Henning show to include eight performers associated with Medora musical

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

Photo by Dan Broten
The Magical Medora Christmas show will return to Henning on Dec. 19 at the Henning School. The show will be the only one in Otter Tail County this year.

What began as a one year trial in Henning has become a bit of a Christmas tradition in the heart of lakes country.

A Magical Medora Christmas will be returning to Henning for the fifth time in the past six years. The only time the tour did not make a stop in Henning was in 2020, when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The traveling Christmas show features eight stars from Medora’s past and present, who will travel across North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Minnesota for 30 shows in 22 different communities. 

One of those shows will be a Dec. 19 performance in Henning. It’s one of just three shows in central Minnesota, with the others being a Dec. 12 show in Alexandria and a Dec. 16 stop in Park Rapids. The show will also perform in Bloomington from Dec. 17-18. 

Bill Sorensen, who will once again be the host of the show, said the cast is excited to return to Henning once again this year.

Photo by Dan Broten
Eight performers will take the stage on Sunday, Dec. 19 in Henning as part of the Magical Medora Christmas show. The show will be making stops in 22 communities this holiday season across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana.

In year’s past, Sorensen said the Henning stop was among the favorites for performers, who have not only enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the community, but to stay at the Landmark Center. The facility is offers a chance to spend a night at a place that feels more like a home and less like a hotel. 

Sorensen said he is excited about bringing the new tour to the road once again. They have received a positive response from the community’s they are going to visit across the region. For those who have never seen the show before, it is an old-fashioned Christmas show that features traditional Christmas songs, with a variety of harmonies and will spread the true meaning for the season.

“The response to our tour has been overwhelmingly positive and extremely rewarding,” said Sorensen. “This year, folks are in for a lot of fun. We’re bringing back some of our most well-received songs and adding a lot of new material—all performed by some of the very best talent Medora has ever offered.”

This year’s cast includes five cast members fresh off the 2021 Medora Musical, including Taylor Leet of Bismarck, N.D., J’Kobe Wallace of Minot, as well as Jessica Bradish, Travis Smith and Adam Vogel. Medora Musical alumni Chad Willow and Amberly Rosen will round out the cast. 

After many of the Christmas shows and holiday celebrations were canceled Landmark Center Director Dan Broten said the show will be a great way to ring in the holiday season. 

“I think it is a good thing for Henning. It’s a quality show with some quality entertainers. This is the only stop in Otter Tail County this year. So the fact they isolated us and are coming here is a big feather in our hat I think,” he said. 

In past years, the Henning show has attracted several hundred people and provided an opportunity to ring in the holiday season with a Christmas show in their own back yard. 

The Sunday, Dec. 19 stop in Henning will be held at Henning High School and will begin at 4:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $30 at the Landmark Center, or by calling 548-5760. 

For a complete listing of show dates visit A Magical Medora Christmas online at www.medora.com.