Only Make Believe

Starting as a tradition 78 years ago, the Pageant of the Masters continues to wow audiences year after year. This year’s theme “Only Make Believe,” continues in the tradition of capturing imagination and bringing to life some of the most iconic masterpieces in the art world.

What is Pageant of the Masters?


Its ninety minutes of tableaux vivants or "living pictures" - incredibly faithful art re-creations of classical and contemporary works with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. An outdoor amphitheater, professional orchestra, original score, live narration, intricate sets, sophisticated lighting, expert staff, and hundreds of dedicated volunteers have won recognition for the Pageant as the best presentation of its kind.

This year’s Pageant of the Masters is venturing into magical artistic realms. Only Make Believe will be your passport to explore worlds populated by ancient and modern superheroes and strange, mythical creatures. It will also showcase the creative expressions of artists who devoted themselves to conjuring everything from Victorian historical fantasies, illustrations for fairytales beginning "once upon a time," to futuristic visions of things to come, all in a breathtaking performance of "art that lives and breathes."

Some Highlights:

Children fairytale classics such as Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland are brought to life with vibrancy.

Other tales explored were the illustrations of Virgina Sterrett’s “Arabian Nights.” To see this great story brought to life in this unique way was breathtaking. Dragons and knights also made an appearance capturing that childhood awe we all had when we first learned of these mythical creatures.

The Pageant didn’t just present the land of fairytales, but it leapt into a world of Greek gods, myths and monsters. Some pieces explained what the future might be imagined to be. According to artist, Sandow Birk, his piece “In Smog and Thunder: The Great War of the California’s,” showed a fictitious depiction of war between San Francisco and Los Angeles. We were also treated to the future, as it was imagined in the late 1920s by Frank R. Paul, in his ‘Jet Man, Invisible Man and Astronauts’ magazine covers for Amazing Stories.

As always the Pageant of the Masters was closed with a depiction of the last supper. Instead of the traditional showing of Leonardo Divinci’s, “The Last Supper,” the Pageant team thought another version may better fit the theme of ‘Only Make Believe.’ This year Salvador Dali’s “Sacrament of the Last Supper” was chosen. Dali is arguably one of the most iconic surrealists of all time and I’m sure would have been delighted to be included in the world-renowned Pageant of the Masters.

Pageant of the Masters

Now thru August 31

For tickets click HERE

 “From the mythological legends of ancient Greece to evocations of classic stories of buried treasure, spooky encounters and the simple pleasures of playing dress-up, the 2011 Pageant promises no shortage of fantasy fun for the entire family.”


–Pageant of the Masters