Get a taste of merry old England -- literally and figuratively -- at the 48th annual ISU Madrigal Dinner, Jan. 18 and 19, 2013 (5:30 p.m., Great Hall, Memorial Union).
The evening begins with dancers, a trumpet fanfare and a royal procession featuring the king and queen, squires, town crier, court jester and others dressed in 16th-century English regalia. Performers also will parade through the Great Hall with a boar's head, a bowl of wassail punch and flaming plum pudding.
Guests will enjoy a feast fit for a king. Spicy wassail punch and salad drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette will prepare the palate for a main course of roast pork sirloin, pease porridge, herb-roasted potatoes and bread. The meal concludes with plum pudding (with lemon and hard sauces), cheese, fruit and coffee. Alternative meals are available for vegetarians, diabetics and others with special dietary considerations; requests must be made in advance.
Throughout the evening, several ISU music and dance groups, including the Iowa State Singers, Musica Antiqua, the Music Men and Orchesis II, will perform. A light-hearted play with audience participation will round out the festivities.
Tickets, $42 ($38 for ISU students and groups of 10 or more), are available by phone (4-8349), in person at the MU ticket office (11 a.m.-5 p.m.), or online (3 percent convenience charge applies). Contributed photo.
