Presented by the Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach, the Pageant of the Masters is celebrating their 85th Anniversary this summer! The living masterpieces are re-creations of classical and contemporary works of art with real people posing to look exactly like the original pieces. It is amazing! Offered nightly July 7th through September 1st, their 2018 production of “Under the Sun” will honor masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Kleitsch, Rosenthal, Monet, Kuntz, Sargent, and Wasil. A live narrator will guide us through the story of each tableaux vivants (“living picture”) accompanied by the music of a professional orchestra. The finale of the Pageant will feature Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”
Media Preview Night
During Preview Night, we met with artists Lance Heck (jewelry), Sharon Jackman (ceramics), Michael Obermeyer (oil painting), and Yoonsook Ryang (printmaking). They will be showcasing during the festival. We saw costumes from previous Festival Runway Fashion events. They will be offering Art Workshops all summer long. We also sampled wine and chocolate from Art, Jazz, Wine & Chocolate. We saw a presentation of “Under the Sun” with Flag Raising over Irvine Bowl from the 1946 Pageant. We went back to the studios and visited with Pageant artists David Cooke, Kim Knowlton, David Rymar, and Daniel Stonebreaker as they put on the final touches of the Pageant sets. We went behind-the-scenes and saw make-up. We also got a glimpse of the show in the Irvine Bowl – Franz A. Bishcoff’s Catching Fish at the Beach, Joseph Kleitsch’s Red and Green, Lithographs – Orange Crate Labels. At the end of the night, we did a menu tasting reception as they introduced us to the brand new restaurant on the Festival of Arts grounds Terra Laguna Beach.
Fun Facts –
- It takes about 1,200 volunteers to be in the show. Approximately 500 are either cast or work behind the scenes. They contribute more than 60,000 hours. Youngest cast member is 4 years old. The oldest cast member is in their late 80s.
- The first Pageant of the Masters in 1933 ran 8 days. Now they have 57 performances.
- Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper was first presented as the traditional finale in 1936. Since then, they have only missed three years.
- The Pageant has rained out only three times in its entire history.
Since opening in 1933, the Pageant welcomes approximately 500 volunteers each year who eagerly contribute more than 60,000 hours of their time. Many staff members, like Butch, have worked with Pageant of the Masters for decades, creating a family-reunion-like environment that attracts mass numbers of volunteers and crowds to learn, appreciate, and perform in the fine arts. The volunteers vary in ages with the youngest volunteer at just 4 years old, and the oldest in his late 80’s. Every Thursday night through June, staff and volunteers gather in the Irvine Bowl studying details from stage lighting to specific pose placement, and unique make-up art to complicated set designs. Volunteer actors fill the backstage area during rehearsals, along with Allyson Doherty, Makeup Director, who coaches the make-up volunteers with step-by-step tutorials on how to transform the actors into living art. To complete the final picture, Costume Director, Reagan Foy, and her team help cast members into their costumes and make final adjustments. The Director, Diane Challis Davy, selects the pieces in the Pageant and oversees pre-production and each rehearsal to perfect the living pictures and transform their presentation, with help from the Pageant staff, into a full production with music, narration and backdrops.
“We started work on pre-production for “Under the Sun” in October 2017. Currently we are building different sets each week, and conducting dress rehearsals every Thursday night for 3-4 set pieces,” said Richard “Butch” Hill, Technical Director and Lighting Designer for the Pageant. “This will be my 34th year with the Pageant and the passion and dedication from the designers, volunteers, make-up artists, Pageant Director, and everyone involved truly shows in the masterpieces created.”
New Restaurant!
We got a sneak peak of the new on-property dining/event venue at the Festival of the Arts/Pageant of the Masters grounds in Laguna Beach, TERRA LAGUNA BEACH. The ambiance was romantic and the food was great! If you’re looking for somewhere to eat before the show, you’ll want to check it out. Here are some of the items we tried – Cheese and Charcuterie Box, Terra’s House Salad, Pan Seared Salmon, Grassfed Flank Steak, and Rosemary Lemon Olive Oil Cake with macerated berries. Yummy! More details can be found on their website at www.terralagunabeach.com. Reservations are recommended.
