Pageant of the Monsters the Spooky Side of Art

Irvine Bowl Park, Laguna Beach, CA

Welcome, folks, to a very tardily edition of a #ShriekySunday. And yeah, I know it's March, only as long as I have photos to procedure of last year'south haunt visits, I'thou going to go on posting about them! …along a spread out schedule.

Tonight, we're heading down south, to fabulous Laguna Embankment, where nosotros stopped past briefly last yr when we previewed the Pageant of the Masters. In fact, we're stopping by the exact same location for a haunted allure and then exclusive information technology didn't fifty-fifty happen concluding twelvemonth… or the year before… or even the twelvemonth earlier that. The last fourth dimension this upshot even ran was 2013—quite a mark of exclusivity! Such it was that we had to visit when we learned of the Pageant of the Monsters (get it?), a relatively family-friendly haunted house experience that utilized recycled sets from some of the past Pageant of the Masters show to allow guests to traverse through the backstage area and accept in a haunted business firm attraction of epic proportions!

Running four evenings last year, Oct 26-28 and Halloween night, the 2018 Pageant of the Monsters was titled "Raiders of the Lost Art," featuring a witty Indiana Jones theme. And what a fun event it was! Limited to only a few 1000 guests a dark, it enjoyed great popularity throughout its finish-of-Oct run. Lets take a look back at how this haunted allure turned out, and so that y'all can mark your calendars for the next fourth dimension this outcome comes back—presumably in 2023, if the every-five-years pattern holds!

Ambiance

Similar to the Festival of Arts that runs every summer, the Pageant of the Monsters featured a general exhibition surface area, merely with some more horror-related civilities. Unlike a lot of the Halloween events we cover, this product was pretty family-friendly. At that place was a warning that the Pageant of the Monsters wasn't recommended for children v and under. But by and large speaking, it was pretty light on the frights, especially exterior of the bodily haunted firm experience.

A pair of large monster claws accentuated a fantastically chilling version of the Festival of Arts.

Cobwebs and Halloween theming covered the Irvine Bowl grounds, with festival trade, a reptile exhibit, some macabre simply fine fine art photo ops, and fifty-fifty some arts and crafting activities featured. Here, the spirit was one of the togetherness and fun of Halloween, with an understood natural language-in-cheek arroyo at the eerie holiday.

In that location was plenty of merchandise bachelor for purchase.

This reptile exhibit was one of several geared toward the fall holiday mood.

There were also a few roaming clown characters, cultivating the festival atmosphere. Though clowns are often used in Halloween events in a scaring capacity, these were more of the carnival clown diverseness, behaving in light-headed manners more than than startling.

Forth the archway way into the effect, at that place were likewise sculptural "scarecrows" on display. These were part of an interesting fine art contest featuring entries by local Laguna Beach residents that put their own spins on what the Halloween scarecrow might expect like. Some of the creations were certainly fiendish, while others were odd and unnerving. Guests were given a ticket to vote for their favorite, and the winner was appear on the concluding night of the run, October 31st. Information technology was pretty cool to encounter the artistry on display, and the scarecrows also provided photograph ops for incoming guests.

The "Conflagration—Demon of the Santa Ana Winds" scarecrow was my personal favorite and a very popular overall visitor favorite.

Joan Crowford struck me as a little disturbing, just I judge that's the signal of a scarecrow!

Yes, there was evening a dabbing scarecrow. Kids these days… ;)

In case yous were curious, the final results were:

- First place: "Frida Krow" past ARTime Studio
- 2nd place: "Predator Scarecrow" by S.C. Screamerz
- Tertiary place: "Marie ENDtoinette" by Shawna and Paul Brockmeier
- People's Choice: "Conflagration- Demon of the Santa Ana Winds" by Brad Elsberry
- Director's Choice: "Vincent Van Crow" by PAGAN Art and "Joan Crawford" by Laguna College of Fine art + Design Sculpture Department

Art Exhibition

In addition to everything above, the Halloween edition of the outcome also featured a condensed Festival of Arts gallery display, with various artisans displaying and selling their wares. Jewelry, paintings, and sculptures were available for guests to admire and purchase. It was a great opportunity for the local residents to gain bonus exposure across the regular summer Festival of Arts time menstruum!

The fine art gallery was much smaller in October than during the summer, but there was withal a off-white amount to see!

The Haunted Firm

Of grade, the main attraction was the haunted house itself, which had lines that stretched 30 minutes to an hour at times. The "Raiders of the Lost Art" theme followed one "Cincinnati Smith" as he explored some far off locales in search of priceless treasure. These would really fall in the form of scenes utilizing backdrops and characters adjusted from previous Pageant of Masters shows, giving a actually cool, upward-close await at the theatrical process.

Oh no! It'due south Emeril Legrosse, the demented chef!

