Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Edition:
U.S.
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
Home
Business
Business Home
Economy
Technology
Media
Small Business
Legal
Deals
Earnings
Social Pulse
Business Video
The Freeland File
Aerospace & Defense
Investing Simplified
Markets
Markets Home
U.S. Markets
European Markets
Asian Markets
Global Market Data
Indices
M&A
Stocks
Bonds
Currencies
Commodities
Futures
Funds
peHUB
Dividends
World
World Home
U.S.
Brazil
China
Euro Zone
Japan
Africa
Mexico
Russia
India Insight
World Video
Reuters Investigates
Decoder
Politics
Politics Home
Supreme Court
Politics Video
Tech
Technology Home
MediaFile
Science
Tech Video
Tech Tonic
Social Pulse
Opinion
Opinion Home
Chrystia Freeland
John Lloyd
Felix Salmon
Jack Shafer
David Rohde
Nader Mousavizadeh
Lucy P. Marcus
Nicholas Wapshott
Bethany McLean
Anatole Kaletsky
Zachary Karabell
Edward Hadas
Hugo Dixon
Ian Bremmer
Lawrence Summers
Susan Glasser
The Great Debate
Reihan Salam
Frederick Kempe
Mark Leonard
Breakingviews
Equities
Credit
Private Equity
M&A
Macro & Markets
Politics
Breakingviews Video
Money
Money Home
Tax Break
Lipper Awards 2012
Global Investing
MuniLand
Unstructured Finance
Linda Stern
Mark Miller
John Wasik
James Saft
Analyst Research
Alerts
Watchlist
Portfolio
Stock Screener
Fund Screener
Personal Finance Video
Money Clip
Investing 201
Life
Health
Sports
Arts
Faithworld
Business Traveler
Entertainment
Oddly Enough
Lifestyle Video
Pictures
Pictures Home
Reuters Photographers
Full Focus
Video
Reuters TV
Reuters News
Article
Comments (0)
Follow Reuters
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
YouTube
Read
IRS finalizes new tax for medical devices in healthcare law
05 Dec 2012
Apple's shares swallow biggest loss in four years
05 Dec 2012
Military halts clashes as political crisis grips Egypt
|
3:45pm EST
Therapist declined temporary confinement for accused Colorado gunman: report
12:45am EST
Guatemala detains McAfee, to expel him to Belize
|
2:50am EST
Discussed
161
Egyptian protesters breach presidential palace cordon
139
IRS aims to clarify investment income tax under healthcare law
104
Obama’s opening ”fiscal cliff” bid seeks debt limit hike, stimulus
Pictures
Reuters Photojournalism
Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography. See more | Photo caption
Fishing for shark fin
The Ocean Sunset hunts sharks as well as other fish for their meat and fins off the cost of Canada. Slideshow
Pregnant princess
Princess Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, leaves the hospital. Slideshow
Sponsored Links
Once-popular Arkansas Passion Play of Jesus' life closes
Tweet
Share this
Email
Print
Related News
Pope calls Virgin birth "unequivocal" truth in new book
Tue, Nov 20 2012
Related Topics
Entertainment »
Fashion »
Arts »
Lifestyle »
United Nations »
Investing Simplified »
The Christ of the Ozarks statue is seen in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in this undated handout photo courtesy of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Credit: Reuters/Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism/Handout
By Suzi Parker
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas |
Thu Dec 6, 2012 2:29pm EST
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (Reuters) - For decades, visitors from around the world descended on the small Ozark mountain hamlet of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, to see The Great Passion Play, the tale of Jesus Christ's last week on earth.
The flashy play with a cast of hundreds, including live animals, was performed for 45 seasons in the shadow of the seven-story Christ of the Ozarks statue on Magnetic Mountain.
But no more. The lights are out on the statue, and it and a 700-acre campus are up for sale.
The Elna M. Smith Foundation, which owns the site, has announced it is unable to continue producing the play, which ran from May to October each year. The foundation has also shut the doors on exhibits including its famous Bible collection.
"Our hope and prayer is that The Great Passion Play will continue in some way to tell ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told,'" Keith Butler, chairman of the foundation's board of directors, said in a statement.
But for Eureka Springs, a Victorian tourist town of 2,074 people, the closure is a major blow.
"There's no question the loss of The Great Passion Play will hurt businesses in Eureka Springs," said Joe David Rice, director of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
"Although the play's visitation has dropped significantly over the years, its visitors bought meals, rented rooms and made important contributions to the local economy," Rice said.
The Elna M. Smith Foundation was founded in the 1960s by Elna and Gerald L.K. Smith, a 1944 presidential candidate for the America First Party. He was known for his anti-Semitic views and pushed an anti-United Nations agenda.
In the 1960s, the couple retired to Eureka Springs and bought a historic house and 167 acres on Magnetic Mountain.
'POWERFUL PRESENTATION'
The Smiths raised $1 million to build the Christ statue, constructed with 320 tons of reinforced concrete. It is one of the largest statues of Jesus in the world and can be seen from 20 miles away.
The couple then created The Great Passion Play in a natural amphitheater on Magnetic Mountain. The play featured 200 cast members and live animals on a 500-foot-wide stage.
It was one of Arkansas' leading tourist attractions for decades. The production, at the height of its popularity, drew 250,000 to 300,000 visitors a year, according to the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. It is estimated that more than 7 million people have seen the production.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said he and his wife, Janet, honeymooned in Eureka Springs and have fond memories of the site. Huckabee told Reuters he first saw the play when he was about 10.
"It was a very powerful presentation," said Huckabee, a former Southern Baptist minister. "I have seen it many times through the years and always appreciated it. It was a wonderful attraction for tourism in Arkansas for many years and I'm saddened by its closure."
This year, attendance dwindled to 46,578 visitors.
In September, the foundation attempted to save itself with a fundraising effort, which failed.
Now the gate to the Christ of the Ozarks statue is locked. That defies the wishes of the Smiths, who are both now dead and buried adjacent to the statue. They wanted the statue accessible 24 hours a day.
(Editing by Corrie MacLaggan, Greg McCune and Todd Eastham)
Entertainment
Fashion
Arts
Lifestyle
United Nations
Investing Simplified
Tweet this
Link this
Share this
Digg this
Email
Reprints
We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment on reuters.com.
Add yours using the box above.
Edition:
U.S.
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
Back to top
Reuters.com
Business
Markets
World
Politics
Technology
Opinion
Money
Pictures
Videos
Site Index
Legal
Bankruptcy Law
California Legal
New York Legal
Securities Law
Support & Contact
Support
Corrections
Connect with Reuters
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
RSS
Podcast
Newsletters
Mobile
About
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
AdChoices
Copyright
Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider
An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution
A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance
Our next generation legal research platform
Our global tax workstation
Thomsonreuters.com
About Thomson Reuters
Investor Relations
Careers
Contact Us
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.