Pageant of the Masters

Ok, WOW is all I can say!
Stupendous. Amazing. Phenomenal. Wowsers and Wowsers and Wowsers!
I had never even heard of this event, but the über generous Wendy S. invited me since she had an extra ticket. I agreed, figuring it was a valid reason to get out of the house for a bit and to go do something. The very odd description of «actual people in the paintings» made absolutely no sense to me, but I didn’t care much… or so I thought.
After fighting some pretty brutal late afternoon traffic in a full car from OG LB to OC LB [see what I did there? ;)], we descended upon downtown Laguna Beach to have some dinner before the show. Our dinner at a supposedly awesome place was not so awesome, but that is a another story for another day.
Post dinner, we parked at a public lot a couple blocks away from the amphitheater area and trekked it on foot. Once inside, there was much local art on display to be ogled and/​or purchased. We looked around a bit before heading to the performance area and were directed to our seats. Note: Your best bet is to be center stage, but not too close since there are a number of performing areas off to the sides of the stage and even towards the rear. Keep this in mind when choosing your seats when your purchase your tickets. I would say the front rows of the section just above the center cross-​walkway are ideal.
In any case, as I said before I didn’t know what to expect. It turns out that this show is WAY AMAZEBALLS. And that is balls in the literal sense too since many of the performers are naked lol! I wasn’t looking at those fyi so hush!
The amazing scenes are showcased one after another, and each one seems more intricate and jaw dropping than the previous. Towards the end there is a more dissected version of one of the setups so that you can really see what it takes to make these things pop. And trust me, pop they do! Bravo!!!
I’d definitely come back again now that I understand and appreciate this cross between art, performance, engineering, and ingenuity all rolled into one! If you haven’t been, I can’t recommend it enough!
Bring the bug repellent though, it is a mosquito haven that’s for sure… D=

After years of hype and anticipation, I finally visited The Pageant of the Masters to see «The Pursuit of Happiness». The evening began as I sipped on my red wine and strolled around the venue impressed by the many art exhibitions. I expected the affair to have tunes from the brilliant Mozart playing softly in the background, while preppy old rich snobs (no offense) consumed the grounds. Let’s be real– tickets to this shindig are expensive, and I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into!
To my surprise the audience members ranged in age with all kinds of people eagerly awaiting the exceptional performance. Many guests bring their own dinner and drinks to avoid the overpriced meals on-​site, and there is a main area with tables, chairs, and a cool live band for people to relax and schmooze before the show.
The show itself is 90 minutes long and you’re seated in an outdoor amphitheater. To be honest I felt like I saw enough after the first 30 minutes, but I still enjoyed every moment. All performers are volunteers who dedicate many hours to this performance. A live orchestra plays music, and famous portraits from both classic and contemporary art is shown while the audience guesses if the people are real or part of the painting. Bravo to the fabulous show!
TIPS:
1. Bring binoculars! Whether you’re in the front row or back row, binoculars will be of great use to you.
2. Don’t bring young children. The show is slow, boring at times, and most likely will not be appreciated by anyone who hasn’t reached puberty…
3. Arrive at least 4 hours early! Parking is difficult, so I personally recommend arriving during the day so you can check out some nearby galleries in the area.
4. There’s not really a dress code. Some people are casual, and some formal. Still, I’d recommend dressing nice since you’re going to the theatre.

«Where art comes to face cutouts!» A dozen years have passed, since we first were mesmerized and dazzled by the living art. Equipped with these awe inspiring memories, we excitedly brought our son to «The Pursuit of Happiness.» First piece, kids walked out, got into place, lights out, and voila — ART! Homer’s «A Country School» was flawlessly recreated. Then came the pieces that didn’t quite replicate what we just experienced — the sets seemed fabricated and one dimensional. Binos revealed the culprit — face cutouts like those seen at amusement parks! Huge letdown. I should’ve known something was amiss when the program listed 25 works of art and 41 in total w/​the bronze. If memory serves, I believe back in 2003, it was 25 total w/​the bronze works thrown in. Quality over quantity should be next year’s theme. We drove home crestfallen — to say the least.
On a VERY positive note, our teddy bear jumped out of our backpack and was left for dead. A conscientious employee picked up teddy and turned him into security. This «act» deserves FIVE stars!

