A time-honored summer tradition in Laguna Beach, California, is a dazzling evening of art under the stars: the Pageant of the Masters hosted by Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach. The show returns to the beachside community, after having to postpone in 2020, with nightly performances at 8:30 p.m. from July 7 through September 3. A tourist attraction since opening in 1933—and, until last year, only going dark from 1942 to 1945 during World War II—Pageant of the Masters is where art comes to life by reproducing works by acclaimed masters in a large scale and with live cast members who are painted into the scene for the performance.
A sweeping view of the Irvine Bowl at the Festival of Arts grounds featuring a re-creation of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks.
Pageant of the Masters’ re-creation of Winslow Homer’s Breezing Up (A Fair Wind).
Each year has a new theme, with the 2021 edition hosting the show that would have been mounted in 2020. Made in America: Trailblazing Artists and Their Stories is a befitting event and will spotlight great American paintings, sculptures and photographs. Unlike any previous production, this year will include artist tributes that help tell their stories in the form of vignettes with direct quotes incorporated. Included will be re-creations of art from Norman Rockwell, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, John Nieto and Luis Jimenez, among others.
A full view of the Pageant of the Masters re-creation of Dorothea Lange’s photograph One Man Caravan (Family on the Road, Midwest).
“I’m especially pleased about two of the segments,” says Pageant director Challis Davy. “One is a tribute to the inspiring story of African American sculptor Edmonia Lewis. The other is our re-creation of a photo by Dorothea Lange accompanied by two songs written by Woody Guthrie. The photo illustrates the heartache of the Great Depression and our tableau is followed by the re-creation of a brightly colored WPA mural that celebrates the resiliency of the American ‘can-do’ spirit.”
A backstage look at Pageant of Masters’ re-creation of Dorothea Lang’s photograph One Man Caravan (Family On the Road, Midwest). Photo by Christopher Allwine.
Everett Shin’s painting The Vaudeville Act reimagined for Pageant of the Masters.
To begin this year’s show, a prologue written by scriptwriter Dan Duling will “acknowledge and ‘set the mood’ of the show in the wake of the COVID disruption.” The final piece on view will be the re-creation of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, which has concluded each performance since 1936.
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased through www.pageanttickets.com or by calling (800) 487-3378. —
Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach’s Pageant of the Masters
When: July 7-September 3, 2021, beginning 8:30 p.m. nightly
Where: Irvine Bowl, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Information: www.foapom.com
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