Hanging Out with Mickael & Vita

 

As the publicist for Teatro ZinZanni sometimes I get to sit in on interviews with cast members and the press.  A couple weeks ago, John Longenbaugh, a reporter for the Seattle Weekly, interviewed two young ZinZanni performers, Russian contortionist Vita Radionova and Parisian acrobat Mickael Bajazet. 

Here’s a link to John’s story which ran last week: 

http://www.seattleweekly.com/2007-12-12/arts/longenbaugh-on-theatre.php 

 

In our show at Teatro ZinZanni, these two sexy, young and vivacious performers usually have some comic romantic antics where Mickael, as a bumbling accident-prone waiter, tries vainly to gain Vita’s attention. In our current show, “Hearts on Fire,” Vita plays an uptight, clock-watching secretary, whose laced up garment eventually gets discarded so she can segue into her amazingly sensuous act. 

Later in the show, Mickael performs as one of Les Petits Freres in a gravity-defying acrobatic act.

In real life they are married to each other. 

 

The interview was held on the Saturday right after we reopened on Mercer Street. We met John at McMeniman’s right across the street from the tent. John and I ordered frothy foamy coffee drinks while Vita and Mickael ordered peppermint tea.

John was spot on in his profile when he called them easily the most physically beautiful people around. They radiate health, athleticism and pure physical grace. 

Mickael’s humor is infectious and Vita’s charm is delightful. They both seem always on the verge of bursting into laughter but their answers to John’s questions resonate as the voices of serious, seasoned and clear-sighted performers. 

“In a large venue I have five or six minutes to convince people with our act; at Teatro ZinZanni we have two or three hours to meet the audience.”  

“My body is stronger and faster than ever before. When I was in Circus School, we would do crazy things - like doing as many standing back flips as we could in a row before the Metro came. Now a few years later, I find that I have to warm up a little bit more…”

“To be natural is the hardest thing. You cannot fool the audience.”

“As long as there is the spark, I will do this.”