Raquel Welch starred in Ramona

Ramona Pageant organizers plan more, varied performancesMichael Wiley thumbed through a collection of Ramona Pageant photos as he and his wife, Charlotte, waited Saturday for the opening performance of "Ramona" to begin.

Attendance was slightly up from last year, with about 1,400 people watching the show, bowl officials said.

Wiley, 64, of Hemet, found a photo of Raquel Welch, then known as Raquel Tejada, who played the female lead, "Ramona," in the 1959 performance.

Welch will open the final performance of the season on May 2.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Soboba Rescues Ramona and Native Actors in Ramona.

Below:  "Ramona (Cesaria Hernandez) talks to Alessandro (Duane Minard) in the opening performance of Ramona in Hemet." (Melissa Eiselein/The Press-Enterprise)



A previous Ramona in traditional Native clothing.