This summer’s Pageant of the Masters will take audiences on a journey through the art and history of California with its 2025 production, “Gold Coast: Treasures of California.” The long-running event, known for re-creating famous artworks using live actors and intricate staging, will focus on iconic pieces from institutions across the state, beginning with Northern California.
Pageant of the Masters re-creation of “Sunday Morning at the Mines” by Charles Christian Nahl from the Crocker Art Museum, E. B. Crocker Collection, to be featured in the 2025 production “Gold Coast: Treasures of California.”
The production, which runs nightly from July 5 to Aug. 29, will feature nearly 40 works from museums including the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento and the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Organizers said the theme is designed to highlight California’s diverse artistic heritage and bring a sense of regional pride to the Pageant’s stage at the Festival of Arts grounds.
Director Diane Challis Davy said the show will reflect California’s unique identity through its visual culture. “Northern California’s museums are just a short trip away, making them a natural fit for our road trip theme,” she said. “The art, history, and distinctive architecture of these cultural spaces make the pieces they house even more meaningful.”
Among the featured works are two Gold Rush-era paintings by Charles Christian Nahl, “Saturday Evening in the Mines” and “Sunday Morning in the Mines,” which depict life in mid-19th-century mining camps. Also included is “Recreation,” a 19th-century painting by Jerome Thompson from the de Young’s collection, and “Mechanics Monument,” a 1901 bronze sculpture by Douglas Tilden that remains a fixture of downtown San Francisco.
As in past years, the Pageant will combine stagecraft, lighting, and costuming to transform artworks into “living pictures.” New in 2025 are behind-the-scenes features woven into the performance and original music performed live by a 20-piece orchestra.
The road trip-themed program will also visit Southern California landmarks, with art re-creations representing locations such as Pasadena, San Simeon, San Diego, and Laguna Beach. Works from the Getty Museum, Norton Simon Museum and Balboa Park are among those slated for inclusion.
Now entering its 91st season, the Pageant of the Masters continues to attract visitors from around the world with its unique approach to art appreciation. Tickets for “Gold Coast” start at $47 and are available through the Festival of Arts website.