Category Archives: Press

One of the Best Ways to Celebrate

Seattle TravelGram took some phenomenal photos from their Return to Paradise visit!  Oh, and they also wrote a smashing review that is both quick and glorious (delightful).

Here’s a snippet:

“Teatro ZinZanni, Seattle’s beloved dinner theater / comedic cabaret / vaudeville revue in an historic circus tent, has cooked up one of the best ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle.  The atmosphere is jovial, while the tent is intimate and the show up close and personal.  You share a table or booth with others and are served a four-course meal by smiling, dancing servers, who are also actually skilled, knowledgeable servers.  The steak made my table ecstatic, the soup was divine and the wine flight was varied and delicious.

The cast, however, is what makes this show.  Hostess Gracie Hansen, played by Christine Deaver, is a star of many a show at Teatro, who never disappoints. Her wit and comedic timing, paired with her singing voice and larger than life presence, makes her a star among us. “

See the full article and some stunning photos here!

Teatro ZinZanni’s Newest Show More than Worth the Ticket

The Sun Break is still reeling from their trip to Paradise.  Return to Paradise, that is! Hey-o!

Anyhow, here are some highlights from the review (written by ):

“(Christine) Deaver’s personality oozes into every inch of the tent when she takes the spotlight, in over-the-top—but completely fantastic—sequined dresses that probably share a relative with a disco mirror ball somewhere. Her snappy storytelling and quick wit can keep a crowd in stitches, even when delivering those often cheesy (but usually endearing) ZinZanni zingers.”

“Something about the hypnotic, erotic “vertical tango” performed by husband-and-wife duo and former Cirque du Soleil Saltimbanco performers Sam Payne and Sandra Feusi is enough to make a diner drop their fork in favor of gaping at the two performers sensually reaching for each other as they twist, turn, and climb up and down a pole in the center of the tent.”

“… Cirque performer Ling Rui (Dralion, Delirium) with his breathtaking flying on the aerial silks, and the impressively-muscled Christopher Phi, aka: Bruce Lee, whose carefully-controlled hand balancing act blends physical grace with stunning strength and agility.”

See the whole story here!

Crosscut.com Raves About “Return to Paradise”

The reviews are in and Return to Paradise is a hit! Here are some of our favorite quotes from Crosscut.com:

“These are Cirque du Soleil-level performers… at the very top of their trade…”

“Some 285 guests, four nights a week, are served a five-course dinner (well-paired with matching wines) by a troupe of actors (the “Galaxy Girls”) while the entertainment unspools: music, pop songs from the Sixties, PG-rated jokes, suggestive dances and the spectacular aerial acts.”

“… these are professional-level athletes, up close and astonishingly personal.”

See the full article here!

Gangsters of Love is the Cat’s Whiskers

Gangsters of Love is aces!  It’s hitting on all sixes!  It’s Jake!  However you prefer to say it, Gangsters of Love is a hit.  Why even the highfalutin inky fingers (or the press for those of you who ain’t on the trolley) have gone bananas for our newest show.  Here’s the skinny:

“Equal parts entertainment and experience, “Gangsters” is a hilarious testament to an age when liquor and love trumped all – and a captivating trip to the past you won’t want to miss. “

“It was the perfect combination of great comedy and thrills.”

“The dinner theatre production of “Gangsters in Love” is a 1930’s mad cap production that features singers, acrobats, circus tricks and a lot of laughs.”

Get your tuchus down to the tent for the Real McCoy and see what all the hullabaloo is about. Don’t forget about our moxie matinees featuring an all-new kid-friendly menu at a wallet-friendly price.

See the show before it 23-skidoos!

¡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:

“¡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!

We Did Everything Right!

Well, we like to think this, but we are biased.  No, this headline comes direct from CultureMob.com.  Here it is again with a truly glitzy intro:

Teatro ZinZanni Does Everything Right

by Tom Mohrman

“¡Caliente!, the new show at Teatro ZinZanni, is completely over the top. You’ve got your acrobatics, your dancing, your jokes. There’s songs, sparklers, cabaret, an amazing five course dinner, and custom cocktails. The conceit for this season’s show is that the kitchen has been fired, but instead of accepting their pink slips, they stay for one last night, and put on the show of their dreams. Starring Christine Deaver and Robert Lopez (aka El Vez), the three and a half hours spent inside the spiegeltent is full of laughs and moments of wonder.”

Read the full interview on the CultureMob Website!

See ¡Caliente!