The Pageant of the Masters
July 7 – September 1, 2018
Laguna Beach Festival of Arts
650 Laguna Canyon Road
Laguna Beach, California
(949) 494-1145
www.LagunaFestivalofArts.org
DATES & TIMES
- July 5 – September 1, 2018
- Open weekdays: 12noon – 11:30pm
- Open weekends: 10am – 11:30pm
- Early closing August 25 at 1:30pm
TICKET INFORMATION
- General Admission: Weekdays $10, Weekends $15
- Students & Seniors: Weekdays $7, Weekends $11
- Children 6 – 12: Daily $5
- Free Admission for Children 5 and under, Military, and Laguna Beach Residents.
A Pageant ticket is also a season pass to the Festival of Arts Fine Art Show. Thousands of artists have shown and sold their work at the Festival of Arts and many of the artists have their original artwork featured in the private collections of leading art collectors, celebrities, and museums around the world. The 2018 Festival of Arts Fine Art Show will take place in conjunction with the Pageant of the Masters, July 5 – September 1, with general admission tickets starting at $10 per person. The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters are sponsored in part by Southern California Acura Dealers, Fidelity Investments, KOST Radio 103.5, and the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.
Passport to the Arts: A special promotion (funded in part by Bank of America): Passport to the Arts for only $29. Includes unlimited admission all summer long to the Festival of Arts, the Sawdust ArtFestival and Laguna Art-A-Fair. Enjoy works of art by more than 500 artists, 300 hands-on workshops, dozens of special events, plus a one time, all-day free parking pass with each Passport purchased. Order online at www.LagunaBeachPassport.com. Passports also available for purchase on-site at each festival location during the summer. Offer excludes Pageant of the Masters. Valid June 29 – September 2, 2018.
WEEKLY ACTIVITIES & SPECIAL EVENTS
July Calendar Listings
Art and Story Time
Dates: Mondays: July 9, 16, 23, 30
Time: 12:30 – 1:30pm
Cost: Free with $10 Festival admission
Art and Story Time is a weekly series for children 5 and under. Every Monday will feature a different book read aloud plus a hands-on art project. There may even be special surprise visits from illustrators, story characters, and more. Fun for children and their parents!
- July 09: “Wild About Books” by Judy Sierra featuring Belle from Beauty and the Beast
- July 16: “Frog and Toad are Friends” by Arbold Lobel featuring the Environmental Nature Center
- July 23: “Rory the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad” by Liz Climo
- July 30: “Culture Island (How Captain Tall Tale Became Tall Part 2)” by Todd McLane
Tribute Tuesdays Music Series
Dates: Tuesdays: July 10, 17, 24, 31
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm
Cost: Free with $10 Festival admission. Limited seating available in reserved section for $20 per person (includes Festival admission).
On Tuesday nights, the Festival of Arts brings to the stage some of Southern California’s most well-known tribute bands. Talented performers pay homage to music legends as they re-create popular songs.
- July 10: True Willie and the Boys
- July 17: Darryl Walker sings Al Jarreau
- July 24: The Joni Mitchell Project with Kiki Ebsen
- July 31: The Beatroots – Music of the Beatles with Jason Feddy
Art Talks and Tea
Sponsored by PBS SoCal
Dates: Wednesdays: July 11, 18, 25
Time: 12 – 1pm
Cost: Free with $10 Festival admission
Whether you’re an informed connoisseur, an amateur collector, or an art lover, join us for fascinating and informative discussions with the Festival of Arts exhibitors at our Art Talks and Tea. Enjoy tea on the Festival’s green while listening to artists talk about their inspiration, history, and careers in art.
Art, Jazz, Wine & Chocolate
Sponsored by Charles Schwab of Orange County
Dates: Thursdays: July 12, 19, 26
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm
Cost: $20 in addition to $10 Festival admission. Limited seating available in reserved section for $35 per person (includes Festival admission).
Chocolate, wine, and all that jazz sweetens up the Festival of Arts this summer! On Thursday nights, indulge your senses at the Art, Jazz, Wine and Chocolate series. Sample a wide variety of Kendall-Jackson wines expertly selected to compliment and enhance the nuanced flavor of high-end chocolates. The Festival’s casual and classy outdoor setting, together with the soulful sounds of jazz surrounded by fine art, creates an ideal evening for friends, sweethearts, and family.
