Pageant of the Masters re-creation of Winslow Homer's "Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)" to be featured in the 2021 production
Pageant of the Masters Returns with “Made in America: Trailblazing Artists and Their Stories”
Performances Nightly July 7 – September 3, 2021
LAGUNA BEACH, CA— Returning to the beach-side community after postponing the 2020 production due to the coronavirus pandemic, audiences will once again be able to experience the art of living pictures at the Pageant of the Masters! Tickets to this summer’s production Made in America: Trailblazing Artists and Their Stories start at $30 per person at www.PageantTickets.com or by calling 800-487-3378. The Pageant of the Masters is sponsored in part by Volvo, KOST Radio 103.5, Fidelity Investments and The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.
“This summer’s production is ‘from the heart’. The enthusiasm is at an all-time high and our staff and volunteers are so happy and grateful to be able to perform again,” shared long-standing Pageant Director Diane Challis Davy. “Everyone involved is determined to do all we can to make sure our audiences experience thrills, amazing and inspirational stories, beautiful music and extraordinary living pictures under the stars.”
The 2021 Pageant of the Masters, Made in America: Trailblazing Artists and Their Stories, was planned for 2020, when the pandemic forced world-wide shutdowns of live performances and events. Prior to last year, the Pageant had only gone dark from 1942 to 1945, during World War II. Its history traces back to Laguna Beach's early days as an art colony, starting in 1933 as a way to draw in tourists. Today, the iconic show has become a phenomenon and the crowning jewel of Laguna Beach.
Through the magic of living pictures, Pageant patrons will meet the artists who not only made this country their home, but let their creativity be inspired by the liberations upon which this nation was founded. Certain to be unlike any other Pageant production, the 2021 summer show will offer a collection of tributes to artists who made their mark in American Art. “We want to tell their (artists) stories in the form of vignettes. We will quote them 'verbatim' as much as possible,” adds Challis Davy.
Asked to reveal some of the artists whose stories and works will be included in this summer’s production, Pageant Director Diane Challis Davy shared several, many of them recognized as masters of American art: Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, Norman Rockwell, Daniel Chester French, Luis Jimenez and John Nieto.
She continued, “I'm especially pleased about two of the segments. One is a tribute to the inspiring story of African American sculptor Edmonia Lewis. The other is our recreation 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 prologue for the opening sequence, written by scriptwriter Dan Duling, will acknowledge and “set the mood” of the show in the wake of the COVID disruption. The upcoming production will also present some of the photos of the cast volunteers taken by Matthew Rolston in 2017. Audiences will likely feel a since of nostalgia as the night closes with the Pageant’s recreation of “The Last Supper” by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci, which has been the Pageant’s traditional closing tableau since 1936.
Challis Davy shared one final tease: “Prepare yourselves for an inspirational adventure, a plotline from start to finish, and a moving look at American History through a collection of tributes to artists who made their mark in American Art.”
The 2021 Pageant of the Masters, Made in America: Trailblazing Artists and Their Stories, runs July 7 – September 3, 2021. Tickets start at $30 per person and go on sale today, May 3, 2021. A Pageant ticket is also a season pass to the 2021 Festival of Arts Fine Art Show, which will take place July 5 – September 3, 2021. For more information, ticket policies, and to purchase tickets, visit www.PageantTickets.com or by calling 800-487-3378.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS OF LAGUNA BEACH
The Festival of Arts, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has long been a local leader that has helped with the growth and development of the community and the arts in Laguna Beach. Established in 1932, the Festival of Arts’ mission is to promote, produce and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study, and performance of the arts. Each summer for nearly 90 years, the Festival of Arts has produced two world-class events: The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters. Together both shows attract more than 225,000 visitors into Laguna Beach annually.