The Weekly Herald Swoons Over Bonsoir Liliane!

Less than three weeks left to see the ever-amazing Liliane Montevecchi in Bonsoir Liliane!.  Michael Doucett

This fact makes us sad and we will remain in denial for long after it is appropriate.  The shows simply fabulous.  With possibly the best introduction EVER, Dale Burrows  from  The Weekly Herald is now a believer in the power of Teatro ZinZanni (as well he should be, we are delightful).  A visit here is “to step into a realm where dreams and reality converge, time stands still, everything is not as it seems”.

A few of many accolades for his delightful review:

“Well, I stepped in a skeptic, came out a believer and time is still standing still. “Bonsoir, Liliane!” knocks your socks off.”

“The acrobatics of Parisians Domitil Aillot, Gregory Marquet and Mickael Bajazet, dazzle.”

“Graceful sensuality shows itself in the amazing contortions of Ukrainian Vita Radionova.”

“Former Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Ariana Lallone’s solo is sheer elegance.”

Read the full review here!

Get your tickets to see this dazzling performance!

Seattle Magazine Raves About Bonsoir Liliane!

“The muscles in my face literally ached from smiling“, says Bond Huberman from Seattle Magazine.  It appears Mr. Hubberman has fallen under the spell of the velvet-topped tent (he is not the first, we assure you) and its fantastically talented cast.  Of the show, he says it “tilts between musical numbers, acrobat stunts, comedy routines and even one opportunity for audience members to stand up and enjoy a romantic slow dance with their loved ones.”

Photo by Micheal DoucettOther highlights from the review:
“(Liliane) Montevecchi’s Auntie Mame persona keeps up with Kent in sheer audacity. She’s a petite older woman, but she has shockingly flexible legs (which she is unafraid to show off) and a voice that sometimes talks through and sometimes blasts out standard numbers like La Vie En Rose and Diamonds Are Forever.”
 ”Every move (Kevin) Kent makes is backed by expert improv skills – or his uncanny ability to predict exactly who his audience members are, and where their boundaries are flexible.”

“So, when we’re not marveling at what Ukrainian contortionist Vita Radionova can do in spite of the typical rules of a human rib cage – or the terrifying free falls of Les Petits Freres (an adorable trio of French acrobats), we take deep dives into a darker story…”.

Read the full review in all its glory!

Bonsoir Liliane!: The Saucy Review by Erika Hobart

Opening Nights: Bonsoir Liliane!

Teatro ZinZanni salutes a legendary star’s career, from MGM to LQA.

By Erika Hobart

Wednesday, Oct 12 2011

If your significant other has a wandering eye, leave him (or her) at home. Teatro ZinZanni’s cabaret-style homage to singer/actress/dancer Liliane Montevecchi, who celebrates her 79th birthday this week, could be its sexiest production ever. At the center of this three-and-a-half-hour spectacle, which recounts her long, illustrious career (accompanied by a five-course feast), she may be its most alluring performer. 

Born in France and subsequently a contract player at MGM (where she supported Brando, Elvis, and Astaire), Montevecchi remains a magnetic force on stage. (Given that her legs still look flawless, she either has a pact with the devil or drinks the blood of virgins.) Playing the younger version of Montevecchi is former Pacific Northwest Ballet star Ariana Lallone, whose dancing en pointe is both stunning and painful to watch. Rounding out the so-attractive-it’s-creepy ensemble are Ukranian contortionist Vita Radionova, whose moves make the Kama Sutra look tame, and Swedish singer/dancer/acrobat Tobias Larsson, who looks like he belongs in a Calvin Klein underwear ad. (Swoon.)

Coming from a company that prides itself on kookiness, of course, Bonsoir Liliane! would be incomplete without silly antics. Enter improv master Kevin Kent, unquestionably TZZ’s most popular performer, who provides plenty of laughs by poking fun at willing (and unwilling) audience members. During a recent show, he shrieked at a group of bald men, “I want to rub all of you together and start a fire!” To a guest embarrassed by the unsolicited attention, he quipped, “You’re like the prom queen at 4 a.m. going home to Daddy.” Upping the outrageousness is Parisian acrobatic trio Les Petits Frères, which combines slapstick with gravity-defying stunts.

The whole glittery shebang is directed by Tommy Tune, who helped Montevecchi dance her way to a Tony in the original Broadway production of Nine. That, if you’re counting, was 29 years ago. Today her legs would make most 29-year-old women envious.

See the full review!