Avery Rosas

(From left) Abby Lane (12) and Nicholas “Nick” Tisnado-Palacios (12) are playing the King and Queen role in the 24th annual Madrigal Feaste. In the event otherwise know as “Mad Feaste,” choir participants perform a set of songs during the two and a half hour show while the audience eats a three course meal. “My favorite part of the performance is getting to see the audience’s reactions to everything because it’s a very unique experience,” women’s vocal ensemble member Lily Schaumann (11) said.

Each year, Ayala’s Choir program puts on a spectacular performance during Madrigal Feaste, otherwise known as “Mad Feaste.” This year was no exception to their continued success. Mad Feaste is a two-and-a-half-hour show featuring different combinations of choir performance groups, each showcasing a new song to build the play’s plot. Throughout the performance, a three-course meal is served to the audience while they listen to the harmonies that surround them.

Before the performances, there are a lot of preparations that need to be done in order to ensure success during the bigger shows. From the building of the set, doing sound checks, and trial runs, to lots of after-school practices, all participants are extremely hands-on in the creation of this show. Madrigal Feaste is a great opportunity for the different choir performance groups to show off the hard work that they have put in over the school year.

“We’ve practiced a lot. We focus on our lines, how the show runs, how to make it run smoothly, and what happens if stuff goes wrong. Stuff has gone wrong in the past but it always works out in the end,” Nicholas Tisnado-Palacios (12), who was this year’s king, said.

At the beginning of anything new, there are always some things that need improvement; Mad Feaste was no exception. Choir ran into a few hiccups along the way but was able to correct them before the main performances. Dress rehearsals were a great way for the choir to figure out how they needed to improve before the big performances. Even though everything didn’t go as planned, they were quickly able to fix the problems and move on with an outstanding performance, despite their setbacks.

“Dress rehearsals were very chaotic because we only had two runs. One of the tech crew didn’t know the cue because it wasn’t communicated, so the music didn’t start for the dancers and the royal courts had to improvise for five minutes,” Abby Lane (12), who played the role of the queen, said. “We overcame that by talking to each other and coming up with funny things to say to the audience while tech was being figured out.”

Despite a few setbacks, some positives also came out of dress rehearsals.

“We learned a lot from dress rehearsals. One thing that went really well this year was getting set up done in one day where it normally takes two,” Lily Schaumann (11) added, who is a part of the women’s vocal ensemble.

With Abby Lane and Nick Tisnado-Palacios stepping into the spotlight, more is expected from them as they take on their new roles. From blending in with the many people in their ensembles, to now being the star of the show, they are entering into a new acting role as they lead the plot of the performance.

“I just have to be aware that I have a lot more eyes on me than the previous year. I make sure I’m always in character and giving it my best,” Lane said.

Madrigal Feaste is not only a memorable experience for the performers, but also the audience. This show is a unique opportunity to step back from the monotony of everyday life and transport back to the times of the renaissance, where the atmosphere was far different from today. Mad Feaste is a great way to encourage bonds between the audience over this rare experience.

“This performance definitely exceeded my expectations. I was very impressed with the ambiance of the play and the fact that everyone performing was very engaged and also interactive with the guests during dinner,” audience member Emma Utterback (12) said. “I encourage more of the Ayala population to come and see Mad Feaste because it is underrated. All the performers did an amazing job acting, singing, and dancing, which kept the guests entertained.” 

Traditions have also been a longstanding part of Mad Feaste, helping bond the choir together. Some of the main things they continually do each year is sing the Wassail song, have the seniors in the women’s vocal assemble wear flower crowns, different sections making different entrance banners, the males wear eyeliner on the last night of performing, and lots of crying on closing night. The end of Mad Feaste, especially for the seniors, is always an emotional night, as they know it is their last time performing with their high school choir group in Mad Feaste.

“Tissue boxes are just emptied out for that night and directly after the show– people are just bawling their eyes out,” Tisnado-Palacios said.

Madrigal Feaste is a memorable experience for both the performers and the audience and the Ayala choir program encourages everyone to see their show next year. Choir puts in countless days of hard work to ensure that this is a unique, yet spectacular show.