- July 12: Brian Simpson
- July 19: Chris Standring
- July 26: Spencer Day
Step into the Spotlight Music Series
Dates: Fridays: July 13, 20, 27
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm
Cost: Free with $10 Festival admission. Limited seating available in reserved section for $20 per person (includes Festival admission).
On Fridays the Festival brings to center stage some of those amazing voices that are usually seen (and heard) in the background with the music series “Step into the Spotlight.” There’s an extraordinary lineup of back-up singers or background vocalists who will take the stage this summer.
- July 13: Dorian Holley
- July 20: Catte Adams
- July 27: Stephan Oberhoff and Heartbeat Brazil
Concerts on the Green
Sponsored by Cambria Estates Vineyard and Winery
Dates: Saturdays: July 7, 14, 21
Time: 1 – 2:30pm
Cost: Free with $15 Festival admission. Limited seating available in reserved section for $40 per person (includes Festival admission).
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the sounds of award-winning musicians as they perform live as part of the Festival of Arts Concerts on the Green series. Groove to the sounds of these living legends in a casual outdoor gallery setting that offers a memorable and unique concert experience unmatched in Southern California. The Festival of Arts continues to build on its nationally and critically acclaimed reputation as one of the finest outdoor art venues.
- July 07: Gordon Goodwin’s Little Phat Band
- July 14: Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers
- July 21: Brian Bromberg
Family Art Day
Sponsored by San Diego County Credit Union
Dates: Sunday, July 8, 2018
Time: 12 – 3pm
Cost: Free with Festival admission ($15)
Family Art Day at the Festival of Arts is the most fun-filled, art-filled and enchantment-filled day of the entire summer for families! When kids arrive, they will get a booklet full of coupons redeemable for special activities and treats. Kids can participate in “Art Quest” – an art exhibit treasure hunt where they will answer kid-friendly questions by investigating different exhibits throughout the grounds. Enjoy a special performance by the award-winning Le PeTiT CiRqUe, America’s only all-kid cirque company. Fun for the whole family! Children 5 and under receive free admission all summer long to the Festival of Arts.
ART WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
July Calendar Listings
Youth Arts Classes
Dates/Times: July 5 – August 17, 2018
Monday – Friday 1pm & 3pm
Cost: $25 – $35 per class
Bring out that creative spark in your young artist at the Youth Art Classes this summer at the Festival of Arts. Kids will enjoy art classes taught by professional Festival artists in mixed-media, jewelry making, painting and more. Meanwhile, parents will have free time to view the artwork on display throughout the Festival grounds. Festival artists will also share some of their creative techniques in a fun and friendly environment that will inspire your kids to come back every week! Open to children ages 5 – 12. Reservations required. For schedule and reservations, visit LagunaFestivalofArts.org.
Adult and Teen Art Classes
Dates/Times: July 6 – August 25, 2018
Fridays at 5pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm, August 25 at 10am
Cost: $60 fee per person, per class
Let your creativity run wild this summer in Laguna Beach! Discover your inner artist at the Festival of Arts Adult and Teen Art Classes! Award-winning talented artists will lead you step-by-step through the process of creating your own masterpiece. These classes are perfect for vacationers and locals alike looking to try something new, have fun, and soak in the artistic atmosphere. Ages 13 and up. Reservations preferred. For schedule and reservations, visit LagunaFestivalofArts.org.
Wine and Painting Nights
Dates: Saturdays, July 7 – August 18, 2018
Time: 8:30 – 10pm
Cost: $75 fee per person, per class
Uncork your creativity this summer at the Festival of Arts! Enjoy a fun painting workshop, while surrounded by beautiful art. Learn easy step-by-step processes, as taught by noted Festival exhibitors Mike Tauber or Anthony Salvo. Beginners and all levels are invited – take home your finished masterpiece! All supplies and complimentary wine or beverage are included. For adults 21 and up. Reservations required, visit LagunaFestivalofArts.org.
- July 07: “Strawberry Drop” with Anthony Salvo
- July 14: “El Rio Skip Boat” with Anthony Salvo
- July 21: “Koi Fish” with Mike Tauber
- July 28: “Getting to the Point” with Anthony Salvo