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Saturday, Sep 06, 2008
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Teatro ZinZanni celebrates love, chaos, and dinner at new digs with fabulous Hearts on Fire |
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| Teatro ZinZanni celebrates love, chaos, and dinner at new digs with fabulous Hearts on Fire | |
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by E. Joyce Glasgow -
SGN A&E Writer HEARTS ON FIRE THROUGH MARCH 16 TEATRO ZINZANNI 222 MERCER ST (AT 3RD AVE. N) 206-802-0015 Teatro ZinZanni opened its new space, once more, at its original location across from the Seattle Center on November 28. Their new show is called Hearts on Fire and it is filled with fabulous, fast-paced and very tight performances by a number of terrifically talented artistes. From the moment that you enter the Teatro's spiffy new digs, you are greeted with a celebratory air. A face painter is available to make your face colorful and glittery, and sparkling, carnivale-style masks are for sale. You can have your photo taken in a feathery boa and have your favorite cocktail in the bar. The physical environment of the bar and boutique - with its rich red brocades, ornate love seats and stunning chandeliers - are like a cross between the Parisian bars of artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and a Wild West-era American bordello. Everyone who works there is dressed in cabaret finery; even the coat check ladies wear tiaras. One really feels welcomed by the whole crew and I can't say enough about the exemplary and gracious service shown to us all evening by our food and drink servers, who were also part of the performance. For those who haven't yet visited Teatro ZinZanni, I would describe it as a distinct and unique event which combines cabaret, European cirque, vaudeville, music, comedy, audience participation, a five course gourmet meal, fine wines, theatre, dance, wild costumes, historic architecture, interior design and a little bit of Las Vegas glitz into a whole new, wildly energetic and joy-filled hybrid. This was only my first time there since it started in 1998 and I can see why it has been running successfully for so long in Seattle and San Francisco. The shows change every few months, with different performers and menus. It is possible to return several times in one year to completely new shows. The performances each day of a run are actually unique, since there is a great deal of performer/audience interaction and you never know what will happen! On the night I attended, one audience member had to be stopped at the waist from removing all his clothes after a sexy performer flirted with him onstage and jokingly suggested he get undressed. This time around, in Hearts on Fire, Mistress of Ceremonies Madame ZinZanni is being played by dynamic disco diva of song, the great Thelma Houston, who had the audience on their feet when she blew us away with a rendition of her 1977 hit, "Don't Leave Me This Way." She was in fine voice, captivating us with her songs "I've Got My Mojo Working," "I Only Have Eyes for You" and "Send Me Someone to Love" in her shimmering costumes. Los Angeles-based Seattle actor/comedienne Christine Deaver is absolutely spectacular as the spirit of mirth, the "Muse" of Teatro ZinZanni. She has fabulous comic timing and her witty and funny spontaneous interactions with the audience are priceless. Deaver is one part Dame Edna, one part drag queen, one part sexy dominatrix, one part Ghost of Christmas Present, one part Amazon woman and ninety-four parts her own bodacious, voluptuous, dramatically funny self. Her costumes are delightful! Adept Parisian acrobats Les Petite Freres (Gregory Marquet, Mickael Bajazet and Domitil Aillot) thrilled the audience with their daring balancing, tumbling and physical feats that were both edifying and exhilarating. I had met two of these wonderful guys, Gregory and Mickael, around Seattle in October and was really pleased and excited to finally see them at work in their masterful and terrific performance. Chicago aerialists Erika and Andrew (Erika Gilfether and Andrew Adams) are making their Seattle debut in Hearts on Fire. Their aerial acrobatics on hanging straps are sensual, graceful and thrilling. Their bodies are strong and powerful and they are amazing to watch (and, from what I gather, they are actually a romantic couple who love to work together - sigh!). Beautiful Ukrainian contortionist Vita Radinova mesmerized us with her flexible, sinewy movements as she fluidly contorted her body, dance-like, balancing herself on her hands in seemingly impossible positions. I think probably many audience members there wished that they could have even a small bit of her kind of flexibility in their own bodies. I know I did! Returning to ZinZanni are popular jugglers Tuan Le, from Vietnam, and Sergiy Krutikov, from Russia. They work beautifully alone and together, juggling large quantities of balls and hats perfectly. Krutikov also serenades the audience with his sweet, atmospheric accordion. Seattle opera singer, Rachel DeShon, moved us with her lovely, powerful and expressive voice, singing throughout the show and adding a creative classical dimension to the action. Her emotional rendition of "Chi Bel Sogno di Doretta" (Doretta's Dream Song) from Puccini's La Rondine near the end of the show moved me to tears. The very popular and kooky ZinZanni regular, El Vez (Robert Lopez) the "Mexican Elvis," returns in his slinky, outrageous, skintight jumpsuits to add his own original dash of comedy and flair to the mix. Said to be the love child of Charo and Elvis, this shiny, sexy, Chicano Valentino knows how to work the audience with pizzazz and charm. The five course menu has been designed by the very creative, beloved