The Weekly Herald Swoons Over Bonsoir Liliane!

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

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.”

Other 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!

Liliane’s Birthday Deal For You

Liliane Joyeux Anniversaire! Happy Birthday Liliane!

Bonsoir Liliane! star Liliane Montevecchi‘s birthday is this week and are we ever celebrating.  In honor of the extraordinary chanteuse‘s upcoming birthday, Teatro ZinZanni is offering $80 general admission tickets to see Bonsoir Liliane! on these select dates: October 14, 16, 20, 21 and 23rd. To capitalize on this spectacular offer, you must call the Box Office at 206.802.0015 and reserve your tickets.  Come and celebrate Liliane’s birthday in style under the tent at Teatro ZinZanni!

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!

Voilà! A Tune-tooled trip to Paris in ZinZanni show

By Misha Berson

Seattle Times theater critic

Ooh la la, and then some.

“Bonsoir Liliane!,” the charming new show at Teatro ZinZanni, is something of a departure for Seattle’s ongoing dinner-cabaret outfit.

It has a specific destination — a nostalgic, romanticized Paris of gendarmes and chansons, of gilded cabarets and midnight rendezvous and toujour l’amour.

“Bonsoir Liliane!” is also famed Broadway director-performer Tommy Tune’s loving valentine to the undisputed star of the show, the actress-singer Liliane Montevecchi, who, still spry and sexy after nearly eight decades, is a living embodiment of the City of Light.

Despite her Tony-honored Broadway performance in “Nine,” her film turns (notably, in “Daddy Long Legs” with Fred Astaire), and her previous headlining gigs with ZinZanni and upscale nightclubs, Montevecchi is not exactly a household name here.

But the show, loosely constructed as an Orient Express train ride to Paris and India, introduces and celebrates this eternal gamine with the stylishness expected from Tune, whose atmospheric Broadway hits range from “Grand Hotel” to “The Will Rogers Follies.”

Swathed in one slinky, twinkly gown after another, the petite and vivacious Montevecchi is delightful company.

She recalls her own stint as a ballerina, and as the star chanteuse at the Folies Bergère. In a wispy but confident voice, she croons cabaret classics like “La Vie en Rose” and relative rarities, like Cole Porter’s racy “Si Vous Aimez les Poitrines” (translation: “If You Love Breasts”).

And in a lovely bit, she appears perched on a crescent-moon-shaped swing, as the iconic French clown character, Pierrot.

“Bonsoir Liliane!” also fits in staples of the Teatro experience. There are rousing acrobatic routines from ZinZanni veterans, contortionist Vita Radionova and the boisterous (and French) Les Petits Frères.

There is a kind of master of ceremonies (lanky, amiable Tobias Larsson). And there is the inimitable jester Kevin Kent, still a quick-quipping whiz at working hapless audience members into outrageous gender-bender stunts.

What is new here, beside the Parisian glam and je ne sais quoi, is the inclusion of classical ballet.

Supple, striking Ariana Lallone, a longtime featured dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, has a pair of numbers where the Tune touch is magical.

One is a dramatic “red swan” dance (spun off “The Black Swan” film) performed entirely at a barre on a tiny lifted stage.

The other: Lallone, wearing a diaphanous white gown with winglike sleeves, wafts and whirls in the lights like a silken moth fluttering around a multihued flame. Based on Loie Fuller’s pioneering modern dances (a Paris sensation in the early 1900s), it takes your breath away.

Tune also makes good use of his Triplets of Bellevue (get it?), the Andrew Sisters-esque singing trio Diva and the Dixies.

If anything, the show has so much going for it (including a lively Bollywood number), that an extra breather or two, and perhaps a light trim, are in order.

But it seems fated that, in an antique cabaret tent long ago christened The Moulin Rouge, “Bonsoir Liliane!” would take you on a trip to a mythical Paris. And thanks to director and star, what a bon voyage it is!

Read the full article!

The Girl About Town Praises the Entire Cast of ‘Bonsoir Liliane!’

