Strike a Pose: Pageant of the Masters Tickets Are on Sale

When we strike a pose, chances are good that only a single person is watching us do so: The person holding the camera.

Of course, if we're putting on a playful pose at a busy theme park or in front of a popular attraction, our stay-still stance might attract the brief notice of onlookers or passersby.

But there is a place, in Laguna Beach, where pose-striking has been elevated to high art, the sort of watch-and-be-wowed spectacle that involves costuming, cosmetics, and the ability to "act" like the motionless but certainly emotive people seen in a painting.

As in, the paintings we admire at museums, art shows, and inside galleries, too.

For striking a pose at Pageant of the Masters, the iconic outdoor extravaganza, is all about paying "how'd they do that?" homage to some of the world's greatest works of art.

Which means that, yes, oh-so-game and highly talented volunteers "freeze" while recreating celebrated masterpieces, on stage and live before an audience.

The open-air event, which takes place under the starry night sky over several summer evenings, will be back in Laguna Beach starting on July 7.

Tickets for the 2021 pageant, which will conclude on Sept. 3, went on sale on Monday, May 3.

The theme, "Made in America: Trailblazing Artists and Their Stories," was originally slated to take the stage, through several stunning "tableaux vivant" paintings and sculptures, in the summer of 2020.

That was not to be, due to the pandemic, and the footlights stayed off.

The last time the stage remained empty at the world-famous pageant, which can trace its origin story back to 1933? The show definitely didn't go on, from 1942 to 1945, during World War II.

But it will again proceed, in 2021, with lavish living odes to a host of artists, including Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, Luis Jimenez, and John Nieto. A prologue, created by scriptwriter Dan Duling, will also "set the mood" after a year away, while the traditional closing piece of the show, "The Last Supper," will return as the final act.

"This summer's production is 'from the heart,'" shared long-standing Pageant Director Diane Challis Davy.

"The enthusiasm is at an all-time high and our staff and volunteers are so happy and grateful to be able to perform again."

"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."

Tickets start at $30. You can read more about what to expect during your visit at the Pageant of the Masters site now.