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. “

-The Bellevue Reporter

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

-CultureMob

“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.”

-Examiner.com

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!

Gangsters Loot the Tent

The story begins long before you get to the tent. Check out this teaser for Gangsters of Love playing at Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle through September 30.

It is finally here!  Gangsters of Love opened June 14th to a full house of adoring fans and freshly minted converts. For this spectacular spectacular, the tent sends you back in time to 1932. America is deep in the depression. Bread lines, unemployment and homelessness are rife. Prohibition, which made the sale and distribution of liquor illegal, has been the law of the land for 13 years. Why on earth did we send you back here, you might be asking yourself?

Oh right, because it is also the age of jazz, Art Deco, and glamor! This show has everything, and we mean everything: Three aerial acts, gangsters, tap dancing, King Kong, Chef Caesar, gambling, socks, cement boots, moxie, jazz, Francine Reed, and so much more. Gangsters of Love features comedian Frank Ferrante, aerialist Dreya Weber, blues vocal powerhouse Francine Reed, Duo Madrona (Ben Wendel and Rachel Nehmer) on trapeze, funnyman Joe DePaul, comic acrobat Andrea Conway Doba, vaudevillian Wayne Doba and juggler rola bola extraordinaire Bernard Hazen. This much talent in one tent is probably illegal, so don’t tell the fuzz!

Chef Erik Carlson has simply outdone himself with his newest five-course extravaganza of flavor. Think we are being biased? Check out the menu! Seriously, he is serving Blue Nose Bass en Parchment with lemon, Mascarpone and fresh herbs, served with garlic saffron rice, broccolini almandine and carrots. We dream in cheesecake! You will not be disappointed.

Behind the Scenes: Top Secret Video Shoot

 Gangsters of Love opens on June 14th (that is next Thursday!).  We are in the middle of shooting a top-secret video that will knock your socks off.  After lurking about backstage and dodging video cameras, we scored some fantastic behind the scenes photos to share with you.

Stay tuned for more behind the scenes footage as opening night approaches.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tickets!  Get your tickets here!

“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!

Frank Ferrante: Coming Soon To A Spiegeltent Near You!

Frank Ferrante stars in Teatro ZinZanni’s Hail Caesar!, opening May 12th and running through August 28th in the magical Seattle spiegeltent.

Our irrepressible Caesar, Frank Ferrante, is an actor and director described by The New York Times as “the greatest living interpreter of Groucho Marx’s material.” Frank originated the title role in Groucho: A Life in Revue written by Groucho’s son Arthur in New York, London and on PBS television. He earned New York’s Theatre World Award, a NY Outer Critics Circle nomination and London’s Laurence Olivier nomination for ‘Comedy Performance of the Year.’ The Chicago Tribune deemed his improv “masterful” and The New York Times called him “artful.” He has been profiled on The Today Show, Regis, CNN, Entertainment Tonight, the BBC, and recently was a question on TV’s Jeopardy. In 1995, he directed and developed the premiere of the Pulitzer finalist Old Wicked Songs. Frank directs and acts throughout the world and has been a regular at Teatro ZinZanni since 2001.

All Hail Caesar!

Teatro ZinZanni presents Hail Caesar!, opening May 12th and running through August 28th, 2011 in the magical Seattle spiegeltent. Hail Caesar! stars the irrepressible entertainer Frank Ferrante as Caesar and acclaimed aerialist Dreya Weber as Cleo, Queen of the Nile, and is Teatro ZinZanni’s zany take on the love story between two of history’s most famous lovers. Hail Caesar! features a hilarious and captivating international cast including juggler Joel Salom; hand-balancer Elena Borodina; trapeze artists Ssens Duo; the exceptionally talented juggler and rola-bola artist Bernard Hazen, and the operatic talents of Juliana Rambaldi and Victor Benedetti.

Music, laughter, romance and desire ensue when a resurrected Cleopatra sets her sights on a fast-talking, wise-cracking chef named Caesar. Don’t miss this colossal epic that proves that not all great couples meet online–sometimes they meet at Teatro ZinZanni. Does Cleopatra’s love for Caesar win out in the end? To find out, join the performers of Teatro ZinZanni for Hail Caesar!, a risqué romp through Egyptian history complete with Love, Chaos and… Dinner!

Catch Frank Ferrante as “Groucho” this weekend

Frank Ferrante as "Groucho"

Fresh from nearly four months in the role of Caesar in Teatro ZinZanni’s recent production of Bottega ZinZanni, comedian Frank Ferrante reprises his critically acclaimed one-man show, An Evening with Groucho this coming weekend at two locations in the Seattle area.

In An Evening With Groucho, Ferrante recreates his PBS, New York and London acclaimed portrayal of legendary comedian Groucho Marx in 90 minutes of fast-paced hilarity. The two-act comedy consists of the best Groucho one-liners, anecdotes and songs including “Hooray for Captain Spalding,” and “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady.” The audience literally becomes part of the show as Ferrante ad-libs his way throughout the performance in grand Groucho style. Accompanied by his onstage pianist, Jim Furmston, Ferrante portrays the young Groucho of stage and film and reacquaints us with the likes of brothers Harpo, Chico, Zeppo and Gummo, Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Greta Garbo, Marx foil, Margaret Dumont and MGM’s Louis B. Mayer.

Cited as “nothing short of masterful” by the Chicago Tribune,  An Evening with Groucho is not to be missed.

Friday, OCTOBER 23
“DUCK SOUP” SCREENING
Frank Ferrante introduces the Marx Brothers film classic “Duck Soup” to kick off his performance of “An Evening With Groucho” at the Washington Center for the Arts in Olympia, Washington at 7:00pm. For tickets and information call (360) 753-8585 or log on to http://www.washingtoncenter.org

Saturday, OCTOBER 24
AN EVENING WITH GROUCHO
Frank Ferrante stars at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts located at 512 Washington Street SE in Olympia, Washington, 98501. Performance is Saturday at 7:30pm. For tickets and information call (360) 753-8585 or log on to http://www.washingtoncenter.org