All aboard a night of wonders at ‘Bonsoir Liliane’ | Review

By GABRIELLE NOMURA
Bellevue Reporter Staff Writer
Oct 04 2011

At first glance, it may seem like Teatro ZinZanni’s intimate, vintage circus tent might not be roomy enough for big leaps and pirouettes.

In reality, there’s a lot of movement under the cover of ZinZanni’s spiegeltent. The company’s newest show, “Bonsoir Liliane” centers around former prima ballerina Liliane Montevvechi and includes performer/choreographer Tobias Larsson and former Pacific Northwest Ballet dancer Ariana Lallone. Directed by Tony Award winner, Tommy Tune, the dance, music and theatrical elements come together to sweep audience members away on a “train of dreams” through Montevvechi’s fondest and boldest memories.

The leading lady, (who was knighted as a Dame in Malta) was a vision of glitter, femininity and sex appeal at age 79.

With Montevvechi’s “fondest and boldest memories” as a guide, audience members are transported through the ballet studios of Moscow, romantic Parisian landscapes, as well as the colorful, festive environment of Bombay. While the various locations are geographically scattered, the all-around lavishness of the whole show connects the dots.

And yes, that metaphorical train also includes a metaphorical dinner car, except with a real, five-course meal that will leave you needing a box. Vegetarian types like myself will love the hearty “Vol-au-vent”: Wild mushrooms, roasted peppers, green beans and roasted tomatoes sauteed with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese in a savory mushroom broth and served in light puff pastry dough sprinkled with smoked black pepper. Meat free, but incredibly flavorful and hearty.

It’s amazing how much a full belly and a glass of champagne enhances an already fantastical experience.

With performances by the talented dancers, a contortionist, acrobats (I SOL-ed – screamed out loud – when three men, stacked on top of each other’s shoulders, fell to the ground in a three-man chain, miraculously escaping a trip to the emergency room thanks to some serious tumbling skills) musicians (including “The Triplets of Bellevue”) and the unforgettable drag queen, Kevin Kent.

Kent, queen of sass, improvisation, comedy and audience participation, stole the show in his queen of hearts costume he was able to transfer with the miracle of velcro to a very patient, willing young man from the audience, who even let Kent dab some rouge on his cheeks.

When Kent’s mic that was fashioned to the side of his face blew out, he rolled with the punches, re-naming another audience member, Ken, “Mike Stand.” Needless to say, “Mike’s” job became following Kent around for the rest of his bit, holding a hand-held microphone in front of Kent’s face. Instead of a show malfunction, the mishap became one of the exciting elements of live theater that the audience felt like it was in on.

Unlike longtime Teatro ZinZanni performers such as Kent, Montevvechi and Larson there was a new-comer to the mix – Lallone, who’s pursuing a new career after 24 years with Pacific Northwest Ballet.

My aunt Elise, who I took as my date, and I were acting like starstruck nerds whenever we got a glance of Lallone’s striking profile and raven-black hair. At one point, the ballerina even came to our table and said, ‘Bonsoir.” Naturally, we almost lost it.

Having first watched her dance the Peacock in “Nutcracker” when I was in Kindergarten from the back of the old Seattle Opera house, it was beyond thrilling to see Lallone perform up close.

Known for both her exotic beauty as well as her more than 6-foot-tall stature in pointe shoes, Lallone was as smoldering as ever – whipping out soutenu turns in a red tutu on a small raised platform, showing off her grace and power.

But of course, getting to see my ballet idol was only one, in a long, delicious list of highlights from “Bonsoir Liliane,” which plays through the end of January. Wear a mask, maybe a feather boa or two, and grab a significant other or a family member. The $100-plus tickets are worth the splurge at least once (or maybe a couple times).

See the full story here!

