A really big show

Suzie Harrison

No need for a driver’s license or a passport to travel on this world

tour.

“On the Road: A Crash Course in Art and Popular Culture,” features

one of the largest casts of characters in the history of the Pageant

of the Masters. The 2005 show also has some of the largest pieces

ever assembled by its staff of artisans.

Ten-year veteran pageant director Dee Challis Davy said this is

the biggest cast she can recall in her 26 years of experience with

the pageant. It’s comprised of two complete casts of 180 that

alternate performances.

“This show especially celebrates our big extended family of

volunteers,” Challis said. “In a way, it’s like a reunion because so

many of the former cast members are in this show.”

Challis Davy said one of the reasons for the larger cast is the

recreation of a circus parade.

“We have lots of children and a couple of families that have four

of their children appearing in the living pictures,” she said.

The summer show has been a Laguna Beach tradition since 1933.

It was lights, camera, action at Monday’s press preview as

reporters, photographers and film crews rushed to see what resident

Wizard of Oz, aka Challis Davy, created for this summer’s yellow

brick road journey of living pictures, or “tableaux vivants.”

Twenty-one selections give tribute to the theme, ranging in

various media, created as early as 386-634 AD to the 1990s. The

spectrum is as vast as the mode of travel has changed over time.

“This year it’s very much influenced by popular culture, very

upbeat,” Davy said. “People can anticipate a show of humor and

whimsy; I hope the audience will have a lot of fun.”

Americana is a large part of the work, with an exciting tribute to

Route 66, Davy said. “A lot of the selections are bright and

colorful.”

A good example was artist Gene Moore’s 1980 piece “Tiffany Circus

Figurines,” which was recreated Monday.

Painted in silver with vibrant circus costumes, the volunteer

posers took their positions to create the piece. The lion tamer,

clowns and acrobats conjured memories of the circus coming to town.

Samson Collins, 19, said he likes being the tiger tamer. It’s his

fifth year being in the pageant.

“I originally got involved because my eighth-grade teacher was in

the show and took me,” Collins said. “I love the arts and wanted to

be an art and theater major. It’s kind of fun. I’ve never been in

silver before.”

Erika Roybal, 14, is the Harlequin in that piece.

“It’s fun getting painted,” Erika said. “At the dress rehearsal it

took about an hour getting ready. The outfit takes longer and the

silver make-up about a half hour.”

Caroline Moeller, 12, is the circus juggler.

“It’s my first year -- my brother and three sisters are in it

too,” she said.

Brianna Patterson, 17, is one of the Tiffany clowns. “I’ve done it

four years; I’m so excited this is the first time I’m a statue,”

Brianna said. “The silver is different than anything else I’ve done.

I really like the costume colors.”

Judy Parker, lead sculptor, and Lyle Brooks, sculptor, are

responsible for creating the sculpted sets. They started working on

“On the Road” Jan. 3 and the last design should be finished by the

June 21 rehearsal.

Brooks has been Parker’s right hand for the past nine years.

Parker has been with the Pageant 23 years.

Brooks said creating “Swan Bandwagon” took a great deal of time,

yet was one of his favorite pieces this year. On stage, it was easy

to see the reason, with all its intricate details.

“It’s gorgeous, about 26 feet long,” Brooks said. “We worked on it

for almost two months straight. It’s a monster in size.

“Another favorite is ‘Electric Sunset’ by Luis Jimenez; we did

three of his pieces this year,” Brooks said. “Judy did that one; it’s

an eye-popper; it has light bulbs everywhere.”

Parker said it was her favorite piece too.

“It’s a novelty thing, loaded with lightbulbs and two red

lightbulb eyes,” Parker said. “It’s very different from any other

horse because of the lights.”

“Transportation Grand Central Station” was a big project. It was

the first major piece we were immersed in; it’s 26-feet-plus long and

incredibly detailed,” Brooks said. “It was a lot of fun, so much

going on.”

An elephant for the Tiffany circus piece is in the works, Parker

said. It’s also a large-scale creation -- 8 feet tall.

“It has a metal skeleton; we’re adding the Styrofoam and then

taking away everything that doesn’t look like an elephant,” Parker

said. “Everything this year is huge. It’s going to be a really big

show.”

Behind the scenes, lighting and intricate sets also add to the

allure of each piece, turning three-dimensional art into two

dimensions for the recreation of paintings.

Exacting use of make-up, costumes and headpieces transform the

posers into their place in the artwork.

Mary La Venture has been the headpiece director for nine years.

She makes every headpiece herself. This year “Hopi Kachinas” and

“Vaquero” were difficult pieces because of size, La Venture

explained.

It took 20 hours a piece for each kachina. Easier works can take

an hour and more. A mask can take about 12 hours to create.

“We have 180 in each cast and all of them have to have their head

covered,” La Venture said. “Every year it’s different with different

pieces. There are always some fun things in every show.”

La Venture said she likes sculpting latex headpieces because they

require three-dimensional detailing. Her department is the last stop

before they are ready to go onstage to be positioned on set.

Then it’s show time!

Pageant of the Masters will be performed nightly at 8:30 p.m. July

7 through Sept. 1 in the Irvine Bowl on the Festival of Arts grounds,

650 Laguna Canyon Road. Tickets cost $15 to $80. A celebrity gala

fundraiser hosted by Golden award-winning actress Teri Hatcher will

be on Aug. 27. Tickets for the gala cost $50 to $300. For information

or tickets, call (949) 494-1145 or go to https://www.foapom.com.