The Great Passion Play

Heath Hawkins

I started this review before and found that it turned into a review of Eureka Springs, Arkansas instead. That is where The Great Passion Play is located. If you are not familiar with Eureka Springs, then I would encourage you to find that review on my review page.

One of my favorite things to do when I get checked into my hotel in Branson is find the brochure rack. I have memories from childhood of pulling one of every brochure out of the rack and taking them back to the hotel room. Then I would start sorting through them. There would be one stack for the things I wanted to do and one for the “not interested” in stuff. This is a ritual I still do today, but with the Internet I find that I make more plans ahead of time now. Especially now that www.BransonCritic.org is out there.

If you have a ritual that is anything like that, you have undoubtedly seen a brochure for The Great Passion Play. However, it probably went in the discard pile because it was not in Branson. I would challenge you to consider making the 45-minute trip south to Eureka Spring during your next trip to Branson. I promise that the title does not lie. The Great Passion Play is GREAT!

The ride to Eureka Springs is very pretty. You will get to see more of the beautiful Ozark Mountains. As an added bonus you there are lots of unique shops and roadside stands that dots the way.

The Great Passion Play starting time varies throughout the season because it coincides with sundown, so call ahead. However, I would plan to go early and spend the entire day. There is more to do on the grounds than see the Great Passion Play. Ticket prices are very reasonable. The play by itself is less than $25 for an adult, but I would suggest you purchase the Value Package that includes the play, tour of the Holy Land, admission to the Sacred arts Center, Bible Museum and dinner at the Mission Buffet. That ticket is less than $45 and will promise a full day of fun and activity.

As you enter the property you will immediately notice an enormous statue. The Christ of the Ozarks is a seven-story statue of Christ with arms open wide, overlooking the Ozark Mountains. You are able to walk around it. They also have a piece of the actual Berlin Wall and a restored country church that are all FREE to tour.

You will want to pick up your tickets and get started. If you do the value ticket you will need to be there at least five or six hours early just to get everything done. I would start with the Holy Land Tour. They have recreated actual places from the Bible. You will ride a tram for parts of the tour, but be aware that there is still a lot of walking. If you go in the summer it is very hot. Plan ahead and take water with you or take money to buy it along the tour. They do not try to rip you off. It is normal price, about $1 per bottle. Hint, they also have ice cram at a couple stops.

You start the two hour tour by going through the Eastern Gates of Jerusalem and them you are whisked off to tour a recreation if the Tabernacle. All along the way you will receive exciting teaching. But unlike just reading it, you actually see what the Bible is talking about. A few of the other stops on the tour include Bethlehem and the Inn, the upper room, the Sea of Galilee, Golgotha Hill and you even get to sing Amazing Grave inside the empty tomb.

When you get back to the Passion Play main complex you will need a break from the heat. I suggest the Bible Museum. It has one of the most extensive collections of ancient to modern Bibles in the world. There is a video you can sit and watch and the Bible displays are laid out in sequence from ancient times through today. Fascinating!

You might decide to go to the Sacred Arts Center first. It houses an expansive collection of all forms of religious art. The collection includes paintings, tapestry, sculpture, photography, and modern art.

After all these tours you will be very hungry and the Mission Buffet is sure to please. It is a great all-you-can-eat buffet with great southern specialties like fried chicken and peach cobbler.

You are sure to feel as if you have more than got your moneys worth already, but there is still more. For about an hour before the play starts there are two more pre-shows available. They are included in your ticket price. The Parable of the Potter is an amazing FREE presentation. The Jesus character from the actual show spins a clay pot on a potter’s wheel while sharing how our life is like the clay and God is the potter. The presentation is done three times and is about 15 minutes long.

Before or after the potter, there is also a gospel sing-along in the chapel on the complex. Visiting soloists and gospel groups lead the service.

Finally it is time for the grand finale – The Great Passion Play. It is worth the wait. Be prepared, the walk down to your seat and then back up again is strenuous. If traveling with older folks, you might request a seat close to the top. The seats are all outdoors and they are not padded, but they are big enough that you are not in your neighbors lap. I would suggest that you use the restroom before show starts and grab your refreshments before you find your seat. Some of the actors serve as ushers, so this would be a great photo opportunity.

From the very beginning you will feel as if you are they’re witnessing the powerful story of the last three days in the life of Jesus. There are dozens if live animals and hundreds of beautiful costumes. You get to look down on the amazing replica of Jerusalem and surrounding area from above. There are even some special effects that I still can’t figure out, and I have seen the show about a dozen times.

It all starts with Jesus triumphal entry on a donkey to cheering crowds and jeering Pharisees. The action unfolds with the actual text right from the Bible. You will see Jesus perform miracles. You will cry when he is beat and hung on the cross. But you will also cheer when he defeats death on the third day and rises from the tomb. Though the end will not be a surprise to most, I am not going to give it away. You won’t believe what you see happen. It is amazing!

This is a timeless performance that I remember from my childhood. I still enjoy it today when I go back, and I look forward to taking my own children to see it some day. You will be so glade you decided to spend part of your Branson trip in Eureka Springs. You will leave inspired and refreshed.

Contact Jason Heath Hawkins at hhawkins@waynesville.k12.mo.us.

To ask for permission to use excerpts of Heath's articles for print or digital means, must have the written consent of BransonCritic.org

Branson Critic™

Participate

Submitting Big Reviews

Comments/Small Reviews

Volunteer

Contests