A queen will take charge at Medieval Times Atlanta

The crowd enjoys a jousting tournament during the Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Lawrenceville. The show is based upon the Middle Ages. STEVE SCHAEFER / SPECIAL TO THE AJC

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer

The crowd enjoys a jousting tournament during the Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Lawrenceville. The show is based upon the Middle Ages. STEVE SCHAEFER / SPECIAL TO THE AJC

Finally, a woman will rule this castle.

Medieval Times Atlanta, the popular Gwinnett County dining and entertainment venue, will introduce its first female-led show on Nov. 9.

Details - and her majesty’s identity - though are being kept under wraps, much to the disappointment of royal watchers.

The queen will serve as the sole ruler of the land after the death of her father, the king.

The show, which features jousting, fighting, horsemanship, swordplay and a four-course feast, is located at Sugarloaf Mills mall.

The character of queen has been at other Medieval Times castles, but this is the first time she’s taken the throne in Georgia.

This is the fourth show to debut at the Atlanta castle, since its gates opened in 2006.

“Leadership and chivalry know no limitations, and that includes gender,” Williams Phillips, general manager of Medieval Times Atlanta, said in a statement. “We are honored to celebrate a strong female lead in this new show and our entire cast, from knights to falcons and horses, are working tirelessly behind-the-scenes to create an authentic medieval experience that entertains, while attaching to a topic that is incredibly timely and inspiring.”

Running a kingdom, though, takes a lot of work.

Consider:

  • It takes two months to teach a queen to ride an Andalusian stallion. 
  • There are 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 the Dallas Design District.
  • 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.
  • New music was composed by 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.