Pageant of the Masters- Pursuit of Happiness theme in Laguna Beach- July 8th-August 31st, 2015- Preview, Tickets
IN 2015 PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS, ART TRACKS
“The Pursuit of Happiness”
LAGUNA BEACH, CA – Happiness seems to be a hot topic this year, a favorite subject for editorials, opinion polls, self-help books, feature films and documentaries and, as always, pop songs. And it’s on everyone’s mind at the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, the world-famous celebration of art in “living pictures” – tableaux vivants – where the theme chosen for this summer’s production is “The Pursuit of Happiness.” This one-of-a-kind theatrical event, which also features live narration and original music performed live by the Pageant’s orchestra, takes place in the beautiful Irvine Bowl on the grounds of Laguna’s Festival of Arts.
With its July opening fast approaching, Pageant Director Diane Challis Davy is putting the finishing touches on what she believes will be an inspiring and family-friendly show. In this, her 20th Pageant as director, Challis Davy readily acknowledged her theme selections seem to have a surprising knack for topical resonance. This summer’s Pageant, with its blend of art and theatre, will offer its own perspectives. “It’s going to be fun, entertaining and educational,” Challis Davy explained. “Past and present sources of happiness will be considered, and we’ll present themes and memes that everyone can relate to.”
“The desire for happiness,” she continued, “is integral to being human. Today we share the same basic wants and face the same struggles as our distant ancestors. The need to be ‘happy’ is a trait that unites us across all nationalities, races and religions.” Challis Davy added, “We are living a fast-paced existence in the digital age. Maybe this is a good time to slow down and consider the ways in which art reflects the quest for happiness in different eras and different cultures. I think we will find we have more in common with previous generations than we thought.”
Challis Davy hopes “The Pursuit of Happiness” will provide plenty of opportunities for beauty and theatrical excitement. It will also have an international feel thanks to the inclusion of artworks from other cultures. Tributes to the wonders of childhood and the universal appeal of dance will be complemented by stories of love, family and history.
Working closely with Challis Davy, longtime Pageant Scriptwriter Dan Duling was also excited about the theme, especially at the Pageant where volunteer enthusiasm is integral to the creative process. Duling noted, “We had over 1,200 potential volunteers show up for this past January’s ‘casting call’ to vie for a chance to be part of the fun both onstage and backstage. Community, friendship, family, and devotion to a greater cause: I’ve learned a lot about the sources of happiness right here.”(continued)
Director Challis Davy and her staff realize all too well that their 82-year-old production wouldn’t be possible without their amazing and loyal volunteers, many of whom travel from all over the Southland and return year after year to take part. Backstage at the Pageant is truly unique: camaraderie, a perpetually festive atmosphere, and a commitment to professionalism in every department, result in a show that has been eliciting gasps of wonder and delight from audiences for decades.
When asked about what happiness means to her, Challis Davy responded, “Being creative and making artful entertainment.” After a moment, she added, “Good health and the absence of worries wouldn’t be bad either!”
Finally, she summed up her ambitions. “We hope ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ will be beautiful and entertaining, and encourage our audiences to think about the importance of both joy and art in their lives.”
DIRECTOR DEBUTS HER 20th PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS
Twenty Years of Pageant Themes from Diane Challis Davy
LAGUNA BEACH, CA – The Pursuit of Happiness, the 2015 Pageant of the Masters – Laguna’s world-famous theatrical celebration of art in tableaux vivants – “living pictures” – is shaping up to be a big crowd pleaser this summer. It’s an exciting mix of classic Americana, vivid storytelling, wildly diverse international art and social history all presented in the outdoor splendor of the Festival of Arts’ Irvine Bowl, with live music, narration and dazzling theatrical illusions, effects and stage magic. It’s also exactly the sort of polished, professional entertainment Pageant audiences have come to expect from director Diane Challis Davy during her 20 years at the helm of this unprecedented production.
It was the fall of 1995 when Diane “Dee” Challis Davy assumed her role as director/producer of the Pageant of the Masters. In the two decades since, Challis Davy has proven herself to be a tireless risk-taker in her efforts to complement the show’s artful presentation of tableaux vivants with imaginative additions to the programs’ theatricality. During her tenure, the program has incorporated more seamless transitions, occasional use of live singers and dancers, special effects and video projection, even animal co-stars, all in a concerted effort to keep the Pageant theatrically vital.
But, of all her innovations, it is her assigning of different themes to her programs that has set her shows apart from the rest. In the process, her themes have had another beneficial effect: they encourage happy patrons and enthusiastic volunteers to keep coming back to see what she’ll do with her new themes year after year. And these days, Challis Davy especially enjoys watching as her themes seem to have a knack for unintentionally dovetailing with popular online social media memes.