Guests in line were given the opportunity for a sinisterly fun photo op with Emeril Legrosse, the "demented chef," earlier entering the haunted house feel in proper. In typical elementary schoolhouse haunted house way, at that place were food bits masquerading as organs and other agonizing bits. But in keeping with a family-oriented tone, everything was played out in a joking manner.

After that was a jaunt upwards some side stairs to the tiptop and back of the Irvine Bowl, where guests were treated to a pre-show of sorts. Traipsing through a jungle ambiance, guests came upon an illuminated alter featuring a golden idol. Before long, Cincinnati Smith made his entrance, sneaking in to steal the artifact, only to gain the attention of hostile natives who of a sudden came in ambush! This was a startle scare moment, but woven into the presentation of the evidence. Fortunately, the scare was rather calorie-free—more indicative of that which may scare the five year olds and below, not anything truly scary.n

A creepy native lurks in the shadows of the foliage.

Cincinnati Smith contemplates how to accomplish his mission in this homage to the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark scene.

Guests then moved on through the Irvine Basin seating area, with a wilderness setting projected onto the stage area, and more natives lurking in overlooking ancillary phase areas off to the side. Making their way from the loftier ground of the rear seating area to the lower front portion, guests actually were able to descend into the orchestra pit, where spider web-strewn, black-lit arachnid scene greeted them. Hither as well, there were some startle scare moments, as actors dressed in black moved the spiders all of a sudden, much to the shrieks of children and chuckles of their parents.

Dancers in the jungle firelight provide a curious display.

From there, guests passed past a dancing natives scene that reinforced the temper of the savage wilderness begetting a hint of mystery and chance. Then, it was time to head backstage and indoors.

This is where the production—which was already commendable—picked up to an fifty-fifty higher level. The first room featured Cincinnati Smith, trapped in a temple setting, trying to escape from the natives who had surrounded him. Our hero dramatically swung a rope from an altar expanse to a side passage, evading the attacking natives. Much like any well-done haunted house, the theatrical lighting, engineered soundtrack, and actors themselves were fantastic. The scene was set up up more to observe than to collaborate. Like nearly of the haunted firm experience, the actors did non try to actively scare the guests. Instead, the intention was to create a heightened ambiance of peril.

Nosotros encounter Cincinnati Smith again in a temple, running from more hostiles.

This connected throughout several scenes. A scene of relics and ruins was next, with a creepy hag queen eyeing guests as they passed by. The treat was the visual spectacle presented to the pedestrians. The Pageant of Masters has certainly built up an opulent collection of backdrops, props, and effects over the years. These were perfect for creating environments that an Indiana Jones-type character would explore.

I loved scenes like this, which featured luscious lighting and unnerving actors.

Snakes… it had to be snakes… and charmers…

The narrative remained relatively lose throughout. I didn't get much sense of a plot progression equally much as this was a series of scenes, but they were each moody and darkly enigmatic. Some seemed to chronicle to classic mythology… of muses and serpents and spirits. Others played off more of the settings institute in hazard movies—archeological sites and ancient ruins.

This excavation scene culminated in a surprise startle scare for the unlucky passer by.

There was too an oddly placed classroom scene featuring students listening to an archæology lecture. Possibly this was Cincinatti Smith subsequently returning from his adventures? Information technology didn't affair much. Once more, the feel was laden in the rich settings that the event designers had conjured up.

The professor lectures in a college grade.

The big culmination was a magnificent treasure room, full of gilded sculptures and glittering jewels, and an apparent German language nemesis claiming that all of this was hers—only then admitting non really. Once again, nothing was too serious, and fifty-fifty information technology was, most guests were too busy beingness agape at the amazing scenes in forepart of them.

Treasures untold wait guests who attain the stop of the haunted house!

The Pageant of the Monsters was a devilishly fun issue, featuring some lite scares and heavy product that showcased simply how spectacular Laguna Beach's artistic heritage and customs can exist. In crafting an entertaining and playful event that children and adults could bask, this production provided a unique and wonderful contribution to the Southern California Halloween mural. It's a shame that the Pageant of the Monsters runs so many years apart, every bit at that place certainly seems to be enough material to provide for an annual issue. But and so again, that would probably take away a little from the special-ness of the event, and also crave even more time from the event organizers and participants who already sacrifice and volunteer and then much of their efforts toward the regular Pageant of the Masters.

Ultimately, the Pageant of the Monsters was a dazzling and uncommon highlight of last twelvemonth's haunt flavor. We can't expect to meet what they brew up the next time around!

Albert Lam

Builder. Photographer. Disney nerd. Haunt enthusiast. Travel bugged. Concert fiend. Asian.

caballerolinal1971.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.westcoaster.net/home/2019/3/29/pageant-of-the-monsters-2018-recap

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