by Larry Sivitz
“Teatro ZinZanni is the ultimate iDinner! An astronomical, gastronomical and anatomical side-splitting, interactive tour de force.” — Seattle24x7.com
Where else but Seattle, where everything is becoming interactive, could you dream of it? A fabulous five course gourmet dinner. A live musical orchestra. An interactive, no-holds barred comedy revue. Troupes of table treking troubadors. And aerial acrobats cavorting on high. Teatro ZinZanni is all of this and more. This is truly an experience that must be seen, felt, inhaled and tasted to be utimately savored as Seattle’s one-and-only interactive dinner entertainment, the iDinner.
From the moment the train pulls away from the station, ZinZanni will take you on a runaway rail ride of gastronomical and anatomically side-splitting adventure, act-to-act, and dish to dish, from inspiring appetizers to sumptuous entrees and sinful desserts. There are tantalizing whistle stops along the way, each a mouth-watering creation of Seattle master chef Tom Douglas. Each performance is high-flying, high-spirited fantasy where actors, divas, dancers, comics and contortionists go undercover as waiters and wine stewards to attend to your every need.
Depending on when you read this, Teatro ZinZanni lights up the night five days a week in Seattle at either the original location of 6th Avenue and Battery downtown or at a newer venue on Lower Queen Anne. Was it only yesterday that the show began its whirlwind, record-breaking run of sold-out month after month of merriment and mayhem? Time flies when you’re being transported on the TZ express. Amazingly, ZinZanni had its Seattle premiere back in October of 1998 with “Love, Chaos & Dinner,” a show that included none other than international recording star Ann Wilson of Heart as the chanteuse.
The show’s DNA spirals back even further to one enchanted evening in Spain when producer Norman Langill discovered that the magic of European Cabaret came packed in its own multi-splendored container — a 360-degree spiegeltent (Belgian for mirrored tent) which showcased world-class talent in the round at a whole different orbit. Only eight of these structures still exist today and two of them, Seattle’s Moulin Rouge and San Francisco’s Le Palis Nostalgique are in use to house Teatro ZinZanni.
The ZinZanni cast is an exotic blend of international stars and stellar local talent. Currently appearing is the stunning British TV and singing star Melanie Stace along with the mesmerizing Ukranian illusionist Voronin. A local standout (with global appeal and star power) is Rachel DeShon, who, among numerous other credits, was a Miss Seattle finalist and delivers both light comedy and a powerful operatic aria with show-stopping appeal.
May we pique your appetite? ZinZanni’s typical wine and menu flight tastes something like this: a first course of French Country Pate accompanied by rosemary croccantini, coriander-pickled grapes, and puff pastry topped with caramelized onion and niçoise olives. A second course of rich Carrot Parsnip Soup served with a generous dollop of Labneh and sprinkled with fresh chives. A third course of Spinach Salad with smoked bacon, dried tart cherries, and curried cashews tossed in a honey-sesame vinaigrette. The main course selections might include such delicacies as Roast Pork with Riesling Glaze, Gnocchi, Green Beans and Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage, or Ling Cod with Vermouth Brown Butter and Capers, Gnocchi, Green Beans and Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage r a vegetarian Ravioli stuffed with Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion, topped with Shavings of Honey-roasted Winter Squash, on a bed of Roasted Tomato Sauce. And for dessert, an Apricot tart with almond creme, topped with pine nuts and caramel sauce.
For a visual and auditory taste of the evening online, watch this, but then make a beeline to the Teatro ZinZanni box office. A show that looks, sounds, tastes and acts this good is simply too delicious and too delightful to miss! [24×7]
