VIVA! EL PASO has become something so very important to all of us who work so hard, year round to put it together. It is important for many reasons. One, it is in its 34th season and has become one of the oldest live performance venues the city has to offer. Many, many people have come to see our show over the years and many people have performed or worked on our show. It has become something very important to the City of El Paso. It has become a Summer tradition. A tradition that through the good and through the bad, we are very happy to perpetuate.

Another and fundamentally more important reason we feel like we have to do what we can to produce VIVA! every Summer, is to secure a performing venue for local performers and technicians. The Artistic Staff, The Technical Staff and the Cast are comprised of local individuals who want to spend their Summer working together to make this truly unique show, truly unique to the City of El Paso, come to life. VIVA! has become a training ground for local performers that no other experience can give them. By the end of the Summer dancers will learn to sing, actors will learn to dance and singers will learn to act, all in the span of three months. By the end of the Summer each performer and technician will become a seasoned professional. Many people don't think that because we are "just El Paso" we don't have talent. I beg to differ. What you are seeing onstage tonight is the product of El Paso's enormous talent pool. We are very lucky to have these very talented individuals working with us this Summer.

One final reason that VIVA! is important to us is the fact that today's VIVA! has been put together by people who have a history with VIVA!. They have been part of the VIVA! family. Christian Adame returns for his second season on staff was part of VIVA! in its earliest of days. Elony Bejarano, Jaime Carrasco and Crystal Ramos and Armando Soto performed in VIVA! throughout the late 1980's, 1990's and early 2000's. Crystal Ramos has honed her talents as a dancer and choreographer by performing in the show for the past nine years and now her talents will be fully realized as she is the perfect choice for our Principal Choreographer. She is doing a fabulous job!!! The newest member of the staff has been a close friend of mine for over twenty years since I met her when we were both part of the cast of VIVA! in 1989. Betsy Tinajero joins us as Assistant Director this season. Her years of performing in VIVA! El Paso and TEXAS as well as her extensive dance experience and expertise have only elevated the quality of dance in our show to the next level.

There is no way a show like this can be put together by one person. I have A LOT of help. Help that I ask for. Help that I need. Help that I relish. To Betsy, Elony, Christian, Joe, Jaime, Crystal, Nina, Mando, Isabel and Mari, I thank you whole heartedly for all of your endless hours of hard work that you have put into make this show an experience I look forward to every year. To the cast and crew, you are some of the hardest working young adults I have ever had the privilege of working with. I am so lucky to have so many "returnees". Those of you who come back year after year make me know that what we are doing here is the right thing.

I truly hope you enjoy tonight's performance. Everything we could pool together for you, we did! Passion, hard work, talent, discipline and fun will all be on display for you tonight. So, "Sit Back, Relax and Enjoy the Show!"