David Perry preps July return

The cancellation of last year’s show meant not hiring 400 seasonal employees, the 30piece Pageant orchestra and more than 100 contractors, including musicians who would have performed at the Festival grounds in Laguna Beach.

The pandemic cost about $9.3 million in revenue last year for the Pageant of the Masters, which dates to 1933.

In the past year, the group pivoted to social media to highlight festival exhibitors and their art careers in a program called #MeetThe Artist. In #TourDePageant, it featured past pageant recreations of famous works of art and the museums that house them in their art collections.

Last June, the Festival debuted “foa TV,” a free online collection of videos, TV clips and digital records. In July, it unveiled foa Virtual, a 3D immersive online gallery experience that enabled users from the comforts of their own homes to explore and purchase artwork from over 120 Festival of Arts exhibitors.

It also hosted virtual Concerts on the Screen that featured past musical performances on the festival grounds. In December, it produced the nonprofit’s first-ever virtual gala event in December called “Simply ARTrageous: Live the Legacy. The virtual event, which raised more than $300,000, included musical acts like Melissa Manchester and celebrity guests including Bryan Cranston and Jane Lynch.

The pageant is scheduled to return for a July 7 to Sept. 3 run, along with the Festival of Arts during the same period. Last month, the festival issued “recall notices” to all its laid off employees. Organizers are not expecting as robust a year as prior campaigns.

“We are beyond humbled to start to welcome back staff to our grounds as we begin preparations for this summer,” David Perry, president of the Festival of Arts, said in an email.

Details such as seating requirements at the 2,500 Irvine Bowl were still being finalized at press time. The organizers are working on the assumption that social distancing requirements will no longer be in effect by the time the shows begin. Ticket prices this coming summer will be similar to prior years. Both shows typically attract more than 225,000 visitors into Laguna Beach annually.

“At this point, it’s hard to say how our grounds might look a little different. But one thing is for sure, our hope is to create an enjoyable experience for our guests to reconnect with the art and each other,” Perry said.