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thursday, august 31, 1978
Laguna Beach boasts festival, live art reproduction
By Mary Jane Winquest
Nestled along the southern California coast,
complete with sandy beaches and dark tans is Laguna
Beach, traditionally a community brimful of artists,
vacationers and everything Nebraskans dream about,
including sifting sand through toes, riding the surf and
building Fabian type midnight fires on the beach.
Its truly an international city with anything goes.
But Lagunas most spectacular attraction is the Festival
of Arts and Pageant of the Masters which annually
attracts 300,000 festival goers. It's the West Coast's
largest and finest festival, having just completed its
43rd season.
This festival isn't any ordinary display of art work,
although, as expected, 175 artists man booths to show
and sell their creations.
The most memorable part of the festival is the
Pageant of the Masters, or what's often called "living
pictures" where famous works of art are recreated
with live models, dressed and posed exactly like the
original works.
Sold out
Although sold-out since mid-March, as it has been
for the past 18 years, the writer was lucky enough to
get a ticket for the August production thanks to bene
volent California friends.
The pageant production, staged at night in an open
air forum in the hills north of Laguna, includes 2 casts
of 1 50 volunteers each.
Not only are tickets for the productions in demand,
but over 900 volunteers show up each year for a
chance to be part of the recreations. The show is tra
ditionally closed with Leonardo da Vinci's The Last
Supper, and many of the same cast members return
each year to be part of the show.
A variety of paintings, sculptures, statues and arti
facts are shown each year and this year's production in
cluded a collection of King Tutankhamun's treasures.
The audience was stunned when a sea of gold burst on
stage recreating King Tut's throne, buckle and cere
monial chair against a red back drop.
Art reproduction
As one can imagine not all of the artworks are easily
reproduced. For example a volunteer was suspended
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Photo courtesy of Festival of Arts
Visitors to the Festival -of Arts view the largest art display in Laguna Beach in six-acre Irvine Bowl Park. Some
180 artists and craftsmen of this scenic spot in Southern California participate in the annual event which drew
300,000 this summer from July 1 1 through August 27.
mid-air jumping and grasping two swords in Paul
Joanovitch's The Sword Dance. Not only do three di
mensional recreations need to look two-dimensional,
a technique of the lighting crew, but volunteers must
remain absolutely still for at least 90 seconds as each
piecfTof art is displayed with accompanying orchestr
tion and nanation.
Thurl Ravenscroft, a Nebraska native, is Pageant of
the Masters narrator, and has been for five years. His
voice is probably most familiar as cereal-promoting
Tony the Tiger's "Grrrreat." His deep voice can also be
heard in Disneyland's Haunted House and Pirates of
the Carribean.
The continuity and professionalism of the pageant is
also shown in Don Williamson, director of Pageant of
the Masters for 15 years. As a teenager in the 1930's he
was even building sets for the '-.oduction. He presents
ideas for the pageant year-round and casting actually
begins in January.
Worth the care
The finished result is well worth the care as each
piece of recreated art, 27 this year, is individually
complete with unusual lighting and narration.
Edger Degas' painting, Dancers At The Bar, for
example, contrasts light blue with vibrating hot orange
to create a moody impression which is even more
memorable when narrator Ravenscroft explains that
the painting was done when Degas was almost blind.
To add to the evening's impact under starry sky are
California's friendly fire flys and crickets that can be
heard throughout the production.
And just outside the open air forum, in a world alive
with southern California artists and their wares, are
booths displaying glazed crystaline, batik pantings,
leathercraft, jewelry and an endless assortment of eye
catching artworks.
If your artistic interests have been heightened by
the recreations within the forum, you can browse
among the booths and purchase a remembrance to the
artist's delight. An item that caught my eye was a $400
huge ceramic replica of a hot air balloon.
Select group
Only a select group of exhibitors are allowed to
bring their artwork into the festival and their precision
is judged yearly by a panel of jurors.
This high-quality artwork is also matched by high
quality prices. But if the right piece of art work is
selected, a profit may be made. This happened to the
festival goer when an oil painting of a seascape was pur
chased for a few hundred dollars and sold later for
$19,500.
But whether you go to the Festival of Arts to enjoy
the artistic beauty, attend the pageant or make an
investment, Laguna Beach's yearly attraction is well
worth the visit and will boost your artistic appreciation
immeasurably.
