“In Tents is Irresistible!”

We’ve been humming (and craving) “Popcorn” since Saturday and according to the reviews, we aren’t the only ones (looking at you Emerald City Kids).  Last weekend, we kicked off the first (and second) show in our rip-roaring good fun series, In Tents with Recess Monkey.  The show was not only a smashing success, it was sold out!

Here is just a taste of some of the juicy reviews:

“In Tents, the new show for kids at Teatro ZinZanni, is irresistibly good fun, thanks to the trio Recess Monkey and acrobat Saffi Watson, among others.”

-The Seattle Times

“It was a fantastic combination of elements that transported adults and had the children staring open-mouthed in wonder.”

-ParentMap

“If there is one show to see in Seattle with kids this summer, I think it’s the Recess Monkey’s In Tents at Teatro ZinZanni.”

 -EmeraldCityKids.com

“The music was accompanied by fun performances from some of the Teatro ZinZanni performers and included some seriously impressive contortions, a performing “bear”, some great juggling (my son’s favorite part!), dancing and more!”

-GrowingBabyReviews.com

You can catch a glimpse of some of this monkey business tomorrow morning on Q13 Fox Morning News. Don’t miss your chance to rock out with Recess Monkey and some of their friends.  The concert series continues throughout the summer: Saturday 5/12, Saturday 5/19, Saturday 6/2, Saturday 6/23, Sunday 6/24, Saturday 7/14,  and ends Sunday 7/15.

Get your tickets before they sell out (and they will at this rate)!!

And now a dancing bear for your enjoyment:

Late Night ESPECTACULAR

THIS Saturday we are having a sexy late night Cinco de Mayo show.  Did we say show?

What we meant was…

LATE NIGHT ESPECTACULAR!!!

This party features oodles of gratuitously sexy performances,  luchadores clashing in a battle royale,  fantastic cerveza, and dancing!  This spectacle of spectacular is hosted by a trifecta of tremendous talent: the Mexican Elvis El Vez (Robert Lopez), the tallest caballero this side of the border “Big Mike” Geier, and Mexican blonde bombshell Christine Deaver.  See these three lo-co hosts as you’ve never seen them before: late at night and uncensored!

Joining in the saucy mayhem:

•  Burlesque beauties Shanghai Pearl and Inga Ingenue
• Tap dancing superstar Mark Mendonca
• Mexican masked wrestlers Lucha Libre Volcánica
• Vocal powerhouse Jen Ayers
• with special guests Monkey Zuma and Malie Fernandez

Late night shows are crazy popular and lines to enter can get long close to show time.  If you are attending, be muy inteligente and arrive here right before 11 PM.  Don’t forget your ID, you must be 21 or older to witness the ESPECTACULAR!

Get your tickets ANDALE!!!

“Gangsters of Love” Sneak Peak

It is official!  The next show will be titled”Gangsters of Love”.  Below are just a few photos documenting the fabulous process of building a new show.

More details to come.  Stay tuned!

Rush Tickets Are Here

No, rush tickets does not mean tickets to see the band Rush, who sang devastating hits in the 70ies and 80ies (such as “Freewill” and “Tom Sawyer”).  We will begin offering rush tickets to select shows!!!!

But what does that mean, you ask?  Well, for those raving Teatro ZinZanni fans who cannot afford tickets as often as they would like, now is your chance to nab night of show general admission tickets  for the insanely low price of $59 per person(plus tax of $2.75)!!!  Same great show, same delicious feast, but at a lower price.  Rush tickets will get you in the door, but do not include any additional menu enhancements, delicious wine, ingenious specialty cocktails, the $10 per person dinning room service charge, or fabulous boutique items.

Of course there is a catch.  To get rush tickets you have to do a jig outside in a bear or clown costume.

Just kidding!

