Pageant of the Masters/Festival of Arts--Annual Spectacular Show--Think Of It As 25+ Amazing Short One-Acts!

Special Event PATCH-Entertainment EVENTS Worth Seeing - and Reach-able

Pageant of the
Masters/Festival of Arts -- Annual Spectacular Show--Think Of It As 25+ Amazing
Short One-Acts!

By: Joseph Sirota

Who's
80 Years Old, and as beautiful, enticing and creatively blooming as ever? Well,
OK, it's not exactly a "Who" as in ONE person. It's Laguna
Beach's Pageant of the Masters / Festival of the Arts, a remarkable artistic, theatrical, musical creative
"army" of dedicated folks celebrating their 80th Anniversary of
bringing Southern California a unique, captivating multifaceted Outdoor Event
to Laguna's handsome Irvine Amphitheater just blocks from the Pacific Shore.
O.C. county and Laguna city have a diverse, strong History of Arts and Entertainment
surviving and flourishing despite a Great Depression, Nature's
Challenges(fires, mudslides...), Wars(except 1942-45) and even Taxes and Traffic.
Of all O.C.'s fine creative
offerings, I feel the unique #1 Entertaining/Artistic Event is the combo Pageant-Festival that ushers in Summer
creatively every year. The Pageant of the Masters echoes back France's 1800's
"tableaux vivants"-- recreating
paintings "on live stage", thus meshing Arts and Theater. Laguna's
Pageant adds clever narration (education and humor), matching live orchestral music,
jazz afternoons with foods and tables before the nightly Pageant. Each year a
different philosophical, societal "Core Concept" seeking mankind's inner
drive and creatively melds Arts, Music and Theater even further. Very important
is the warm support of S. California current
artists via a wonderfully big, fine, diverse Festival of the Arts
before the night Pageant. So, It WOW's us, Entertains us, Educates us and shows
our artists. What's better for ALL? It's perfect for visitors--they never
forget this spectacular Event! 2013's special clever core is The
Big Picture-a Movie Fan's 2X-Must!

As hard as I try to convey the wonder of the
Pageant’s “Living Art” experience, you really must see for yourself how true
the Pageant's extremely hard-working team's (from Director Challis Davy, to
100's of volunteers) promise to us
that “this is where Art Comes to Life”.
I've witnessed in person the near-unbelievable huge in size and quality work
and dedication that goes into the Pageant
and The Festival Of Arts. I have
been fortunate enough to visit a few Pre-Opening Press Peeks of even
a small sample of the many striking steps: of creative ideas; artistic work;
7-day summer volunteers from kidlets to beauties; to gray-haired
helpers(like-me). Indeed, one of the things I learned is that volunteers must
alternate weeks, because the 7-day shows would otherwise "crunch" all
Family Summers if they didn't get some time at their own homes (not to mention the
transportations and dropping off and picking up kids in the show. Egads, this
is not just volunteering for a  4-hour school
carwash one day. We learn the realization from the "peek behind the
stage"-- it takes HOURS of makeup, wigs, and costumes, plus learning and practicing,
exactly how and were to stand, sit or lie-down 100% Still - No-Squirming,
Yet, after all these prep hours, "You're On Stage In the Magic Artistic
Spotlights" for just a handful of minutes nightly. -Then they need to be "un-madeup,
etc", all over again. What a huge prep and un-prep it takes for a  few minutes of stardom (& no pay or name-in-lights for volunteers either).
Now that's steady dedication.

Realize,
months and weeks long before even the Press peek, the creative crews of ideas then
selecting the few dozen fine Paintings, Statues, Posters, Toys, Sculptures art
pieces selected to demonstrate the core concept (this year "The
Big Picture"). The narrations must be written and the
Orchestration pieces for each work of live Art must be chosen, learned and practiced.
Don't overlook the vital need to find every person to fit as a
"Living Art Human Subject". We were able to meet the two real guys to
portray Laurel and Hardy in one film still, and the lovely new Jean Harlow for
another living poster. I assure you, each of these new "living stars"
was carefully well chosen. There's no way to mistake any of these three Pageant
stars to be swapped or changed for one of the other three  roles(even with the superb wig, makeup, and costume
aficionados to work on them). Come see this Pageant; You'll very likely want to
come see future year shows and their new concepts.

Let me offer a few more words about the 140 very live and very
gifted local artists you can and should also see throughout the day and early
twilight before the Nighttime Living Art Pageant (which must start at
nightfall, because the dark night background is essential for the magic
lighting of the majestic original works of art. These artists are well selected
too. They cover wide spectrums of versatile arts, and happily talk with you
about their works, or your questions. Most works shown are happily for sale and
comments. By the way -- be sure to also see the art areas for youngsters. There
are areas for kids to watch art in progress and to learn and enjoy. One very
favorite / don't-Miss area is also a large corner of selected art works by
local youngsters ranging from 3-19(pre-kindergarten to high school senior). I never
fail to be fascinated admiring the work of current young talent and likely some
future pros. Most kid's art aren't for sale, but I always find several works I'd
like to buy, if my home wasn't cluttered with art I already fell in love with.
It's great fun to see if you and your cohorts, pick out the same, or radically
different guesses of which students you'd choose as most likely to be a future
hit artists. Then, someday, you may say, "I knew he or she was great! "