 While the Madrigal Dinners that originated at Bemidji State University are set to take center stage once again. The play and musical dinners theater set in Renaissance Castle is an area holiday tradition with a few new unique twists this year. Melmeyer has more. Welcome to Madrigal Dinner 48.0. Opening night is just a few short days away and the play actors and musical cast for the Madrigal Dinners just came together for the first time over the weekend. It's just a lot of fun to be able to put a show together, see what it's like at the start and then, you know, make it come to life. Some of the cast members need little practice as they've been a part of the reoccurring performance for years. However, both the director and producer are new to the dinners. It's been a great, great occasion to be a part of this, to be working on this with the students and to engage in a community activity that's been really a part of the community for so many years. Part of the community and involving the community. Audience members participate in the mask antics throughout. This year the play portion is taking on the political atmosphere with a particular goal in mind. We ask our audience members to take a look at ourselves and enjoy our similarities and relish our differences. In between the satirical play breaks, there will still be the customary yuletide songs with the court still set in the Elizabethan era. The queen will help merge the present with the past. She doesn't know exactly what time period she's in, so you'll see in different spurts of the show, she like breaks character. The magical dinners will run from December 1st through the 4th. In Bemidji, I'm Mal Meyer, Lakeland News. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.