A dozen costumed singers, two Shakespearian actors slinging insults and Miss Minnesota 2015 highlight the entertainment line-up of HPAAC’s fourth annual fundraising Gala on October 16, 2015.

The Elizabethan Syngers, an auditioned choral ensemble from the Twin Cities, will perform music from the Renaissance period. Founded in 1971, the ensemble is one of the longest performing musical ensembles at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and is a favorite among festival patrons. A dozen members of this high-spirited group will entertain Gala attendees with songs and banter. The group is directed by Samuel Grace, a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and the University of Minnesota.  Grace enjoys a fine reputation in the Twin Cities area as a rising star in the area of choral conducting.  A Hastings resident and member of the ensemble, Kristie  Shaffer, is a music therapist and has worked with special needs students in the Hastings school district for 17 years.

The Hamlet Players – all two of them – from Hastings’ own Black Dirt Theater are sure to enliven the evening as they roam around the crowd slinging insults at each other and engaging attendees.

Miss Minnesota 2015 Rachel Latuff will give a brief presentation and pose for photos with guests. Latuff, a native of Hastings and a 2009 Hastings High School graduate, earned the title in June and has since been making appearances across the state to promote her platform “Teaching the Heart: Building the Social and Emotional Wellness of Youth and Their Teachers.” She has a bachelor’s degree in art education from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

For more information, please visit HPAAC Galas