Tickets to our 2022 Elizabethan Madrigal Feast are ON SALE NOW!
For assistance, call 979-265-7661 or come by The Center’s Box Office during regular business hours (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday).
Get more details about the schedule, ticket prices and sponsorships at bcfas.org/emf.
From the small coastal community better known for its beaches, birding and annual Great Texas Mosquito Festival comes a fully immersive Renaissance celebration of Christmas. After a four-year COVID-related hiatus, the Elizabethan Madrigal Feast returns to The Center for the Arts & Sciences‘ Dow Arena Theater. Performances begin the day after Thanksgiving.
Celebrated biennially since 1988, the Elizabethan Madrigal Feast features singing, dancing, Shakespearean comedy and a three-course meal catered by Grazia Italian Kitchen. Local guests and visitors are invited to revel in the spectacle of hand-crafted period costumes and the pageantry of an 16th century Elizabethan celebration.
A mainstay of The Center’s cultural programming, the event is a beloved holiday tradition for thousands of guests. The production runs for three weekends, totaling 10 performances, on November 25-27, December 2-4 and December 8-11.
The Center’s Dow Arena Theater is transformed into the Great Hall of Warwick Castle, where the Earl and Countess of Warwick welcome Queen Elizabeth I and her court to usher in the holidays.
A troupe of more than one-hundred serve both onstage and backstage. Live musicians, dancers and actors perform roles ranging from the Archbishop of Canterbury and classic Shakespearean characters to singing servers, nobles and royals. Local parents with infants step in to serve as the Holy Family.
With a successful location in Pearland, Grazia Italian Kitchen will cater a three-course dinner for the 10-night production. Grazia will open a new Lake Jackson restaurant in the weeks to come. The Center’s scullery crew manages service for the guests’ dinner. The evening starts with freshly brewed wassail and ends with coffee and dessert.
Tickets can be purchased online, via phone at 979-265-7661 or in person at The Center’s Box Office. Learn more about the Elizabethan Madrigal Feast on our YouTube channel.
We are pleased to announce the return of our Elizabethan Madrigal Feast! Elizabethan Madrigal Feast performance dates are November 25-27, December 2-4 & 8-11.
By sponsoring this beloved holiday tradition, you will receive early ticket purchasing privileges before they go on sale to the general public. More importantly, you will create unforgettable memories for your friends and family.
Sponsors at all levels are invited to our exclusive Sponsor Reception. Beverages, light hors d’oeuvres, desserts and an audience with the Queen and her Court are part of the evening’s festivities. Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 19 for an exclusive opportunity to make merry and kick off the holiday season.
To secure your sponsorship, download and print the PDF form and return it to us. Or if you prefer to secure your sponsorship online, click here. Once we receive your sponsorship, we will send you an email with a promo code to reserve your seats. Please note that each sponsorship level allows a limited number of early reservations. Call us at (979) 265-7661 for assistance.
Brazosport Fine Arts Council members are also eligible to purchase tickets starting Thursday, September 29 through Sunday, October 2, before they go on sale to the general public on Monday, October 3. Get your BFAC membership online now! Then, purchase your EMF tickets by logging in with your BFAC member number.
Our Elizabethan Madrigal Feast is a special, time-honored tradition. Help us bring light, laughter and unforgettable memories to this holiday season. There is no better gift to give your loved ones and your community!
(Photo from 2018 EMF.)
After a four-year hiatus due to COVID-19, we are so excited to be planning for our 2022 Elizabethan Madrigal Feast! Director Judi James has announced the cast list for this year’s EMF, scheduled for Nov. 25-27, Dec. 2-4 & 8-11.
