Pageant brings art to life

The Pageant of the Masters is a unique form of art where creations of master artists come to life in tableaux vivants, which means “living pictures.” They are re-created with the accompaniment of orchestral music and a guided narrative. Masters from various time periods are represented through re-created statues, paintings, jewelry, posters and other media.

Each year, a different theme brings new works to the stage. This year’s theme is “A Passion for Art,” which asks what mysterious force compels an artist to create a work of lasting beauty and power. Is it romance, love, obsession?

Famous “passionate” works are then magically transformed into life-size re-creations. Through lighting, intricate sets and live actors who become part of the piece, each work takes on the exact likeness of its two-dimensional original or three-dimensional model.

The pageant is held at the Festival of Arts grounds. A Pageant of the Masters ticket also provides entrance to the Festival of Arts.cpt.30-pageant-4-CPhotoInfoN11SFJR320060630ihssxaknCOASTLINE PILOT(LA)Kelsey Hutchinson of Laguna Hills becomes a work of art for a preview of the Pageant of the Masters at the Festival of the Arts in 2005.