Let the tournament begin! There’s a new Queen in charge at the Medieval Times in Chicagoland!
Our first stop on our ‘One Tank Trip’ this year was Medieval Times in Schaumburg, IL. Medieval Times was gracious enough to host us when we’d told them how excited we were to see the new queen in charge at their location. We’ve been subtly (and not so subtly) pointing out women in leadership roles to Sophia and knew this would also be a fun family outing to kick off Spring! We love Medieval Times (we even went for one of our anniversaries)!
Family Fun at Medieval Times
When you go, I highly suggest upgrading to VIP status. It allows you to sit in preferred front row seating and you get a snazzy cheering banner for your knight. We had an amazingly close up view of all the knights and horses and had special preference over the rest of the cheering section. Let’s just say a four year old little girl has her first crush on the Blue Knight after receiving a yellow flower (“He kissed it Mommy!”) and a sash marking her as the Blue Knight’s Queen of the Tournament. It was definitely the highlight of our trip! You’re also able to pay a couple dollars extra per person for a tour of the dungeons before the show begins but it is not suggested for children (or weak stomachs like mine). Before the show we did get a chance to buy a Queen’s crown for Sophia and stop by to see the horses while they were having a snack. You also have the opportunity before and after the show to get family portraits with members of the tournament or to be knighted by the Queen herself.
Besides the thrill of knights jousting on horses and a hawk flying just inches over your head, you’ll be surprised by the quality of the feast for dinner. With an appetizer of Dragon’s Blood (tomato soup) to start you off, you quickly see a theme of eating a meal of various parts of a dragon (with no utensils)! The serving wenches are incredibly helpful and are as much a part of the show as the men and women in the tournament.
What’s Happening at Medieval Times
In a major break from Medieval Times’ 34-year tradition of casting a king in the show’s lead role, the company has revealed that a queen is now in charge and sole ruler of the land. She is cast as a firm but kind ruler respected throughout the kingdom who inherited the throne at the passing of her father, the previous king.
“Where previously our female characters played in more supportive roles, we are now showing a woman fully in charge, a woman whose authority is sometimes challenged, but she quickly rises to the occasion as a strong leader, squelching opposition,” says Leigh Cordner, Medieval Times show director.
Jousting, fighting, horsemanship, swordplay and a fresh, hot, four-course feast remain central elements of the dinner attraction. With the cast and script change come a series of other significant changes to the show:
- More than 700 new costumes for all nine castles’ performers including horses, all of which are custom-designed and hand-made at a dedicated costume shop near Dallas Design District.
- 200 new suits of armor, shields, and helmets, all of which are custom-designed and hand-made at a dedicated armory in Florida.
- More than 350 team members and 225 horses train and rehearse new lines and fight scenes for three months while still presenting the current show.
- It takes two months to teach a queen to ride an Andalusian stallion.
- New music was composed by Dr. Daniel May, composer and jazz pianist who scored “Everest” and other films and who worked with Sting, The Moody Blues and others. He directed and recorded Medieval Times’ new show composition in Kiev with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. He directed the choir in Ukraine with lyrics written by poet and choir member Solomia Gorokhivska, and a solo cellist and violin player from Pittsburgh.
- The audience experiences a live action film score that is precisely synchronized with every element of the show, from lights to fights; jousts to jabs; the Queen’s entry to curtain closings; and more.
- The sound and light team spends 120 hours programming 300 new music cues and 500 new lighting cues.
For more information on showtimes and locations head to Medieval Times website and snag your VIP tickets today! Better yet, I’m giving away a family four pack on my Instagram. Head over to my profile for a chance to win!