This is a great activity to do in the summer. If you live in LA area and love art, get tickets to the Pageant of the Masters, they have good offers all year around.
Laguna Beach is a beautiful area and we love to spend the day there. There are parking lots where you can leave your car for the day and the city offers a free shuttle to take you around, so that’s nice and fun.
This is more than coming to watch the show. You can bring a picnic inside, wine included. They sell food, drinks, cookies, coffee as well. They have a stage and live music. And a beautiful display of local artists’ work. It’s a huge display, so get there ahead of time, before the show starts, to admire it.
The setting is beautiful, nice and elegant. Great for a date night.
Bring a jacket, it gets cooler. You can rent pillows, blankets, binoculars if you didn’t bring any.
We saw a couple of shows, one dedicated to the Cinema and one to the Fantastic world. It’s great to be seated in this old amphitheater, under the stars, admire the tableaux vivants and enjoy the music played by the orchestra. It’s an unique show, worth the trip.
If you visit LA in the summer and stay in town for longer, check it out!
Laguna is perfect for art lovers and the Pageant is a small piece of that!

Living in the OC for 12 years, I have always heard about Pageant of the Masters but had never been. I knew it would be visited by Chardonnay drinking upper crusty folks and an expensive ticket but I wanted to see it anyway. I never thought about reserving seats months in advance, a necessity since it’s sold out every night. I would only think about going after a friend raved about it so, at that point, good luck finding a cheap seat. My boss invited me to attend three straight years and I always had vacation plans.
This year, two tickets were dumped in my lap as a group of eight from work got free seats. Good seats, too. Middle, about 20 rows back. After dining at the Lumberjack, we walked over. Parking was $ 15 nearby. Dinner was free, too, so the thought of paying $ 15 for the entire evening was quite palatable.
We toured the art galleries before the show and that was quite spectacular. Certainly above my budget but gorgeous pieces. We grabbed our seats and the show began. 30 or so live musicians, a beautiful small outdoor theater, a crowd mostly in their 50’s and 60’s and a beautiful warm evening. The show was spectacular. Yes, you sit there and see live renditions of famous paintings. Sounds boring but it is truly amazing, especially when the sets are rotated and you see movement on stage before the lights go dark, then relit to introduce the reproduction. Hard to describe but truly enjoyable. A total of about 40 different scenes on the main stage and 4 other locations on either side. Beautiful music, good sound quality, a nice MC, and a rediculous number of volunteer actors make for a really special evening.

We LOVED this show! Here are my tips:
1. Get there early enough to enjoy the art fair on Pageant grounds. It’s included with your ticket, and was a fantastic array of really talented artists. We arrived an hour early, and it was perfect. (But drink before you go – glasses of wine were crazeballs expensive there.)
2. Bring binoculars. It’s worth it. If you don’t, apparently you can rent them, along with little pads for the seat. (Though I didn’t find the seat uncomfortable at all.)
3. The $ 60 off-​to-​the-​side, but kind of close to the front seats were great. I don’t think I’d spend more.
Besides the sheer creativity of the show, we were also impressed by how orderly the thing was. People moved in and out of the theatre quickly and easily, though there must have been about 2000 people there. The bathroom line was crazy long, but moved quickly, and there was an attendant inside making sure every available stall was being used. We found street parking at a meter really easily. It’s a very close walk from downtown Laguna Beach, so made it easy to grab dinner in town beforehand.

