LHS’ choir program will host the Madrigal Dinner, Dec. 12 and 13, in the Commons.
The dinner includes a catered four-course meal as well as a play put on by the choir students. Each choir member has a role, and the show features a royal court with a king, queen, jester, prince, princess and more.
LHS orchestra and band also play their own songs, with orchestra performing on Thursday and band performing on Friday.
Madrigal dinners are a form of dinner theater with a Renaissance Era theme.
“Usually it’s set in a castle in England, so it’s all of the music from that time period,” music teacher Christy Shaffer said.
Choir members can also interact with the audience during the course of the show.
“[Servants] help with serving the dinner. We also have gypsies and they sell items,” she said.
In order to get a bigger role, such as one on the royal court, Shaffer said students had to audition for it.
Junior Rylee Stoffel is the princess for this year’s show, as well as a chairperson for the Madrigal Dinner.
“It’s deffinetly a very interesting character because the princess is the butt of most of the jokes in the play, but I find it really fun to bring the character to life and I’ve loved all of it so far,” Stoffel said.
This year’s play is called “The Royal Wedding.” The lead role for the show is the Jester, who is trying to entertain not only the Royal Court but the audience.
For these roles, students dress up in different costumes to portray their character.
“All the servers wear the white top and skirts in various different colors. The gypsies wear the same thing except they have lots of glamour like bells and jewelry,” Stoffel said.
Throughout all of this, music sung by choir students will be weaved into the dinner.
“Before we serve wassail, which is a traditional drink for the time, we sing a song and before we serve the dinner, we sing [again],” Stoffel said.
Towards the end of the dinner, choir will have their own small concert followed by orchestra or band playing their small concert seperatly.
Songs that will be sung during the dinner include: Silent Night, Carol of the Bells, Fruitcake and more.
The entire event lasts around two and a half hours and starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are no longer available. However, this dinner is an ongoing tradition at LHS and happens every other year.
