Summer 2022 is now upon us, and if you want to have an out of this world experience, Laguna Beach has exactly what you need. Festival of the Arts is the destination, Pageant of the Masters is the out of this world event.
The Pageant has been a staple of the festival since 1933. This year’s theme is Wonderful World. Spectators can marvel at the 90-minute tableaux vivants, or living pictures, starting next month. With 56 performances, you have no excuse not to show your support and view these magnificent, theatrical experiences set to a full orchestra.
It literally takes a small village, in this case, an artsy seaside resort city, to put on a show like this.
Every night, starting at 8:30 p.m., the hundreds of volunteers (who have been putting in countless hours!), bring international works of art to life. Roughly 500 select volunteers (that’s less than half of those who attempted to be in the show) donate over 600,000 total hours of their time to put on this highly unique and recognized production.
Each nightly performance includes two acts in an outdoor amphitheater with live narration on each recreation. During the 90-minute show, 17 countries will be spotlighted. Act one consists of Follow the Sun, Strolling in Paris, Hospitality in Amsterdam, The Floating City of Venice, Atop the Acropolis, Welcome to Copenhagen, Artists at Home in Sweden, and A World’s Fair.
A few of the iconic recreations included in this act are Edvard Eriksen’s The Little Mermaid circa 1913; Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’s Fontaine de l’Observatoire circa 1872; and Diego Rivera’s Dream of a Sunday Afternoon from 1947.
Act two includes Travels of Nellie Bly, Bangkok, Thailand, Ancient China Unearthed, Exotic Egypt, Japan: Setsugetsuka, and Journey’s End: Laguna Beach. A few infamous pieces being brought to life in Act Two are Leon Benett’s Around the World in 80 Days from 1872; Unknown’s Guardian of the Temple from the 19th century; and David Robert’s Dancing Girls of Cairo circa 1842-1849. This year’s finale would not be complete without Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Since the Pageant of the Masters started back in 1933, there were only three years that did not include this show-stopping masterpiece.
The Pageant of the Masters runs from July 7th to September 2nd. Ticket pricing starts at $30 and your Pageant of the Masters ticket also grants you entry into the Festival of the Arts grounds for the entire 2022 summer. Remember, it gets chilly in the evenings, so bring a light jacket with you. To make your experience even more enjoyable, consider bringing binoculars and a seat cushion, but if you forget, not to worry, the gift shop has your back.