This was a seriously crazy awesome experience. Our fellow guests generously treated us to some amazing seats for what my non-​art loving husband found captivating! Even though our seats were excellent (row J), we used binoculars to catch the up close magic!
If you live in So Cal or have guests coming in from our of town, treat them to this experience they’ll never forget!
Added bonus, just as the second tableaux was being presented off to the left, an errant meteor from the Persieds, came streaking down from the sky as if to say ’ you are in for a rare spectacle tonight… I’m just the opening act!‘
Young and old alike will be mesmerized particularly by the surreal sculptures made with real people.
I can think of no more adjectives to adequately describe the splendor of the evening! Well done!

Went to show themed «The Pursuit of Happiness». Have gone the last 3 – 4 years and this was the best one so far. Will go again if we get invited by In-​Laws.
Good Music before the Pageant of Masters show in Arts area. The group Salty Suites was a nice addition to the Pageant show. Nice to browse and see all the art if that is your thing. Parking is not cheap in this area. $ 3/​hour (3 hours Max) for metered parking. The have a free shuttle that goes down PCH and to this venue which is nice. Also a big lot across the street that gets filled if you don’t come early for $ 15. We arrived at 4pm and found parking no problem.

If you’re looking for wholesome entertainment while chaperoning a middle school John Birch Society group from 1952, you’ll love the Pageant. The seating was terrible. The music was so bad I thought it was a parody. The narrator’s tone of voice — a Disney version of a old-​timey newsreel guy — was so bad it almost covered up the mind-​numbing spiel, consisting of bowdlerized platitudes and outright lies about history. The politics of the thing are so far right you would think you’re in the Eisenhower administration or Saudi Arabia.
This is designed for people who have no taste for art or music to fool themselves into thinking they’ve just experienced enough Serious Art and Serious Music to brag to their similarly tasteless friends and family. This is listening to two minutes of an aria played on a kazoo as culture; a Whistler’s Mother coloring book as art. Atrocious beyond belief.

We just went tonight.
First of all, the visuals presented overall were bar none some of the most spectacular that I have ever seen in my life. The virtuosity and technical brilliance on display would have even the most jaded of art critics cheering…
The closing presentation of the first act was so fervently patriotic and visually arresting that it brought people to their feet.
The artist’s market was one of the best that I have ever seen, it was worth a trip up to see the work of these artists alone… nary a hack in the bunch, and some truly great pieces… not inexpensive, but really top notch.
BUT…
1. The program presentation was scatterbrained… the pieces in the first act were not presented in order of history, in alphabetical order, or in any other order that made contextual sense. The second act was even worse… it mixed Japanese, French and references to coffee, with no purposeful order. The theme for this year was «The Pursuit of Happiness»…the director should have tried for the Pursuit of Coherence first and foremost.
2. The presentation of the Japanese themes and art chosen were almost comically bad. As a student of Japanese culture for the last 15 years, judging by this theme, the director has never been to Japan and has no idea of Japanese concepts… the tea house visually was cool, and some of the choreography was interesting, but it was otherwise handled clumsily and lacked the overall grace and elegance that the Japanese are famous for bringing to art.
3. The music was played wonderfully by the orchestra, but the writing of the music itself was overwrought, and so self-​serious and self-​important that it was truly cringe worthy.
4. Bring binoculars, because they charge $ 10.00 to rent them… kinda steep imo. The seats were uncomfortable to the point of inducing pain. There is a 15 minute intermission, but I couldn’t think of any reason to do anything other than stand and stretch for a short period of time.
I would absolutely go again, but not for a few years… armed with the knowledge I now have, it should be less of a shock about certain aspects of the event, and will allow me to enjoy the spectacle with a clearer perspective.
Please understand, I think EVERYONE who can go, should go… but I also think that the people responsible for the production values need to revisit and pay greater attention to their priorities, because they missed the mark badly in some cases.

Went for the August 1^st show «The Pursuit of Happiness». It was a beautiful night and the show was spectacular.
We were given a history and small tour before the show by one of the cast /​musicians who did cues and is the sub conductor. It was a magical evening. Loved the solo violin playing Meditation de Thais. The beautiful full, blue moon just added to the majesty of the performances by all.
Highly recommend.

