1993 : ALONG WITH MUCH OF LAGUNA CANYON , THE PAGEANT ’ S HOME AT IRVINE BOWL AND THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS GROUNDS SUFFERED $ 500,000 IN DAMAGE FROM THE INFAMOUS FIRE AND FLOODING THAT YEAR . VOLUNTEERS WORKED HARD TO SAVE THE PROPERTY AS FLAMES CRESTED OVER THE SURROUNDING HILLS IN LATE OCTOBER AND THEN , TWO WEEKS LATER , FROM FLOODING AS A RAINSTORM CAUSED MUDSLIDES WHERE THE HILLS HAD SO RECENTLY BEEN SCORCHED OF THEIR VEGETATION .
1969 : Although a photo could not be found of this memorable moment , many recall the show when a pigeon landed on one of the living statues . It all started on the roof of the stage house , where bronze bell ringers banged their mallets against a bell ( made to look like the one atop St . Mark ’ s Basilica Clock Tower in Venice , Italy ). At the same time , trained homing pigeons were released into the air . They would typically circle a few times then return home to perform again the next night . But this time , one of the birds became disoriented and continued to circle as the show went on . The fourth presentation was a white earthenware sculpture of Pygmalion and Galatea by Etienne- Maurice Falconet . It was during this scene that the pigeon decided to land on the shoulder of Galatea , portrayed by Cathe Mennen , who was covered in sticky white makeup for the role . The pigeon couldn ’ t hold on and started sliding down Mennen ’ s chest , all the way to her thigh , then reportedåly pecked and clawed its way back up , leaving her scratched and bleeding . But , Mennen didn ’ t move a muscle , holding her pose for the duration of the scene — and receiving a standing ovation for the feat .
1973 : Another celebrity took part in the Pageant this year . Actor Vincent Price , known for his roles in horror films like “ The Fly ,” “ The Last Man on Earth ” and “ The Masque of the Red Death ,” was cast in a re-creation of “ The Cardinal ’ s Portrait ” painting by Toby Rosenthal , a fact that he later revealed before a national audience on the TV show “ I ’ ve Got a Secret .”
1974 : The Pageant used to host a VIP night for celebrities with dinner and a reception at Hotel Laguna ahead of the show . In 1974 , actress Betty White and her husband , TV personality Allen Ludden , were in attendance . Over the years , celebrities from actor Steve Martin to the late Lakers star Kobe Bryant have graced the Pageant ’ s audience . In 1999 , the Pageant began presenting an annual benefit gala with celebrity hosts through the years ranging from Priscilla Presley , former wife of iconic signer Elvis Presley , to actresses Shirley Jones , Teri Hatcher and Jane Lynch , actors Neil Patrick Harris and Bryan Cranston , singer Paula Abdul , and Joe Mantegna of TV show “ Criminal Minds .”
1974-1993 : Dubbed “ The Voice of the Pageant ,” Hollywood veteran Thurl Ravenscroft served as the show ’ s narrator for nearly two decades , from 1974 to 1993 . Ravenscroft , who later passed away in 2005 , had an unmistakable voice . Perhaps best known for voicing Tony the Tiger , the Kellogg ’ s Frosted Flakes cereal mascot — remembered for saying “ They ’ re grrreat !”— he also lent his booming , bass voice to Disneyland ’ s Haunted Mansion ride and he sang “ You ’ re a Mean One , Mr . Grinch ” in the TV special “ How the Grinch Stole Christmas ,” which first aired in 1966 on CBS .
1980s : Since the Pageant is set in an outdoor amphitheater nestled in Laguna Canyon , there are sure to be visitors of the wildlife persuasion . Bats can sometimes be seen flying overhead . No doubt squirrels have joined the audience from time to time . However , on one particularly memorable night in the 1980s , a skunk showed up on the conductor ’ s podium as then-Musical Director Richard Henn came out to begin the second act . Luckily , the animal didn ’ t spray , but scampered into a niche nearby . Of course , the show must go on , so Henn gave the downbeat to start the overture then alerted the director over his headphones . The skunk became increasingly agitated and , by the end of the overture , it had started hissing . So , they had to stop the show , with narrator Thurl Ravenscroft ad-libbing an announcement about this unexpected visitor —” a little gentleman in black in white ”— who had taken up residence in the orchestra pit . Security helped to coax and nudge the skunk out of the pit and Henn later recalled seeing the creature “ hightailing it out of the canyon .” Luckily , the animal never sprayed and the crowd avoided what could have been a stinky situation .
2003 : On the occasion of the Pageant ’ s 70th anniversary , a time capsule was ceremonially “ buried ” at the Festival of Arts grounds — although the contents were later secured and safely stored off-site — to be opened Sept . 20 , 2041 ( based on the date that a long-term lease with the city for use of the property would expire ). The time capsule included an archive of recorded interviews with longtime Pageant contributors and participants . Not only were DVDs filled with these interviews and full-color images of past souvenir programs among the buried treasure , but also paper transcripts and other historic materials as Director Diane Challis Davy realized even back then that DVDs would be antiquated and perhaps even unplayable by 2041 . g
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