Viva! El Paso is an annually performed musical which celebrates El Paso's cultural history through dance, drama, narration and songs. It has been running almost continually since 1978 and was updated with a new script and music in 2016. The musical play is performed outdoors in the McKelligon Canyon amphitheater.[1]
With 2020 being cancelled caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 43rd was deferred to 2021.
The performance describes over 400 years of El Paso history.[2] There have been two versions of the musical play. The original play was created by Hector Serrano and was first performed in 1978.[1] It was first produced by the Los Pobres Bilingual Theatre Repertory Company.[3] In 2014, Viva! went on hiatus when there was not enough funding to support the play.[3] A new script was written by Marty Martin for the new production starting in 2016.[4] The new version was produced through a partnership with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso Live, the El Paso Community Foundation and the El Paso Community College (EPCC).[3][5]
The new script includes additional musical and dance scenes and streamlines the original script.[2][4] The 2016 version is also more character-driven than the original, with the focus on two lovers who move through history and time starting with indigenous settlers to the more present day.[4] Musical arrangements were done by Jim Ward and Cody Ritchey.[5]