This is one of those Southern California institutions that everyone should attend once. It’s very unique and impressive to see; people in live stage representations of paintings and sculptures, many of which are hard to distinguish as to whether it’s just a painting or not. Some are pulled off better than others but all are very cool to see (although I think some are held too long — how much time do you really need to stare at a motionless scene?). For me the best moments were when you actually got to see the people get into position; I wish they did it more often.
Parking: I was disappointed to read dozens of useless Unilocal tips for parking. It is not helpful advice to say you need to arrive «early» for parking. What does that mean? 1 hour? 2? 3? I arrived 2 hours prior to showtime on a weeknight to find the city lots and street parking mostly full. Some independent businesses that had their lots open for paid event parking were available as were the distant shuttle lots.
Other tips: Yes, it’s a good idea to bring a blanket or jacket as this outdoor venue does get cold at night even on the hottest summer day. Binoculars are a good idea if you enjoy details or want to more closely examine if anyone moves or blinks. Both blankets and binoculars as well as seat cushions are available to rent.
People do arrive early to picnic and visit the many artist booths inside the venue. There are also artist galleries in the nearby vicinity to walk through if you need to kill time prior to the show.
The Timmy S. curse nearly ruined the entire night for me. I seem to have rotten luck with people who sit in front of me at such events. This time my excitement of having empty seats in front of me dissolved just seconds before the lights dimmed when the world’s tallest man sat directly in front of me. You’d expect people of that height, who are aware they are a human wall, to display common courtesy and at least attempt to scrunch down a bit in their seat so they don’t block everyone’s view. But this lunkhead sat so erect I was certain he had a broom handle lodged up his backside. I had to lean forward and slightly sideways, practically sticking my head between seats in front of me in order to see the stage. It made for an uncomfortable evening and diminished my overall enjoyment.
I recommend going to a show but I am not sure I’d pony up the hefty admission fee again. Once was enough for me.

Review #1500
I happened to be in Orange County a couple days prior to opening night, so we made a spur-​of-​the-​moment decision to extend our stay & attend The Festival of Arts, which included a tableau vivant spectacular called Pageant of the Masters. I bought tickets just 48 hours before the performance, & while our center seats were quite high up, the Bowl was intimate enough that we didn’t feel far from the stage (with the help of $ 10 rented binoculars, that is.)
This year’s theme is The Pursuit of Happiness. An off-​stage narrator provides witty commentary on the art pieces (mostly paintings, some bronzed statues), & an orchestra accompanies with lovely music.
Perhaps the actors (all volunteers) are too talented because it was difficult to discern live people from painted people in the background. With the exception of a couple paintings, the people are already locked in place when the artwork is presented to the audience; for 60 seconds or so, everyone is motionless. I would’ve love to have seen the smallest change in position (a smile or a wave, perhaps) either before or after this intensely still time.
Tips:
– with one intermission, performance runs close to two hours
– arrive early to browse the art exhibits & to enjoy the live music/​atmosphere/​outdoor restaurants (we had dessert at one of the restaurants, & it was very romantic.)
– I saw at least 2 restrooms nearby with plenty of stalls in each
– pack a small picnic because you’ll likely be here for hours & will pay a hefty price for drinks & snacks
– bring layers as it got chilly (& even drizzly!) towards the end of the evening
– there are lots & parking meters near the venue. We arrived about 3 hours early & had no problem finding a meter about 5 minutes away
– aside from binoculars, you can also rent blankets & seat cushions
The Pageant of the Masters lets me experience many of my favorite things simultaneously: a summertime outdoor event, a romantic date idea, live theater, art, music, & sunny SoCal!

