Next season’s Pageant of the Masters theme: powerful duos in history

Artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, aviation pioneers the Wright brothers and explorers Lewis and Clark will be just some of the dynamic duos who will be celebrated in next year’s Pageant of the Masters, whose theme will be “Partners.”

“Whether it’s a lover, muse, comrade or ally, we hope to prove that it takes two, baby,” said pageant director Diane Challis Davy at the Festival of Arts’ annual meeting Wednesday at the Laguna Beach event venue [seven-degrees.]

The Pageant of the Masters is described as the Festival of Arts’ crowning jewel.

The inspiration for the theme came to Challis Davy and her scriptwriter, Dan Duling, when the two discovered a portrait of the Lavoisiers, a husband and wife who underwent an awkward and hastily arranged marriage that led to the two conducting scientific discoveries in 18th century France.

The artworks that will be re-created as a 90-minute stage show of living pictures, or tableaux vivants, appeared before the crowd in a slideshow. Images included an 1871 oil painting of Adam and Eve, posters of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire and works by Henri Matisse and Paul Cezanne.

Also featured was a 1930 bronze statue of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, a marble tomb of Archduchess Maria and portraits by David Hockney.

The pageant shows, which will run from July 7 to Aug. 31, will end with the traditional finale, “The Last Supper.”

Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen said the nonprofit festival is critical to the arts culture in the city.

Festival President Fred Sattler welcomed members and staff and remarked on the 2015 season’s theme, “The Pursuit of Happiness.”

“We had a very good year,” Sattler said. “This is a marvelous institution set in an ideal locale. What could be better?”

But last summer also brought unexpected challenges, Sattler said, noting a fire in the canyon days before the opening of the annual Pageant of the Masters and art show.

Despite the surprise brush fire and resulting road closures, the Festival of Arts carried on with its dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for its new facade. Sattler said the 3,000 invited guests still made the private event.

A heavy rainstorm in July led to flooding and a cancellation of the show one night, Sattler said. It was the pageant’s first rainout since 1933.

And a broken water main prompted facilities staff members to jump into action.

“Overall, we made it. We’ll face new challenges for reconstruction next fall,” Sattler said, noting plans for “necessary renovation projects.”

Renovation of the festival grounds was scheduled to start last month, but the festival board agreed to postpone the project by a year because of concerns over the predicted weather condition known as El Niño, which is expected to bring an unusual amount of rainfall this winter.

Treasurer David Perry reported that last season’s festival, which ran from July 8 to Aug. 31, brought in more than $9 million in revenue, cost more than $8 million to produce and netted almost $995,649 — greater than the 2014 net of $750,379.

The festival’s net assets decreased to $925,821 from about $1.3 million because of money spent on the new facade.

Perry noted that there were fewer days this past summer for pageant shows but that revenue was boosted by the number of attendees who purchased closer to the show, when they are more costly.

Employees were honored with awards for their contributions for at least 15 years. Pageant construction foreman Jack Clancy and Challis Davy were recognized for their 35 years of service. Challis Davy’s 20th anniversary as pageant director was also recognized.

Volunteers were presented with Life Membership Awards for lending their time and talents to the pageant for at least 15 years. Among the honored were volunteers from the makeup and wardrobe department, as well as four apostles who stand frozen for 90 seconds during the show’s conclusion: Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”

James Bishop of Tustin is one of the apostles. He said he was active in community theater in his hometown in Iowa. When he moved to California and attended his first pageant show, he knew he wanted to play a role.

“I was always interested in being in the show,” Bishop said. “And now for 12 years, I’ve played James the Less. It’s been fun.”