All hail the holidays at Elgin Academy’s Madrigal Feast
If you are tired of the trappings of modern holidays, Elgin Academy offers a chance to travel back to the medieval era with its Madrigal Feast 2011.
Dinner shows are set for noon and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Kimball Street Theatre on the school’s campus, 350 Park St., Elgin. Tickets are $35.
About 75 elaborately costumed students will perform in the show, which features songs, acting and a catered, four-course meal, said director Marie Cinquemani, middle school and upper school music teacher at Elgin Academy.
“The youngest (performer) is in second grade; the oldest in 12th grade,” Cinquemani said.
As visitors walk in, they will be awed by the decor, Cinquemani said.
“The black box theater has been fully transformed into a Renaissance-style hall,” she said.
There is a specific order to madrigal dinners, according to Cinquemani. The traditional welcome will feature a jester and a few songs, followed by a Wassail Toast.
“The Wassail Toast is from the 1100s,” she said. “They are toasting in the holiday season and the New Year.” The traditional Wassail Song will be sung.
Next comes the main course and the bringing in of the boar’s head. In medieval times, this would have been the dinner, but it’s not on the menu for 2011.
“We’ve got a taxidermied boar’s head,” Cinquemani said. “It’s really ugly; it’s great.”
The Boar’s Head Carol and costumed actors bragging about having killed a wild beast for Christmas will accompany the presentation of the head.
A catered chicken dinner (with a vegetarian option for nonmeat-eaters) will be served, but nobody need worry about authenticity being carried too far with a lack of silverware.
“We’re using utensils,” Cinquemani said. “Eating with fingers is too messy.”
After dinner and dessert, there will be student performances, including junior Chris Monti, an Olympic fencer, giving a demonstration; some improv theater; and more songs of the season and era. A traditional farewell and singalong of holiday favorites will bring the dinner to a close.
To purchase tickets, call (847) 695-0301.