This tableau vivant is a must see! People are painted in such a way that they blend in with the backdrops of famous paintings and sculptures when under theatre lighting.
When they create a frame and show you how each scene is created the crowd always loves it!
We have gone multiple years and each year has a new theme for the art and music selected. The narration provides a rich and interesting history to accompany the pieces.
Overall a one of a kind performance that you must see at least once!

The show was good, but I am not here to review the show, but the facility.
When we came it was open seating, not assigned seating. Printed on the ticket and on huge signs all over the venue states one cannot rope off seats.
When we arrived, more than an hour before showtime, huge tracts of seats are roped off with blankets or whatever… more than ¹⁄₃ of the seats have nobody watching them or sitting in them, but simply marked off.
This really pissed me off. I complained to security, who called the head of security, Dwayne, to come out. I walk him over and he sees the concern. He tells me of a person last year or something that they arrested for not giving up seats that he had reserved in this manner… So he told me it would be taken care of and assured me that there would be seats available for my wife and I. Half an hour goes by, nothing, in fact he was just wandering around the venue socializing with people. At SHOW TIME there were still rows of seats blocked off.
Better still, and even more annoying than having to sit in the upper level with rows of seats unoccupied… is well into the performance when all the people that have seats being held for them decide to show up and force their way to the seats.
I guess I prefer the theaters that will not allow someone late to disturb the show, sorry you can have your seat at INTERMISSION!!!
It seemed that after intermission, almost all of the seats were occupied.
All that said, having not known much about the show, it is better to be sitting up higher as there are several side stages that would not be able to be seen or appreciated in the front sections. So the joke is on them.

Awesome time! Wonderful festival!
Totally overdue review as the last visit was over the summer. I’ve seen this show several times in the past several years and enjoyed it every single time. We were able to score some last minute tickets on a weeknight and was totally thrilled as tickets sell out very early.
The show is absolutely AMAZING. The lighting, story and cast is always superb and highly skilled. The concept is so unique and creative that it’s really hard to explain to someone who has never experienced it. It’s really one of a kind and not to be missed.
Parking gets difficult even in the lots.

I came for the pageant of masters a couple of decades ago, so I didn’t quite remember how this festival was like, what to prepare and stuff.
I was just told there’s a performance of a singer before the PofM show at 8:30. Best way to get there is to park at lot 16 and grab a shuttle at the lot to transfer to lot 17 which is right next to 16, then finally grab another shuttle to the theater. You can also park in lot 17 for $ 7.
When I got there, it was 5:30ish, totally didn’t expect the long line, a long line that I could not see the end literally. I… confess here that… I did cut in line and just got inside… I did… Gosh, I did. The line was bot neccessary but for that day, they had a special singer performance, people wanted to grab a table and chairs around the stage because those were limited. That is why there was a line… I am sorry people! I will come early next time.
Well, the concert was great and it was fun having a mini picnic during the concert! Wine, snacks, food… You can bring your own, or try those bars, snack shops, and restaurants.
Women’s restroom is desperately needed to be built more. Space inbetween chairs in the theater is too tight, also they’d better get rid of the bars along the outer seats, it is really bothering when people from the outer seat want to get out during the show, everyone has to get up to let them go by. Lots of old folks left during the intermission due to bladder issues.
The show was amazing! I could see them breathing and blinking eyes, because my seat was close to the stage, it was even more fun! Also sometimes looking up and spotting shooting stars added more fun in a romantic way~
The pizza, brownies and cookies are also very tasty, the food was catered from Gina’s pizza, all coffees, teas and bakeries are from Kean coffee. The tea is really smooth and clean.
It was so much fun except for the crowded restrooms and tight seating areas in the theater, but I will definetely come back in every year if possible.