Head Table/Nobility:
Rachael Welsh……….Queen Elizabeth I
Samantha Blackmar
Andrea Hutchison
Melodie Steinert
Kate Hadley
Terri Martin
Courtney Nagel
Elaina Perez
Barry Finley
Chris Hutchison
Trey Quinn
Fred Silva
Orren Gaspard
Ruben Perez
George Prince III
Tony Stewart
“As You Like It” Shakespeare Actors & Other Speaking Parts:
Matt Edquist……….Father Christmas
Wes Copeland……….Shire Reeve and Charles
Denis James……….Steward
Barrett Robison……….Orlando
Edward Waddell……….Oliver
John Dean……….Silvius
Harold Nicoll……….Adam
Keith Frank……….Touchstone
Marc Davis……….Duke Senior
Ed Steinert……….Duke Fredrick
Diane Hill……….Hesperia
George Adam……….Jacques
Clara Furriel……….Phebe
Hanna Poore……….Rosalind
Lisa Chapa……….Celia
Irenna Garapetian……….Cora
Margaret Bachman……….Audrey
Pages:
Hailey Wilkinson
Chase Wilkinson
Feature Dancers:
Madelyn Kelley
Madison Unger
Kennedy Unger
Madison Kucera
Jane Tidwell
Servers & Table Captains (if not in Shakespeare):
Connie Marshall……….Choreographer
Arianna Prince
Dora Mae Stevens
Chayton Herbst
Hayley Bone
Jesikah Cox
Donna Miner
Isabella McAdams
Janice McEwan
Dorothy Dean
Aiden Guillen
Music:
Darren Tidwell……….Violin, Men’s Chorus
(Additional musicians TBA)
The Elizabethan Madrigal Feast is back after a four-year hiatus (courtesy of COVID-19) and auditions are being held August 28-30 at The Center. Director Judi James is looking for actors, singers, dancers and instrumentalists to fill roles in the Renaissance-style holiday production.
The Facts attended the Sunday afternoon audition to interview participants and shoot a few photos. A web-only feature was published on Monday, followed by a story on the front page of the paper on Tuesday.
Be a part of our well-loved tradition, the Elizabethan Madrigal Feast! The Center’s Dow Arena Theater is transformed into the Great Hall of Warwick Castle. Queen Elizabeth I is the honored guest for an immersive experience featuring Renaissance music, dancing, feasting and a comedy by William Shakespeare.
Actors, singers, dancers and instrumentalists are needed to fill a wide range of roles. Auditions are open to ages 9 and up. Audition sides will be available in The Center Administrative Office on Monday, August 15.
All auditioners must be prepared to read from the script, sing and dance. Songs and dances will be taught during the audition process.
Instrumentalists, please come to an audition date to complete the required paperwork, but do not bring your instrument. You will be contacted at a later date by the music director or section leader.
OPEN AUDITIONS:
Performance Dates:
All cast members must be present at all performances.
First time auditioning? To learn more about this beloved holiday tradition, check out this mini-documentary produced in 2020.
*Criminal background checks are required for all volunteers ages 18 and up.
It is with much regret that Brazosport Fine Arts Council must announce the cancellation of the 2020 Elizabethan Madrigal Feast due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was originally scheduled to open the day after Thanksgiving this year.
We will continue to evaluate conditions for the possibility of offering it again next year during the 2021 holiday season.
Keeping our cast, crew, musicians, audiences and our community safe will always be our first priority. The very nature of the event, with singing, food service, dancing, instrumental music, and the numbers of audience members, performers and crew in an enclosed area make it impossible for us to offer it safely…certainly no sooner than next year.
This popular holiday cultural celebration has served as a key fundraising event for The Center since the event’s inception in 1988. The cancellation will result in a major loss of income for The Center during the 2020-2021 biennium.
We hope to offer some other options to encourage the community’s continued financial support of The Center in the absence of the Feast this fall. More information will follow about specific ways the community can support The Center during this difficult time. If you would like to donate to The Center Operating Fund today, please click the button below!
It is a trying time for The Center and its programs. We rely on you to help us build a bridge to a time we can again sit together as an audience. We hope to welcome the Queen back into Warwick Castle again in November 2021.