West Aurora to hold Madrigal dinner
Seventy-five West Aurora High School students will dress as if they were living in medieval times, singing songs that are several hundred years old while acting like a king, queen, jester or another colorful character at the annual Madrigal Dinner. The dinner will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 at the high school, 1201 W. York St., Aurora. For ticket information to the dinner, call (630) 301-5600.
The cafeteria is transformed into a great hall for the event, along with props that were reworked from previous theatrical performances and formal dances.
"It makes for a nice ambiance," said Meg Papadolias, West's vocal music director and fine arts department chair. "It makes the evening really special. Music is the most important thing - that's what provides the most beauty."
About 30 of the students are in the Madrigal Singers group, who are chosen from West's top choir. The main characters are Adrian Davenport (Jester), Jeremy Daly (King), Jessica Navarro (Queen) and Ashley Elkins (Royal Starter). Also, about 45 members of the Lyric Chorus will sing throughout the event.
Two former Madrigal performers also have key roles in the production. Jim Lawrie, a 1995 West grad, has written the madrigal scripts the last few years. And Riki Hubbs-Johnson, who participated in the first madrigal performance at West in 1987, is in charge of the banquet portion of the event.