Every summer, the Festival of the Arts uses the magic of costume, lighting, set design, live orchestra, and real people to create the effect of a “living” painting in the Irvine Bowl. This year, the theme is Pageant of the Masters “The Greatest of All Time,” highlighting the greats from Michelangelo to Monet. A year-round board of directors and 500 volunteers contribute more than 60,000 hours to the nonprofit, some traveling as far as San Diego to be a part of this 40-year-old tradition. Two Santa Barbara residents have proudly served the program for the last few years, Stephanie Simpson as casting director and Tricia Raphaelian as a volunteer.
Simpson detailed the many skilled people that come together to create the production. From painting original costumes, makeup, sets and even original music, artists pour their heart into this show. Simpson’s job started in early January when the casting call was announced. This year, more than 1,000 people showed up at auditions. From there, she works with the other directors to determine who fits each piece. “I get the scale, and we look at the picture and match the cast member as much as we can,” Simpson said.
Slowly, the pieces of the show come together over the course of the year until it’s showtime in the summer. “There’s a lot of magic involved and genius involved in how each piece comes together with real people. It’s better than just a concert, because we do have the orchestra. But then you’ve got all the tableaus…. It’s richer than a concert,” said Raphaelian.
The Festival of Arts runs nightly from July 9 to September 4. Tickets can be purchased at PageantTickets.com for around $50 general admission depending on the evening. Children, students and seniors receive heavily discounted prices from $5-$15.
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