Seattle chef, Tom Douglas (dynastic owner of the Dahlia Lounge, Lola's, Etta's Seafood, the Palace Kitchen, the Palace Ballroom, Serious Pie and the Dahlia Bakery). Douglas is known for his very original and sophisticated approach to food preparation. The food was fabulous, delicious and very fresh, and the recipes were very thoughtful, with a symphony of subtle and strong flavors. Douglas makes a point to use fine organic ingredients from local farmers and it really shows. The courses were as follows: First course: Mozzarella di Bufala, topped with olive and fig tapenade, sprinkled with roasted garlic and served with rosemary crackers. Second course: Creamy puree of butternut squash soup, garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds. Third course: Roasted honeycrisp apple with a porcini mushroom crust, nestled in a bed of lightly tossed green mache, served with a dollop of chevre and sprinkled with roasted hazelnuts. Fourth course: A choice of three entrees; baked true cod with quince glaze, tabbouleh with dried apricots, mint and whole wheat berries, and haricots verts (French green beans), (my guest and I had the cod and it was delicious), or grilled New York steak with rustic shallot mustard sauce, with green peppercorns, hearty mashed potatoes and haricots verts, red goat horn pepper relish optional, or Moroccan chickpea stew with a medley of curried roasted vegetables - carrots, cauliflower, potatoes - chickpeas and honey-drizzled dates resting on a bed of roasted tomato puree, served with a smattering of Greek-style yogurt and Marcona almonds (there is always a vegetarian entree option on the menu). Fifth course: Dessert; Peruvian Chocolate Sensation: silky chocolate cake made from Peruvian chocolate, then dipped in a chocolate glaze and dusted with hazelnuts and chocolate shavings. My guest and I opted for the wine flight grouping of five wines, chosen by the wine sommelier to optimally compliment each course. While a bit expensive at $39.00 per flight, it allowed us to try a variety of higher end wines in small quantities. Usually these wines would only be sold by the bottle instead of by the glass. Bottles and glasses of wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverages and cocktails are available throughout the meal. The whole evening is well-paced and runs very smoothly, with food courses gently served during breaks in the performance, giving one a chance to enjoy the food and converse with your tablemates and then go back to giving your full attention to the show without distractions. The food delivery is carried out with ease and very precise choreography as about twenty waitstaff/performers in full costume sashay through the room, serving almost three hundred guests in a matter of moments without flurry or fuss. It's uncanny! Music is provided throughout the evening by musical director Norman Durkee (piano, keyboards), with Hans Teuber (saxophone, clarinet and bass), Luis Peralta (percussion), John Morton (guitar) and Chris Spencer (guitar). The actual performance and dinner is held in a rare, antique, charming and historic Belgian spiegeltent, or "mirror tent," built in the nineteen-teens by the Klessens family as a wine-tasting venue and dance hall. This handcrafted wooden pavilion has a circular exterior and an ornate interior filled with red velvet, gold brocade, mirrors, carved wood, stained glass and a planked floor. It stands 29 feet tall, with a circumference of 211 feet and can comfortably accommodate 300 audience members and all the performers and waitstaff. The tent has over 4,000 pieces. It is designed to be erected and break down quickly and can be assembled easily by a team of three or four in a single day. It is very cozy and warm, with an excellent heating system (have no fear of being in a cold tent). There are about 100 of these tents in existence. The two used by Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle and San Francisco are among the oldest in the Belgian collection Artistic director Norm Langill first got the idea for Teatro ZinZanni when he saw one of these spiegeltents in Europe and convinced the Klassens family to bring one to Seattle. This first tent, named Le Palais Nostaligique, was erected on Mercer Street in 1998. In 2000, the tent was moved to San Francisco for Teatro ZinZanni performances there. In 2002, the Klassens agreed to provide a second tent, named Moulin Rouge. This tent has quite a history. It was nearly destroyed by the Nazis as retribution for a resistance force that blew up a bridge in advance of the Nazi approach. The Nazi burned up the wood from the tent in a giant bonfire at the foot of the demolished bridge and smashed all the mirrors. This spiegeltent has since been lovingly restored. Teatro ZinZanni located it for performances at 6th and Battery. The Teatro has now gone full circle in relocating the Moulin Rouge tent, returning to ZinZanni's original home on Mercer Street. Teatro Zinzanni is an expensive experience, but definitely worth the money, especially for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, holiday parties, a romantic date, guests visiting from out of town and other celebrations. Tickets include the performance and dinner. All beverages, tax on drinks and gratuity on beverages are not included and a gratuity of $10 per person, specifically for the food service is added on at the end of the evening. All seats are reserved, by the house's choice, in advance and you may be asked to share your table with other guests, which is a great way to make new friends! Doors open an hour in advance of the show and I recommend getting there early so that you can enjoy the pre-show camaraderie and get settled in. For more information visit www.zinzanni.org |
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