Once again, the Annual Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach is set to open Friday, July 7 in the Irvine Bowl.
Diane Challis-Davy, the Pageant Director, said that “The Art Colony, which was established in the canyon of Laguna Beach during the early years of the 20th Century is the primary inspiration for the 2023 Pageant theme – the world-famous theatrical celebration of art – through the magic of tableaux vivants known as living pictures.
In 2019 Challis-Davy was honored as a female industry visionary by the Advanced Imaging Society (AIS) during its 10th annual Entertainment Technology Awards Ceremony in Beverly Hills, CA.
“Our technical team has been working in earnest since 2003 to bring the magic of digital imagery to our theatrical production, gradually making improvements and acquiring more advanced technical equipment year-by-year,” Challis-Davy shared. “It’s truly an honor to be recognized for our efforts and I anticipate working ever harder to further refine our production values into the future.”
Excitement continues to build as it gets closer to the annual Pageant of the Masters.
The Pageant is just days away and there’s still lots has to be accomplished before the opening night.
The famous art scenes have already been selected and set-building has begun for the magnificent 2,600-seatoutdoor amphitheater presentation, with a professional orchestra, original musical score, live narration, intricate sets, sophisticated lighting, expert staff and of course the hundreds of dedicated volunteers, who have won recognition for the Pageant to Masters as the best presentation of its kind anywhere in the world.
Auditions have been held and Challis-Davy and her team members have selected body-types that will match with the oil paintings, water colors and sculptures to be presented this summer.
Except for a very small paid staff, 500 volunteers are needed to make the show come to fruition and that’s where the many volunteers – come in, some volunteering for many years in a row because it’s so much fun. Volunteers say they become like family members during the duration of the show.
Each evening, volunteer cast members stay on the patio until they’re called inside, to sit in line, when it’s closer to their scene.
The Last Supper, by Leonardo DeVinci, the final scene of each evening’s presentation, is a hard gig to get into, as the men in those parts either have to pass away or move away to give up their part. Once cast as a Last Supper individual, that’s the part portrayed in continuity. They even have their own little club, according to the one man who portrays Christ in the Last Supper each year.
The Pageant is broadcast over the PA system with the voice of Richard Doyle as the narrator; this is the 90th anniversary of the first presentation of living pictures at the Festival of Arts.
Youngsters who are chosen to participate in the Pageant, grow up, get married and then bring their children to tryout at the Pageant too. It really is a family event for a lot of people, who drive far from distances, some even from out-of-state, a testament to how much people love being a part of such an incredible show.
The Pageant is set-up as a 501(c)3 foundation. The location is, Festival of Arts, 650 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, CA
For information and tickets, visit tickets@lagunapageant.com or call 800-487-3378.