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36 MOST BEAUTIFUL
GIRLS IN TEXAS
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
(pictured), the pride of the Lone Star
State and football fans all over the
nation, will star in their very own
musical comedy special 'The 36 Most
Beautiful Girls in Texas,' with host Hal
Linden and guests Joey Travolta,
Charles Nelson Reilly, Billy Crystal and
Melinda Naud, airing on ABC-TV on
Monday, Sept. 4.
Viewers will see the young ladies,
who have become a national institu
tion, sharpening up their routines in
Practice, having fun at Six Flags over
exas amusement park and finally,
performing in front of thousands of
cheering fans just before the world
champion Dallas Cowboys meet the
Baltimore Colts in the season
premiere of 'Monday Night Football.'
Linden introduces viewers to the
cheerleaders' coach, played by Reilly
("It's an ugly job but someone has to
do it"), Travolta as a starstruck
groundskeeper. a depressed hot got
vendor played by Crystal and a
beautiful technician (Miss Naud) who
tries to control the electronic scor
eboard which seems to have a mind
of its own.
EVENING
6:00 W ALL AMERICAN FUTURITY
O HOGANS HEROES
f IOOG3 NEWS
1 1 EMERGENCY ONE
CJ O LIFE AROUND US Life In
Parched Lands'
30 fl MARY TYLER MOORE
CI TO TELL THE TRUTH
f CONCENTRATION
CI MAGAZINE
P HEE HAW FT. I. Guests: Parti
Page, Brush Arbor, Buddy Alan.
m O MACNEIL LEHRER
REPORT
fB NEWLYWEOGAME
7:00 CJ WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
f 1 O LITTLE HOUSE ON THE
PRAIRIE The Ingalls learn thai
Mary's failing eyesight will
eventually lead to permanent
blindness and enroll her In a
school (or the blind. (R; 2 hrs )
O CD ALL AMERICAN
FUTURITY
OQ THE JEFFERSONS The
Bunkers and the J e Her soot are
seen together again when a
burglar ties up George and
Louise and gives them a night to
remember. (R; 90 mins.)
81 THE 38 MOST BEAUTIFUL
RLS IN TEXAS Through song,
dance and comedy sketches, the
special will provide a behind-the-scenes
look at the Dallas Cowboy
cheerleaders' preparations and
rehearsals for the 1978 NFL
Football season Guest Cars Hal
Linden, Charles Nelson Reilly.
Billy Crystal and Joey Travolta
180 mins )
O IN PERFORMANCE AT WOLF
TRAP Dtonne Warwicke'
Superstar Dtonne Warwicke
sings 18 songs, ranging from her
own hits, such as I Say a Little
Prayer,' to a collection of songs
others have made famous, in
cluding I Feel Like Making Love'
and 'I Honestly Love You.' (60
mins )
REVEILLE FOR QUARTERS
ONE
7 JO O MOVIE -(ADVENTURE)
"Man Called Dagger" 1987 Paul
Mantee. Terry Moore. An en-Nazi
scientist tourneys to LA
followed by a secret agent to
assist a former S S Colonel in a
wortd-conauerino Dlan (2 hrs )
CONTEMPORARY
NEBRASKA ART AND ARTISTS
8:00 O O MONDAY NIGHT
FOOTBALL ABC Sports will
provide coverage of the game
between the Baltimore Colts and
the Dallas Cowboys. Frank Gil
ford, Dan Meredith and Howard
Cosell provide the commentary.
(Season Premiere, 2 hrs., 45
mins.)
0 THE FABULOUS SIXTIES
3 MOVIE -(DRAMA) "In
search of Gregory" 1970 Julie
Christie, Michael Sarazin. Two
potential lovers who fantasize
about, but never meet, each
other. (2 hrs.)
8:30 O CD M.A.S.H. Radar's Im
personation of a disc jockey, with
old record favorites, boosts
morale at a time when an all-out
Chinese offensive sends a
multitude of patients pouring into
the 4077th. (R)
9-.00 O Q) LOU GRANT Rossi
suspects that the new woman
reporter on the staff is getting
Information from a powerful
politician because of her per
sonal relationship with the man.
(R; 60 mins.)
