Viva! El Paso suspended for Summer 2014

An El Paso tradition is dead, at least for this year. ABC-7 has confirmed this summer’s Viva! El Paso has been cancelled.

Luz Ramos, president of the El Paso Association for the Performing Arts, which put together the show for decades, said the organization is dissolving and will not be able to put on the outdoor musical anymore.

Ramos said volunteer EPAPA board members couldn’t meet the needs a show this caliber demands. The 36-year-old musical chronicles 400 years of history in the Borderland and the merger of three cultures — Native-American, Spanish and Mexican.

The El Paso Community Foundation is taking it over.

“It makes very good sense. They’re pro-El Paso, they’re community-oriented. It’s a perfect fit,” Ramos said.

For years, Ramos explained, EPAPA managed the amphitheater at McKelligon Canyon where Viva! El Paso was set. When the City of El Paso assigned a manager to the facility, EPAPA went from managing income –including concessions– to paying the lease. Ramos said it was a burden EPAPA couldn’t sustain.

“Viva! El Paso was surviving on ticket sales alone,” Ramos said. “It takes someone to look for sponsorships, take care of the marketing, group sales and it was too much for the volunteer board members. “We put up a good fight but the caliber of the show requires more resources than what we could provide.”

EPAPA was accused of mismanagement, but Ramos said it was cleared by the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

In 2010, former board members were accused of corruption and EPAPA lost funding from the Texas Commission on the Arts. Now the association needs to be legally dissolved before the Community Foundation takes over the show.

Ramos, who’s been with the EPAPA board since 2006 and whose two daughters danced for Viva! for 10 and four years, respectively, said she is ready to see the musical’s next incarnation.

“I think it’s a good thing. Can’t wait to see what the Community Foundation does with it,” she said.

In addition to the Community Foundation, Destination El Paso and UTEP are working together to bring Viva! back next year.

“The Foundation is really intended to be a governance, ensuring proper governance for the nonprofit,” said Bryan Crowe, Destination El Paso’s general manager. “UTEP’s role, out of their theater and dance department, is intended to provide some support for artistic direction, as well as opportunities for collaboration with students … sort of like a workspace for that. And then our portion is to operate the venue and market the events.”

The details of the transition still have to be worked out and a lot depends on EPAPA.

“A lot really hinges on the ability for EPAPA to officially dissolve itself and transfer its physical and intellectual property over to the community foundation so they can license that out for others to use it,” Crowe said. “And that process has taken longer than we anticipated. This process actually began in the last season. We were hopeful it would be completed in time for the 2014 season but unfortunately it’s complicated. EPAPA’s situation with the state is significant. So there’s just some things that need to be worked out and that’s taking some time to get all the paperwork in place and for the state to approve everything.”

As for the empty dates at McKelligon Canyon this year that would have been filled by Viva!, Destination El Paso was not able to add other events.

“We did explore some options,” Crowe said of looking to add events at the canyon. “We were hopeful that Viva! was going to be able to mount a performance this season and by the time it was concluded that it wasn’t going to be possible it was really too late to get other programming up to the canyon. We do have other things that go on at the canyon. Cool Canyon Nights runs every Thursday night, Movies in the Canyon series runs on Fridays and Saturdays, traditionally after Viva. Actually, we moved the schedule up for that a little bit so it will start in about mid-July.”

Crowe said they are committed to bring Viva! back to the canyon.

“Any ability that we have to do that, we’re going to explore that fully,” Crowe said. “We are excited that the Community Foundation is really taking a leadership role here in assisting EPAPA with the transition. It’s a significant undertaking and they’re helping to negotiate with the state attorney general’s office which basically has to approve any arrangements due to the outstanding issues that the EPAPA organization has with the state. We’re excited UTEP is open and interested. We’ve had a couple of meetings with them. So everything looks great and we’re looking forward to 2015.”