After serving as assistant director for more than a decade, Challis Davy already had themes in mind when she took over as director. “The idea of doing a themed show was Don Williamson’s,” she said, referring to the Pageant’s director from 1964-1978.
Challis Davy was far more modest about her 20-year tenure, longer than any other director in Pageant history. “Our audiences expect a great night of theatre and music, and we want them to have a great time, tell their friends and want to come back. Same for my backstage artists and volunteers. Obviously, we can’t please everybody all the time. But, that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to give it our very best shot.”
Director Diane Challis Davy’s own “pursuit of happiness” seems to have led to right where she wants to be, directing the show she knows inside out and has loved for as long as she’s been at the Pageant.
Essential information about the 2015 Pageant of the Masters
DATES/TIMES
Themed “The Pursuit of Happiness” July 8 through August 31, staged nightly at 8:30pm.
LOCATION
Irvine Bowl, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (near downtown, five-minute walk from ocean)
ADMISSION
Pageant tickets $15 – $230 (depending on seat location and night of the week); a Pageant ticket also acts as a season pass to the Festival art show.
EVENTS
Celebrity Benefit Concert & Pageant
August 29, 2015, 5pm
A private red carpet event and intimate concert with Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated singer/songwriter Melissa Manchester. The evening features music, fine art and a celebrity-hosted performance of the “The Pursuit of Happiness.” Tickets are $40 – $230 and are available by calling (800) 487–3378.
THEME
Is there anything more personal, more elusive than what it is to be happy? The 2015 Pageant of the Masters “The Pursuit of Happiness,” will explore the many sources of happiness, both ancient and modern through our theatrical production of “living pictures.” Go on a sentimental journey through depictions of pastimes and activities that gave people joy long before the instant gratification of the computer age. Discover artists who found their own answers to the age-old question, “what makes life worth living?” The 2015 Pageant promises to be a breathtaking, playful and joyous journey, in search of that most mysterious of treasures.
PHYSICAL FACILITIES
Overall area of grounds and bowl: 5.6 acres.
Bowl capacity: 2,600. Property owned by City of Laguna Beach and leased to the Festival. City receives a percentage of Festival revenues. The Festival of Arts is a non-smoking facility.
ORGANIZATION
The Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach is a nonprofit, year-round operation governed by a board of directors whose nine members serve without pay. Directors are elected by the membership (three each year) for three-year terms. Each year some 500 volunteers contribute more than 60,000 hours to the enterprise.
HISTORY
The first Festival was in 1932; the first Pageant was in 1933. Except for the war years between 1942 and 1945, the Festival/Pageant has been an annual event. Presented first in the downtown area of Laguna Beach, then moved in 1941 to the present canyon site. A detailed history sheet is available on request.
FUN FACTS
- Each costume requires 3 yards of unbleached muslin.
- More than 200 feet of Velcro are used each year for costume fasteners.
- 50 gallons of body make up are used every summer.
- In the headpiece department, 300 pounds of clay and 300 pounds of plaster are used as well as 10 gallons of latex and 5 gallons of neoprene.
- It takes 100 gallons of top-grade scenery paint to paint sets and 500 pounds of muslin for the stage sets.
- Make up is applied on cast members with synthetic foam sponges. By the end of the summer, 10 large trash bags of sponges are used backstage.
- Around 1,200 people (volunteers) try out to be in the show. Approximately 500 are either cast or work behind the scenes. They contribute more than 60,000 hours. Youngest cast member 4 years old; Oldest cast member late 80s.
- The first Pageant of the Masters in 1933 ran only 8 days. Today the Pageant has 54 performances.
- Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper was first presented as the traditional finale in 1936. Since then, there have only been 3 years that da Vinci’s The Last Supper was not re-created in the show.
- The Pageant has rained out only twice in its entire history!
PRINCIPAL TELEPHONE NUMBERS
General Information: (949) 494-1145
Pageant tickets: (949) 497-6582
(800) 487-3378
MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover accepted.
WEBSITE
ABOUT THE PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS
Presented by the Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach
The Pageant of the Masters is arguably one of the most unique productions in the entire world. Audiences are amazed and enchanted by ninety minutes of tableaux vivants (“living pictures”), incredibly faithful re-creations of classical and contemporary works of art, with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces.
DATES & TIMES
July 8 – August 31, 2015
Performances Nightly at 8:30pm
TICKET INFORMATION
Advance Tickets $15 – $230
A Pageant Ticket also acts a season pass to the Festival of Arts Fine Art Show
SPONSORS
The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters are sponsored in part by
Fidelity Investments, KOST Radio 103.5, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel,
and Orange County Register.
LOCATION
Irvine Bowl at the Festival of Arts
650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
FOR INFORMATION & TICKETS
(800) 487-3378