Madrigals offer a feast for ears, eyes, palette
Staff writer
HHS is getting ready to host the Madrigal Dinner at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the middle school gymnasium. Students, parents, teachers, and high school staff have all come together to create a feast for eyes, ears, and mouths.
"It's a festive night," said Dave Clark, director. "The biggest part of the dinner is the pageantry of it all."
Actors will be dressed in period costumes, playing lords and ladies, with a castle set and head table as the backdrop. There will be trumpets heralding a processional of lords and ladies in song, toasts, and fine food. The actors will mingle with guests, jesters will perform, and a harpsichord will provide background music throughout the evening.
The students have worked on everything, according to Clark. They've done painting, publicity, and costumes, and will serve and perform. There's also kitchen help before and after, trash, and Thursday night set up.
"Everybody is doing something," said Clark. "The kitchen staff puts this together, and they do a fabulous job, and the maintenance staff will help set up Thursday after a ball game."
"We haven't had much time to work on it," said Clark. With other events that have been going on, they have only been able to work on the production for about a month.
This year's costumes are almost all new. Students and parents have donated and made new costumes for all the performers and some of the servers.
The cast includes Clinton Schneider as Lord Phillip, Nate Holmes as Lord John, Justin Moore as Lord Daniel, Tyler Suderman as Lord Byron, Peter Fast as Lord Releigh, Kyle Kroeker as Lord Thaddeus, Adam Dirks as Lord Russell, Michael Suderman as Lord Thomas, Aaron Stepanek as Lord Mark, Darren Enns as Lord Bartholomew, Emily Railsback as Lady Barbara, Jenny Whisenhunt as Lady Catherine, Heather Stepanek as Lady Anne, Danielle Hagen as Lady Martha, Laura Lindsay as Lady Sarah, Marissa Diener as Lady Margret, Emily Bebermeyer as Lady Esther, Jessica Heidel as Lady Winnifred, Alysha Claassen as Lady Rachelle, Janet Glahn as Lady Rebecca, and Tina Frick as Lady Elizabeth. Lynn Just also is helping direct the production.
Dinner will include a wassail cup, salad, roast beef, rolls, and English plum pudding. The Madrigal Dinner has been produced every other year since 1982, and Clark says this will be his last.
There will be 22 tables with six people per table. Tickets are $12.50 per person and can be purchased at the door.
