Passion play pays tax debt, bank, but still owes $2.5 million on loans

The Great Passion Play has paid $37,104 in back taxes and $77,080 due to Cornerstone Bank of Eureka Springs, Randall Christy, the play’s chief executive officer, said in an e-mail to supporters.

But the Eureka Springs play still owes $2.53 million in principal on loans to the bank, said Dick Kelsey, executive director of the play, so fundraising will continue.

“This thing would function fine if we didn’t have the debt,” Kelsey said.

The Elna M. Smith Foundation lost a total of $1.8 million from 2008 through 2011, the last year for which tax records are available. The foundation has operated the play since its beginning in 1968.

The play opened its 2013 season in May after operators had said late last year that the play would close. After the play’s Oct. 27 performance, operators locked the gates, sold the animals and turned off the floodlights for the seven-story Christ of the Ozarks statue that had been illuminated every night since 1967.

Christy, who is president of The Gospel Station Network of Ada, Okla., held a frantic fundraising drive in December and January to raise $75,000 to keep the play operating. That money paid interest due on three loans from Cornerstone Bank, which was scheduled to take possession of the play property Jan. 1 through a deed in lieu of foreclosure.

Christy and the foundation have been working together to put the play on this year.

Kelsey said nightly attendance in May averaged about 500, which was about 20 percent better than nightly attendance in May 2012. He noted that there were two performances each week this May compared to three weekly performances in May 2012.

“Attendance is up,” Kelsey said. “Revenues are up. We’re taking care of the payments on the loan so everything is up to date. Basically, it has been a good year so far.”

In June and July, the play will be presented four nights a week: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The outdoor drama, which depicts the last week in the life of Jesus Christ, is canceled about three nights a year because of inclement weather. A little rain is bearable, Kelsey said, but lightning will stop the show.

Kelsey said the operators have reduced the number of performances during the May-October season from 110 last year to 80 this year.

“We eliminated Monday nights, which was a good thing,” he said. “We basicallyeliminated our lowest attendance nights.”

Kelsey said he thinks the play can reach an attendance level of 650 per performance by the end of July.

Annual attendance at the play peaked in 1992 at 289,212 and dropped to 46,578 last season, Keith Butler, the play’s chief administrator, has said.

Kelsey said the play has spent about $350,000 for upgrades to the facility. The 46-year-old set had some rotting wood in places.

“When I came on, there were 30 roofs that leaked,” Kelsey said. “They’re all fixed.”

The play has added a buffet dinner for $12.50 and reopened the Holy Land Tour,which had been closed for four years. The cost to tour spots of Biblical significance constructed on the grounds is $15.

Adult ticket prices for the play this year are $24.85, a decrease from $27.85 last year. With discounts given to groups of 10 or more, the average revenue per ticket is about $20, Kelsey said.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 06/25/2013

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