On the specific nights these gems are available, (these shows will be announced on Facebook, Twitter, and a sandwich board outside) you must queue up outside the box office window 90 minutes prior to show.  Show times differ so pay close attention: Wednesday-Saturday shows begin at 6:30 PM, so get here at 5:00PM. Sunday shows begin at 5:30PM, so get here at 4:00PM for your chance at these beauties.   There is a limited number of these seats, so not everyone in line will get them.  It behooves you lovelies to arrive early!

Don’t be greedy!  Due to high demand we will only allow four tickets per person.

Important points to remember:

• $59 per person, general admission tickets
• Price does not including $2.75 tax, menu enhancements & drinks, $10 per person dinning room service charge, or boutique items
• Arrive 90 minutes prior to show
• Limited quantity, so get here early
• Four tickets per person maximum
• $59 per person!!!

For further explanation, see this!

If you are not a fan of chance, you can always get your tickets in advance.

And now, for some RUSH!!!!!

10 More Reasons to Love Ann Bernard

1.  I got into this line of work while my father was working in the Cirque du Soleil the first 3 years.  I was hanging with him and that’s how I discovered that world and I liked it.

2.  If I could be any animal, I would be a dog, because they make me laugh

3.  The last movie I saw was Pina from Wim Wenders.

4.  One of my favorite places to travel is Barcelona

5.  My first job? I was an usher at the Cirque du Soleil.

6.  YES!! I believe in aliens.

7.  I’ve always wanted to play the bass. I love that instrument.

8.  Ice cream or sorbet?  Ice cream, because it is richer!

9.  I speak French, English and Spanish.

10.  Something crazy I’ve done… When I was in Japan working with the Cirque du Soleil, some of us went to see Peter Gabriel’s show.  He asked us to come on stage and dance with him for one song.  It was crazy, that feeling of maybe 15,000 people. WOW!

The Glitz & The Glamour: An Interview with Boutique Manager Matthew White

TZ:  Who are you and what do you do at Teatro ZinZanni?

MW:  My name is Matthew White and I am the Merchandise Manager & Product Development Manager.  I run the Teatro ZinZanni Boutique.

TZ: How did you get that awesome job?

MW:  I was 18, living in Atlanta, and working at Macys.  I received a scholarship to the Atlanta College of Arts and within two years I was promoted to Junior Executive Visual Manager.  I learned the ins-and-outs of product development and began a career in consulting work. After coming to Seattle I worked at Fireworks Gallery as a buyer and regional visual manager. And now, here I am!

TZ:  What is it like working at the Teatro ZinZanni Boutique?

MW: It is different from any other retail experience.  The hours are confined to when guests are in the tent, but because they’re watching the show, guests can only shop before and after the show. Within roughly 20 minutes we see 280 people all at once.  It is like Christmas rush every day.  We are, however, open to the idea of having shopping hours outside of the show, for example, a group-shopping day.

TZ: So what is going on in the Boutique?

MW:  Right now I am really looking for remarkable artwork. I have found some truly skilled artists that are being featured in the boutique.

Pat Dzan, of PMR Jeweler in Portland, utilizes different gemstones and unique jewelry, made specifically for Teatro ZinZanni and will not be available once our stock is depleted.  We have also commissioned pieces by Sarah Watson, who creates collage-style jewelry.  We’ve also brought in one-of-a-kind Floridian artist Brandy Schmidt who uses antique broach elements with urban undertones.

Aside from jewelry, we carry other handmade pieces ranging from greeting cards to head pieces. Mikele Keiffer of Tuzzy Muzzy created some original styles specifically themed to Teatro ZinZanni’s shows and color palette.  We also carry headbands made in-house.  All of these items are one-of-a-kind pieces.

TZ: Watching you talk about these artists, I can tell you have a real passion for art and artists.

MW: Well, the venue lends itself to unique art, as it is kind of a work of art all on its own.  It is a really unique space to showcase artist’s work in a different light, an attractive space to show a unique product.

TZ: How did you find the artists?

MW: Mikele has worked with us before.  Others have either been referred to me or have contacted me directly.  The thing I always have to keep in mind when selecting artists is that we are confined by the space.  The boutique has a limited amount of space, so I have to be mindful of the size of the work.

