Written by Rebecca Rosen
Victorian Ball is my favorite event on the HRG&SP social calendar. It combines the glamour of a white-tie event with the nostalgia and fun of a reunion; that one night constitutes perhaps the largest gathering of current HRG&SP members, alumni, and patrons all year, and it all happens in the Horner Room behind the stage. This semester we held our 10th annual Victorian Ball, and everyone had a blast!
The first Victorian Ball was held in the fall of 2006 as part of our 50th anniversary celebration. Since then, we’ve had lots of fun every year with a grand ball full of delicious food and stellar decorations courtesy of our wonderful caterer, Cindy. This year, she transformed the Horner Room into a magical forest, covering every surface with fabric, flowers, statues, and greenery. It was so wonderful to see the room that for as long as our organization has been in the Agassiz has spent much of our residency covered either in dropcloths and half-finished set pieces or cast members napping or doing homework during the show now transformed into a beautiful ballroom. It’s easy to forget the beauty of the space our organization has the privilege to occupy for several weeks every semester, and Victorian Ball always seems to renew both love for HRG&SP and for the Agassiz itself.
This year, we had a huge group of alumni come to the ball, and it was wonderful getting to know them! Most of the alumni who came this year were HRG&SP company members from the last 15 years, but we had a few alumni come back who had been a part of our organization even earlier (the earliest alumni I spoke with at the Ball were involved in the 1975 production of The Gondoliers; if you were involved in earlier years and came to the ball, we’d love to know!). There was plenty of dancing and lots of chocolate mousse, and it seems like everyone had a great time getting dressed up in their fanciest attire and partying with HRG&SP old and new. Thank you to everyone who came to the ball and made it a success; I know I can’t wait to come back for Victorian Ball next year!
(Photos below courtesy of Guan Chen unless otherwise noted)
Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players 