“Photo: Marisha Doan is The Unicorn in the allegorical musical production being presented by SING!Chronicity at WICA on April 1. Joan Soltys/staff photo-Where and whenSing!Chronicity presents Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore, or, The Three Sundays of a Poet, on Saturday, April 1, at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts in Langley. Curtain is 7:30 p.m. All seats, $15; call WICA box office, 221-8268, for tickets. A reception with wine, punch and hors d’oeuvres will follow the production, to which the audience is cordially invited. By JOAN SOLTYSIsland Living editorIt’s April Fools night, and mythical creatures are moving around in the dark, while townspeople garbed in their finest clothing stroll the medieval town square proudly and the eccentric man in the castle comes down the hill to make a rare appearance.It’s the setting for Gian Carlo Menotti’s musical allegory, The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore — a tale of poets and fools — presented on stage at the Whidbey Center for the Arts next Saturday by Whidbey Island’s Sing!Chronicity .Joining them in the performance will be a live orchestra with a guest conductor from Seattle, a company of dancers and a cast of costumed players. In the prevailing theater custom of the day, there will also be Renaissance masks, puppets, and a storyteller who in Shakespearean fashion will begin the play with a prologue and end it with an epilogue.If you’ve ever wondered what April Fools Day is really all about, here’s your chance to be enlightened, said Sing!Chronicity’s Bill Humphreys. If, on the other hand, you’ve never really cared, just remember — fools rush in…The ambitious production is a new departure for the 12-member vocal ensemble, known for its close harmonies, intricate music, and eclectic repertoire. We were at the point in time when we wanted to reach a new level, Humphreys said. It was serendipity.This is like a Renaissance miracle play, about the foolishness of people, and we’re presenting it on the very first ‘Day of Fools’ in the 21st century.Drawn from 16th century sources, the madrigal fable is an allegorical portrayal of how people foolishly misunderstand the artist/poet (the Man in the Castle) and his hard-won creative offspring of youth (represented by the unicorn), midlife (the gorgon) and late years (the manticore). Envy, mockery and spite are stirred into a pot that bubbles with a kind of domestic warfare reminiscent of commedia dell’ arte, reads the playbill. Directing the work is Richard Asher, well known for his vocal teaching and choral groups in the Seattle area. He has been principal conductor of the Cascade Youth Symphony, the Whatcom Chorale and the Whidbey Island Chorale, and is director of the Sanctuary Choir at Seattle First Baptist Church.The production is enhanced by the original masks of Island artist Diana Shirley and the puppets of Suzanne Schlicke, along with the costume expertise of Larkin Van Horn and the choreography of Amy Windecker and Shelley Hartle.The audience will be invited to stay after the performance for a reception with hors d’oeuvres, wine and punch, and the opportunity to meet the players, look closely at the masks and puppets, and perhaps, Hartle said, explore the meaning of the play!PLAYBILL*The MusicGuest Conductor: Richard AsherOrchestra: Norie Ishi, oboe; Libby Sandusky, clarinet; Devin Ossman, flute; Chris Harshman, bassoon; Nathan Hambley, trumpet; Buell Neidlinger, cello; Margaret Storer, bass; Naomi Kato, harp; James Nevermann, percussion.SING!Chronicity members: sopranos: Paula Ludtke, Suzi Stonebridge, Claudia Walker; altos: Betsy Arand, Shelly Hartle, Deb Lund; tenors; Bill Humphreys, Rick Ludtke, Vern Olsen; bass: Karl Olsen, Jim Pugh, Ed Walker.*The Storyteller: Michael Morgen-Burke*The Dancers: Amy Windecker, The Man in the Castle; Marisha Doan, The Unicorn; Amanda Burr, The Gorgon; Jennifer Sponk, The Manticore.*The Townsfolk: Gail Fleming, Jim Gleason, Devin Murphy, Michael Morgen-Burke, Tom Churchill, Adriana Gallagher, Devin Murphy, Susanne Ohrvik.*The Production staff: Amy Windecker and Shelly Hartle, choreographers; Diana Shirley, masks; Suzanne Schlicke, puppets; Larkin Van Horn, costumes consultant; Chris Spencer, stage management, Tod Ackley, technical production; Bill Humphreys, orchestra preparation; Kathy Fox, rehearsal accompanist. “