TZ: If readers know someone who they think would be a fabulous fit for the boutique, whom should they contact?

 If you have any local work that might fit into our retail establishment, send a photo of your work and info about yourself and the art to Matthew White at mwhite@zinzanni.org.

Behind the Scenes: Recess Monkey

Jack from Recess Monkey and Oscar (his son and champion phone commander) dropped by the tent to plan out an upcoming series, In Tents.

What, you don’t know of In Tents?

Allow us to explain (and if you know about it, feel free to skip down to the photos below; Oscar looks wicked cute).  A few weeks ago, kindiependent band Recess Monkey recorded a live jam session for their new album right here in the tent.  A side note: Seeing them live was like an IV drip of sugar, in music form.  Between the catchy/witty songs and the astoundingly energetic musicians, it was impossible not to bounce around in the kiddie mosh pit.

Oh yes, we said kiddie mosh pit.  Don’t worry, the kids are all fine!

After Recess Monkey completed the live recording, they worked their magic and presto: In Tents was born (we may have just glossed over an incredible amount of work).  The album will be featured in a series of kid-friendly, rock-tastic shows beginning in May on select Saturdays and Sundays through July.  Boogie down with the whole family at this circus spectacular that features performers from Teatro ZinZanni‘s renowned dinner shows, as well as Seattle circus stars of tomorrow. Arrive early for pre-show activities and snacks!

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Tickets, get your Tickets here!

We’ll post more details as they become available.  Stay tuned!

“TZ’s ¡Caliente! Getting Warmer” says Heed the Hedonista

Foodie and blogger, Hedonista, visited the velvet-topped tent to sample our spicy new show, ¡Caliente! and to partake in our 5-course feast.  After an opulent meal, some seriously talented performers, and maybe a boa or two, we think she may be a ZinZanni convert.  Check out what she had to say:

“One option just may be the latest Love, Chaos and Dinner! show at Teatro Zinzanni (TZ). (Your Hedonista recently caught a show as media.) Dubbed ¡Caliente! Unleash Your Inner Jalapeno!, this is a spicy show with a bite … and a clearly Latin flavor, both in the show and in the food. “

“While such TZ veterans as Christine Deaver (Tres), Robert Lopez (Cinco), and Les Petits Frères (Jacques, Lulu, and Coco) keep the audience both in stitches and in awe, the menu is also worthy of note…”

See the full article here!

¡Caliente! Live Photos

At long last they are here!  We have the official ¡Caliente! live photos.  Catch a glimpse into our spicy new show with these saucy shots taken by Michael Doucett.

Also, check out this most excellent review from Drama in the Hood, written by the lovely Emma Chambers.  This review has one of the best summations for the finale: “… if you have ever wanted to see a very large man dressed up as the Statue of Liberty, surrounded by slices of cake while servers wearing cabaret-style mini dresses parade about with flags from a range of countries—not just the US and Mexico—now is your chance.”  Guilty!

We sum up these photos and that review with one word: ¡Caliente!

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Examiner.com is Crazy for ¡Caliente!

Teatro ZinZanni presents ¡Caliente!

by: Jeffrey Totey

“¡Caliente! stars Christine Deaver and Robert Lopez who play the brother/sister duo, Tres and Cinco who work in the kitchen. It appears that the tent is being sold and the kitchen crew is the last to know of this news. It’s up to the pair, with the help of the rest of the crew, to literally save the show. Each member begins to live out their own show biz fantasy, trading in their kitchen uniforms for circus costumes.

With a Latin flare, the “Mexican Donnie and Marie” are joined by the very tall singer/songwriter “Big Mike” Geier and the very short Chinese acrobat, Ling Rui, the Argentine Malambo dancer, clown and percussionist, Ann Bernard, Ukrainian contortionist, Vita Radionova and the French acrobatic trio, Les Petits Freres. It’s sort of a wide world of circus with a vaudeville accent. Every performer appeared to be flawless in their crafts.”

Read the full review!