O 1978 NEBRASKA STATE
FAIR
9:30 fl NEWS
10:00 fl SERGEANT BILKO
QOQG9 news
C3 LOVE EXPERTS
10:30 U MOVIE -(DRAMA) A
Woman's Face" 1941 Joan
Crawford. Melvyn Douglas. A
woman on trial for murder relives
her past life, before plastic
surgery removed a hideous facial
scar. (2 hrs.. 15 mins.)
C ALL AMERICAN FUTURITY
CJ THE TONIGHT SHOW Guest
host: George Carlln. (90 mins.)
fl HONEYMOONERS
U U.S. OPEN TENNIS
HIGHLIGHTS Highlights of the
day and night play, with Pat
Summerall. Tony Trabert and
Virginia Wade providing the
commentary.
O O ANNA KARENINA Anna
attends a gala ball where she
pays an inordinate amount of
attention to Count Vronsky In
episode two
CD STAR TREK Mudd's Women'
(60 mins.)
10:46 fl NEWS
CJ CBS LATE MOVIE 'Kelly s
Heroes' Stars: Clint Eastwood.
Don Rickles An all-star cast
portrsys members of an im
probable team of U S soldiers
during World War II
11:00 O NEWS
CJ CBS LATE MOVIE Where
Eagles Dare' Stars: Richard
Burton, Mary Ure A team of
Allied commandos is parachuted
behind enemy lines during WW H
Their mission is to discover the
names of the German spies that
have penetrated the British
force
11:18 O CBS LATE MOVIE Kelly s
Heroes' Stars: Clint Eastwood.
Don Rickles An all-star cast
portrays members of an im
probable team of U S soldiers
during World War II
fl IRONSIDE
11:30 SHARK ATTACK
fl PTL PROGRAM
Q VOYAGE TO THE END OF
THE EARTH (CAPTIONED) This Is
a portrait of Nobel Prize-winning
Norwegian scientist Frldtjof
Hansen, who led an expedition to
study the North Pole In 1893.
11:36 () FLASH GORDON
12:00 CJ TOMORROW Host: Tom
Snyder. Guest: David Brenner.
(R; 60 mins.)
S WRESTLING
NEWS
12:30 fl AFFIRMATIVE LIFE POWER
12:46 CJ NEWS
1:00 O FOCUS
CJ MOVIE -(DRAMA)' "In
Search of Gregory" 1970 Julie
Christie, Michael Sarazin. Two
potential lovers who fantasize
about, but never meet, each
other. (105 mins.)
1:15 O NEWS
2:15 CJ MARY HARTMAN, MARY
HARTMAN
2:46 CD MOVIE -(ROMANCE) My
Foolish Heart" 1949 Dana An
drews, Susan Hayward. A W W. II
romance between a soldier and
his girl. (105 mins.)
4:30 Q DICK VAN DYKE SHOW
6:00 CO ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW
:!t:Ji!!-
by Joey Sasso
CONFIDENTIAL REPORT: Bill Bixby. the star of CBS-TV's
'The Incredible Hulk.' does not permit his three-rnd-a-half-year-old
son Christopher to watch the TV
series but not because Bixby doesn't think the show is
suitable for children. "I have a unique problem." Bixby
said. "I think it might be disturbing to my son to see
me 'hulk out.' At his age it wou'd be hard for him to
comprehend that happening to his own father."
Christopher's TV watching is closely monitored by Bixby
and his actress wife Brenda Benet. "Christopher just
doesn't turn on the TV. Everything is taped in our house
and we screen what we think he should watch." The
Bixbys' method seems to be turning out a discriminating
viewer. One of Christopher s favorite programs is the
recent production of The Nutcracker Suite' with Mikhail
Barithnikov Richard Hatch of The Streets of San
Francisco' admits his co-star Karl Maiden was the
meanest man he's ever worked with. "It's no secret that
Karl (who played Lt. Mike Stone) and I were hostile
enemies throughout the two years we worked together "
points out the 32-year-old actor, who will star in ABC's
Battlestar: Galactica.1 "He really came down hard on
me when we were working as partners on the show It
seemed nothing I did was good enough to meet his
standards." Rather than being bitter. Hatch conf
"I've discovered that if he'd been easy on me. I wouldn't
have learned nearly as much. I thank him for that "
