Pageant of the Masters

The theme this year for The Pageant of the Masters is The Art Detective.  It is currently running in Laguna Beach until August 31.  It begins at 8:30 in the evening and is outside so bring a sweater and or blanket, and some binoculars.  You are in for a treat!

It is best if you buy your tickets as soon as they are available in May from the Pageant itself, if you do, it is very reasonably priced.  If you have to get tickets from a ticket broker it's going to be really expensive; but what else is new!

This year was so interesting.  I learned so much.  It was laced with history and I found it fascinating.  It started out with paintings that were stolen by the Nazi's in WWII.  Then it touched on how countries acquired art from other countries and then art stolen right out of the frames.  It touched on new discoveries of art in the pyramids and art that was painted on walls (frescoes) that was almost lost due to bombings in WWII.  

 Here is the setting in which you will see the pageant.  Not a bad seat in the house really.  We were center stage.

 As an added treat, we got to go backstage this year because a man my handsome husband went to school with is in the tableau of The Last Supper.  It is absolute amazing to see how things are done.  What struck me was how the costumes and the backgrounds of the paintings are not detailed.  They are roughed in.  The pics are 2D and have structures to help the participants hold up their hands, sit or keep their foot in just the right position.  It is actually the lighting that makes everything look just so.

 They have a make up room and each player has his own makeup container, makeup direction sheet and mannequin head to help the makeup artist get them ready.  Real people are in the statues and they are naked and painted.  They keep the actors that are going to be nude in a separate part of the stage than were the children are.  They line up the tableaus 5 at a time ready to hit the stage and they have an adjustable frame that slides apart or together to fit each one.

Real people painted with gold paint. 

Our friend is the second guy in the green next to Jesus.  For the last couple of years, a woman has played Jesus and there are two women in the tableau in total. 

I also learned about Audrey Munson.  She has a fascinating story that I will share with you later. 

 She was the first American to appear in the nude in films and she was a favorite model of artists in the early 1900's.  There are over 45 statues throughout New York with her likeness.

Audrey Munsen as the Star Maiden 

If you are ever in Laguna Beach in the summer you should definitely go.  It is a bucket list item, don't miss out!

Pageant of the Masters

Watch the short film below to see how its done.