Now in its 85th season, the world-renown stage show incredibly recreates and brings to life famous paintings with a group of live, motionless models and beautiful backdrops, set within huge picture frames on a massive outdoor stage, with a professional orchestra, live narration, and sophisticated lighting.

Located in a rustic Laguna Beach canyon, two blocks from California’s Pacific Ocean, The Pageant’s 90-minute nightly performances are highlighted by tableaux vivants or living pictures that take the 2,000-seat Irvine Bowl Park stage in the corner of the festival grounds.

The “pictures” are remarkable re-creations of classical and contemporary masterpieces, “painted” with real people, painstakingly made-up with costumes and makeup. The painting are then filled with authentic backdrops and wrapped by giant picture frames. When the curtain is lifted, each 90-second-long picture is accompanied by an orchestra, with an original score, spoken narration, and spectacular lighting.

The title of this year’s Pageant is “The Grand Tour.” It is a tribute to the those adventurous souls who set out on pilgrimages by land and sea in the 17th and 18th centuries to the great cultural centers of Europe to see the world’s great art firsthand.

Pageant Director Challis Davy said that when thinking about this year’s theme, she was curious about the tremendous difficulties travelers encountered in the 18th century, with horse-drawn coaches on unpaved roads and no railways, hotels or public museums.

“The original Grand Tours were educational pilgrimages, to Paris, Rome and beyond,” says Ms. Davy. “I hope we can recreate some of that sense of awe shared by those early travelers when they visited the grand palaces, ancient ruins and art centers of Europe.”

For 2017, the Pageant’s lineup includes masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Tiepolo, Longhi, Watteau, Reynolds and Romney. And as in previous years, the production also includes American artists like John Singer Sargent, whose work was transformed by his travels.

One of my favorite “paintings” from this year’s show is a recreation of a 19th century poster featuring Annie Oakley holding a rifle as part of Buffalo Bills Wild West Show. Another stunning work is “The Jockey Club” by Archibald Motley. Painted on oil in 1929, this colorful work depicts party-goers out on the town in the roaring 1920s. And then there is “Fouilles à Pompéi” by Edouard A. Sain in 1865, which captures a group of people excavating at the scene of Pompeii.

As usual, all the paintings in the show make it practically impossible to tell that there are real people on stage.

The pageant is part of the larger Festival of Arts, a summer-long celebration of art and artists. This year’s festival showcases the works of 140 of Orange County’s best original painters, sculptors, ceramists, jewelers, and photographers. The festival also offers free daily art workshops for the whole family, live Jazz and blues, wine tastings, cooking classes, restaurants and more. In 2017, the Festival of Arts debuted its brand new $10 million facility which features a new layout for the art exhibit area, workshops, gift shop and concert stage.

During my visit to Laguna Beach for the festival and Pageant of the Masters this year, I stayed at The Ranch at Laguna Beach, a luxurious and rustic resort, set next to a flowing stream, in a lush canyon a few hundred yards from the Pacific Ocean. For more information and reservations, call (800) 223-3309 or visit: www.theranchlb.com

The Festival of Arts and the Pageant of the Masters runs through August 31. The address is 650 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, 92651. The festival is open daily, 10 am – 11:30 pm. Festival admission ranges from $5 – $12. Pageant of the Masters has performances nightly at 8:30 pm. Pageant tickets range from $15 – $250 depending on seat location and date. For more information on tickets and special discounts, call (949) 494-1145 or visit: www.foapom.com or www.PageantTickets.com

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The adventure began when a friend I pulled off the 5 Freeway in Orange County and took SR 133 south nine miles through winding lush hills and wilderness areas to the ocean. Here the road ends at Highway 1, where we turned right and found The Inn at Laguna Beach.

Perched on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the city of Laguna Beach, the boutique hotel features 70 well-appointed guest rooms, a roof top terrace with a fire pit, newly renovated swimming pool and modern meetings facilities. Our gorgeous 4th-floor room oozed with beach-side charm and came with a plush pillow-top king bed with 250 thread count linens, twin bathroom sinks, and shower and tub.

The room also featured a desk area, with free Internet, flat screen TV, a big comfy sofa, and best of all, a large balcony with table and chairs overlooking the beach. From the balcony we could see the sunbathers, paddle boarders, swimmers, and boats in the ocean in front of us. To our left we saw the luxurious Laguna Beach coastline, with miles of sandy beach and ocean-front hotels. And to the right there was a small rock island inhabited by birds, and the Laguna Beach Tide Pools.

When not taking in the picturesque view on the balcony, we were laying on the beach or strolling around town looking for new places to eat. For lunch, we discovered The Greeter’s Corner Restaurant a block from the hotel.

At the restaurant I enjoyed a fresh crab and avocado sandwich stuffed with coleslaw on a French roll. My friend had crispy fish and chips with white cod, coleslaw and French Fries. While eating we sat on the patio next to the beach and absorbed the memorable atmosphere.

The cafe is named after Eiler Larsen, who for 40 years stood on a corner in town and waved to all those who passed through town. A native of Denmark, Larsen came to be known as “The Greeter” and in 1963, the city proclaimed him to be Official Laguna Greeter. He was such a part of town that they even put his foot-prints in the sidewalk. My mom, who used to come to Laguna Beach as a child remembers his long hair and cheerful smile.

After lunch, we walked along the beach and followed a walking path in front of the hotel to Heisler Park. Stretching about a half-mile along coastal bluffs, this oceanfront park has walking trails, gardens, a marine refuge with tide pools, picnic tables, barbecues, lawn bowling greens, stunning vistas, and a bunch of awesome sculptures, such as blue whale, giant time pieces, and mariners of the sea.

Back at the hotel we joined other guests for the complimentary Wine Hour, held each day between 5pm and 6 pm. Located on the 4th floor terrace, overlooking the ocean, the event is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. A server comes around with complimentary wines, the views are spectacular and there is also a full bar with drinks for purchase.

After Wine Hour, we headed to the lobby for complimentary milk and cookies, offered each day at 6 pm. From her we walked a block to C’est la Vie Restaurant and Bakery for a delicious French dinner.

A local favorite since 1982, the bistro serves authentic, freshly-baked crepes, croissants, macarons, and cronuts, along with sandwiches, espressos, house-made desserts, and aged port wines. For our meal, I devoured beef Bourguignon. Marinated 24 hours, these tender, braised short ribs were served with pearl onions, mushrooms, and garlic mash in a Burgundy wine reduction. My friend had Chilean sea bass with harissa oil ratatouille and beurre blanc sauce.

We concluded our evening with a moonlit walk along the sand and a glass of wine on our balcony.

The Inn at Laguna Beach is located at 211 N Pacific Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651. For more information on staying at the hotel and current specials, call 800 544 4479 or visit: www.innatlagunabeach.com

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