I won the PAGEANT of the MASTERS
It’s that time of year again when the months of July and August nights come alive with real human art! Yes it’s the Pageant of the Masters time of year again.
My fam used to go every year but as peeps get older, married, have kids or move from the area it makes it a bit harder to all get together! Not to mention that for the family members with kids they like to do family vacays, and reunions before the ankle biters have to go back to school.
I LOVE, LOVE coming here. It’s so much FUN! The atmosphere is buzzing with people and the anticipation of the show to see what they will have new and what will be repeated. Will you see your favorite sculpture come to life or will you be dazzled by something new? This year was the Art Detective. I figured I’d see art that either was stolen, or someone tried to steal it.
The art festival is open daily to peeps to ENJOY the art exhibits, demos, art workshops such as silk screening, pottery, etc which are REALLY cool and art tours. If you get hungry as I ALWAYS do there are on-​site places such as Gina’s or Tivoli’s to eat and since you are in LAGUNA why not stroll over and check out a few of the nearby restaurants or the BEACH if you have some time! You can also do what many peeps do and come early with picnic lunch/​dinner in tow and sit out on the fake lawn and enjoy the live entertainment! I have to say for the most part the people they have are pretty good and it’s usually pretty mellow.
Some of the art is REASONABLY priced while others prices almost burned out my corneas just looking at it. I did see a couple pieces that would be prefect but since I like to change a lot forking over $ 3500 grand for something I will hate in 6 months and give away is a bit wasteful. Mixed in with all the art is some WONDERFUL jewelry, glass and sculpture pieces as well. You should DEFINITELY stop by and check it out! I found this AHHH-​MAZING Tahitian pearl ring that was calling my name, so I answered.
Once the sun begins to set you know the main EVENT is about to start. Most peeps come just to have dinner and see this REMARKABLE and ASTOUNDING EVENT! Parking is a pain but you can park for $ 7 bucks on the 133 in one of the lots and shuttle for in unless or you can park closer like across the street for $ 15. I guess you pay for convenience. I usually don’t have a problem finding somewhere to park and for some reason I have been quite lucky and don’t have to pay for parking EVA! You need to know the tricks. I would tell you but then I’d have to kill you. Just be patient and give yourself some time and you’ll be fine.
It’s AHHH-​MAZING to me that SEVERAL peeps in SoCal have NEVER heard or seen the PAGEANT of the MASTERS or been to the FOA even though it is an ANNUAL EVENT held at the same time of year. Tickets do sale out on the weekends so try coming during the week for BETTER seats and parking situation. If you’re expecting out of town guest this is the prefect activity for both adults and ankle biters. So get your tix early to ensure the date you want.
The ONLY way to describe the PAGEANT of the MASTERS is say that is live art. REALLY! Take your favorite painting with people in it and that is what you get. Instead of painted people you have REAL people that are painted to look just like the picture a «LIVING» PICTURE. They stand ABSO-​FRICKIN-​LUTY motionless trying not to breath. WARNING: BRING BINOCULARS because you will need them to see. They do rent blankets, binoculars and seat cushions but you can bring your own. So you can Not JUST SEE but to actually be able to see the REAL people. You can even see the hair on their arms or the tum-​tum going in and out ever so slightly!
I think each painting or sculpture is out for about 90 seconds so you get a chance to REALLY APPRECIATE the BEAUTY and MAGNIFICENCE at its best! They even use little ankle biters in the show. The entire show last about 90 minutes. That 1.5 hours for the rest of you and there is a 15 minute intermission/​potty break. ALL of the people are volunteers! YES VOLUNTEERS! It is held in an outdoor amphitheater, with a professional orchestra, live narration, and the sets are so intricate. The lighting also helps to pull the BREATHTAKING re-​creations of CLASSICAL and CONTEMPORARY MASTERPIECES together. It is BY FAR one of my FAVORITE SUMMER things to do!
So crawl out of your sedimentary, do nothing, go nowhere interesting life and come out for an AWESOME EVENT!

