), and the references to Branson that was written into the script.  They also took out some of the hillbilly slang.  I'm sure it was "modernized" to appeal to a younger, un-informed crowd.  What does it take to keep a younger generation interested?

[chittlins]

the idea? well it's just a concept of mine. It based off of Timberfalls Adventure Park in the Dells. It would a highly themed mini golf course based on the fictional setting of Dogpatch, It would have a raft ride or flume and rollercoaters all integrated with the golf courses but more efcort would be put into the blending aspect to go along with a lodge with indoor waterpark also themed accordingly along with several smaller scale flats indoors. Outdoor attractions would be year round weather permitting along with the year round operation of the lodge and waterpark.

[Swoosh]

Perhaps they should make it seasonal and not have such a big operating season?
Let's be honest, it is not in a PRIME area for tourism.

[Junior]

Could the same thing happen at Shepherd of the Hills? YES. Mark Trimble, who owned the homestead in the years I lived and worked in Branson, saw, just like the powers that be at SDC, that the arts and crafts and "back to the hills" movements of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, had passed, and interest in historical attractions was lessening by the mid-80s. He sold out and retired to enjoy his airplanes and his classic cars. His son, Kelly, that I went to high school with, has a land appraising business in Branson. Nothing tourist oriented. Gary Snadon, whose daughter I went to high school with, was involved in real estate and property development back in those days, and was instrumental in bringing Ride the Ducks to Branson. Gary wisely diversified attractions at Shepherd of the Hills. Let's face it, the tower, zipline, and Christmas lights have NOTHING to do with the Shepherd of the Hills storyline or theme. The arts and crafts at Shepherd of the Hills have been pulled back from the old days, and you still have horseback rides. For the traditionalists, you still have homestead tours and the play...always the real roots of the property. I understand when taking the tours there is a stop for a humorous skit with moonshiners now...similar to the train robbery at SDC. It does not surprise me that the play has been altered over the years, with recorded background music, and other alterations. The newspaper article I read about Passion Play said the reason the play in Eureka suffers is because less people will come back to see the same old thing...at other venues the story can and does change to attract repeat business. Change a play about the life of Christ, and you would be messing with big trouble and would abandon those hardcore fans that do come back. Anyway, I hope that as time passes and trends in tourism change and evolve in Branson, that there WILL be a place for Shepherd of the Hills, because it truely is the place where big time tourism STARTED IN BRANSON right after publication of the book when people started coming to the homestead to see the places Harold Bell Wright was inspired by. "The story, so very old, is still in the telling..."

[chittlins]

Perhaps they should make it seasonal and not have such a big operating season?
Let's be honest, it is not in a PRIME area for tourism.

Eureka is a huge biker destination these days, not your demographic for this attraction.  Like I said, it's in flux. It's becoming more artsy and that's not a in a crafts type of vien and has a very diverse population. There's less an less that caters to the types of folks that would be GPP's target audience. We locals call it our little San Francisco. It's local politics are often in and best described as a state of chaos. The recent fiasco over a city deer hunt(cause they are thick like rats in NY's tunnels)is a comedy to follow here down the road. I'm fond patron of Wilson and Wilson, I love Blakeley's folk art. Some of you remember the days her parents kept shop at  SDC with decoys and such. I go to visit and pick up a new print from time to time and  she is the only reason I hit the War Eagle show at the Mill.

I will say this, of the three friends and one sister in law that have had their weddings at Thorncrown, none are still married. Go look at Fayetteville's finist architect's work of art but don't get married there.

[Zephon]

I'm really sorry to hear that about the Passion Play.  I really enjoy it, and have been there 3 or 4 times though it's been 25 years or more since my last visit.  I will say though that the dialog and music has been on tracks since at least the 70's, maybe longer or even always.  I've never seen it when it wasn't and the first time I saw it was in the mid-70's. 

It would be my guess that the recent slow economy is only a minor reason for their struggles, and the rest of Eureka's as well.  The principle reason would be Branson.  Thirty-five years ago, Eureka Springs was really bustling with tourist activity, but as Branson "boomed", Eureka struggled to keep up.  I imagine it's remoteness with respect to Branson has something to do with that as well...it's not as easy to get to from the larger market areas. 

But if Eureka is suffering due to Branson's success, it's not the first to do so.  Believe it or not, Hollister used to be the more important town in the area in the early 1900's.  And then, Rockaway Beach, a hot tourist destination in the 40's, 50's, and early 60's became a victim.

Anyway, I hope things turn around for the Passion Play and Eureka because both are fun to visit.     

[Joy]

I've been to see a passion play twice at a really big church up in the KC area, for free, during Christmastime. I can't imagine anyone really being all that interested in paying to see a passion play at any other time of year aside from Easter and Christmas.

[Gilligan]

I hope things turn around for both of them, also.  I haven't seen the Passion Play, but I do understand why people would want to see it at times other than Easter and Christmas.  I've been coming to AR and MO since I was two years old.  My best memories of childhood (don't read this mom) are of being in those areas with my grandparents.  Being the first grandchild opens up opportunities until the next one comes along!    I love visiting Eureka Springs - I love the quirkiness of it.  It reminds of Manitou Springs, CO. The last few times I visited it was so crowded that it was hard to move around.  The shuttle is slow - we waited nearly an hour to get on at one location, and several people couldn't get on bc. it was full.  Accessibility is a big issue, but I don't know how to fix that w/o losing the historical integrity of the town.  This issue in itself is going to keep away the baby boomers.  There isn't a lot for families to do in town (and there's that stroller - accessibility thing...  The surrounding area is stunning! The lakes, parks, wilderness areas, etc.  Aren't families doing that kind of thing anymore?  That's what drew our family to vacation sites.  I've been to the parks and lakes around there - sometimes I felt like we owned the lake.  Nary another boat in site...Heaven to us, but hard on the area.  Without the baby boomers and young families, I guess that leaves it wide open for an un-targeted demographic population.

It wasn't that many years ago, when I would mention we were heading to Branson that someone would say, "Oh, are you going to see that Passion Play?"  So, there was a time when everything in that southwestern corner was lumped together.    I guess I've rambled on long enough...

[Junior]

From what I have read and seen, the three music shows and the Passion Play at Eureka are all suffering. Someone brought up the idea, I think Swoosh, of cutting the Passion Play season back. I think that is a good idea...just run it in perhaps June July and August when folks will come out for it. No reason holding six months of shows with just 150 people in the audience when you can have it half that time and maybe pull in 500-750 per show.

[ttroyer210]

I was an actor in the play last year and there was only 50 people there. My suggestion is to have someone buy the rights to the play and move it to Branson or have hershland buy it and put it in the amphitheater where the GAC show is