This is a tradition in Laguna each summer to go to Pageant of the Masters and enjoy the warm weather in July and August. This year’s theme was stolen art throughout history which made for an excellent topic. The various pieces each had a story of who, what, where and when it was taken. Many of the pieces were stolen during World War II which brought up art’s influence during conflicts. There also is a live Orchestra which really is incredible providing live music under the moonlit sky (it was a full moon the night we went).
A few recommendations for first timers:
BRING YOUR OWN WINE and picnic before the show, wine is super expensive here at $ 12.50 a glass.
Parking is $ 15 across the street, if you can find metered parking it is only $ 2.00 per hour.
Bring a pad for your seating, it is like a large football stadium with hard plastic seats.
Blanket /​Binoculars, you probably will feel the chill later into the night. Depending on your seating location it will be nice to get a close up view with a pair of binoculars.

The pageant of the masters is a local summer tradition! When the days get long and warm and the sun doesn’t set on July nights until about 9pm — the pageant will begin!
Basically there is a theme and a narrated storyline that ties famous paintings and statues together. I love learning about art from around the world and have done a fair amount of travel to see it so when these recreations happen right down the street, I’m giddy with delight!
The recreations are incredible. The actors are painted and placed into backdrops and other 3D elements of the painting and then a frame is put in place and the stage lighting sets it to look exactly like it would on canvas! They are incredible but my heart really goes out to the statues! I love that they are fully painted, placed on a pedestal and stay perfectly still for 5mins. What a performance!
This years theme is Detective and it went through lots of mysteries of the diff paintings stolen or found or etc around the world and through the centuries: all over Europe, Egypt, Boston, etc. I love mysteries so I ate it all up and learned a lot — a painting stolen in Boston in the 90s is still at large is worth $ 500 million?! Crazy right?! Great theme!
I’ve been as a youngster (¹⁴⁄₁₅) and then again as an adult with wine & girlfriends and I do think it is better suited for those old enough to appreciate it.
Here’s what I’ve learned from my past pageant attendance mistakes:
–Arrive in Laguna around 7pm. Show doesn’t start until 8pm but there’s art, exhibits and picnics to enjoy within the walls.
–Park in the village at a meter if you can. We luckily found a meter about 100yds from the entrance to the theater and it’s $ 2/​hr until 9pm now so we really only paid $ 3 to park instead of the $ 15 the lot directly across the street wanted.
–Bring a picnic of artisan eats/​drinks. Wine, meats/​cheese, fruits, breads, small bites, etc. Dust off that picnic basket! DO IT! We saw someone also brought a table cloth — tres chic! There are plenty of tables and chairs to sit down at or there’s open areas of faux-​grass to sprawl out a blanket.
–If you forget to bring a picnic from home, there’s a whole foods about 100yrs across the street down the same road the theater is on. Stop in there on your walk from the car. My group didn’t and I regretted it the whole time we ate our $ 50 wine-​less purchased food… $ 14 cheese plate. $ 13 for 2 chicken skewers, $ 6 garlic fries, $ 10 Mac n cheese, and $ 4 bottled water… All of which I just wished were wine. Pageant allows re-​entry at the gates but we didn’t have time so we just left it. Oh well.
–BRING YOUR OWN WINE! The line for the wine was about 60ppl long the entire time we were there… And I’m no connoisseur but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t super incredible quality so I recommend bringin your own. It’s allowed!
–bring a blanket! The marine layer rolls into Laguna off the ocean so the temps will be warm pre-​sunset but will likely slip into the 60 range after. Also, a blanket doubles as a picnic sprawl and a cuddle-​excuse. ;)
–Use the restroom nearest the entrance if you must go. Lines look intimidating other places but this restroom is clean and was big but relatively empty when we needed it.
–Bring glasses or binoculars! I’m nearsided so I always bring my glasses but forget the binoculars every. Single. Year. This stops now! I love the details of the show so I will absolutely bring some next summer!
–Bring coffee in that picnic! This year I went on a Monday night after work and didn’t think twice that the show started at what would normally be my time to get in bed. I was begging for caffeine at intermission to no avail. Will bring coffee next time for sure.
It’s a truly wonderful summer night out and something you must experience at least once if you live locally!