Talkinbroadway.com says Bonsoir Liliane! is a Tune Full Evening of Cabaret Charisma

Bonsoir Liliane! is a Tune Full Evening of Cabaret Charisma at Teatro ZinZanni

by David-Edward Hughes

Broadway director/choreographer and star Tommy Tune, too long away from the Great White Way, is far from complacent, as Bonsoir Liliane!, his sparkling showcase for legendary singer/dancer/chanteuse Liliane Montevecchi, in for a fall/early winter run at Teatro ZinZanni amply demonstrates. The ZinZanni formula, mixing theatre, cabaret, ballet and circus, suits the multifaceted Director Tune and his star. He whips together an altogether diverting evening (and throws in a dash of Will Rogers Follies-like staging in the opening number), while at eighty, Liliane could easily pass for someone two decades her junior, and she is more radiant than ever in her return to Teatro ZinZanni. Why shouldn’t she be? This time the production is a train ride through memories of her own lustrous life.

There seem to be fewer individual acts than in past Teatro ZinZanni efforts I have attended, but I found this a plus, as the show is less of a spectacular hodgepodge and more coherent and focused overall. Liliane is clearly the main focus of attention and, though not as spry as ever, is probably the best eighty-year-old dancer you’ll ever see. As for her wispy, throaty singing voice, I defy anyone not to be enormously affected by her very individual and soulful takes on Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns,” Herman’s “I Don’t Want to Know,” Aznavour’s “There Is a Time,” “La Vie En Rose,” and even a brief fragment of her own Nine showstopper “Folies Bergere.” And Miss Montevecchi needs all the star-powered wattage she has going for her, as her principal co-star Kevin Kent is the type of performer that easily earns the title “Clown Prince” (or should that be, given his androgynous nature, Princess?). At the performance I attended, Kent was at his considerable best with an initially retiring gent from the audience who allowed a femme royale garbed Kent to transform him into a lady of the court (easily the best sport of an audience member/victim I have ever seen). Kent became the dashing, hero saving the “damsel” in a comic sword fight with the show’s comic trio, Les Petits Frères (Domitil Aillot, Gregory Marquet and Mickael Bajazet). In his other guises as train conductor and emcee, Kent is a commanding, even towering talent, and earns every bravo one can muster.

The aforementioned Les Petits Frères, a Teatro ZinZanni mainstay, never outwear their stay as they dazzle with their finely honed comic acrobatics. Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer Ariana Lallone is in fine radiant form, especially in a piece in which she appears in billowing white gown. Vita Radionova, a fine female contortionist is quite amazing, and oh can that girl hula hoop! Tobias Larsson, known as “the Tommy Tune of Sweden,” is a tall, dashing leading man opposite the divine Montevecchi (and deserves bravos in his capacity as the show’s choreographer). If there is a weak point in the show, one might point to Diva and the Dixies, a pleasant enough female trio (Nancy Emmerich, Dixie Jo Henson and Dixie Lu Sims) who sing as courses are being served, but lack material to “wow” us. Yet they do not detract in any significant way either, and believe me, if you have never eaten a rich and robust ZinZanni meal, your mind will be on the menu and not on the musical maidens.

Opulent and eye dazzling costumes by Giuseppe Grazioli abound, Musical Director Norman Durkee and his band are as bouncy and brassy as ever, and the ZinZanni Spiegeltent remains as bedazzling as ever. Yes, the cost of the tickets seems pricey but not for a great show and a great dinner (and discounts are to be found). What are you waiting for? Say hello to Bonsoir Liliane! now!

See the full article here!

Crosscut.com says Bonsoir Liliane! is a “Rollicking Good Time”

Montevecchi still dazzles in Zinzanni’s ‘Bonsoir Liliane!’

Gorgeous and alluring, even at 80, Teatro Zinzanni veteran Liliane Montevecchi is the clear star of the company’s new production.

By Alice Kaderlan

Sometimes the stars are in perfect alignment and when they’re named Tommy Tune, Liliane Montevecchi, Ariana Lallone, and Tobias Larsson, the result is a Teatro ZinZanni production unlike any that has gone before. With nine-time Tony Award winner Tune as director and Larsson as show developer-choreographer, “Bonsoir Liliane!” is more cabaret than circus and more dancing than death-defying stunts, although there certainly are a few of those.

The legendary Tune, who has been designated a Living Landmark for his acting, directing, and choreography, agreed to take part because “Bonsoir Liliane!” is, at its core, a song-and-dance tribute to ZinZanni veteran Liliane Montevecchi. Tune and Montevecchi have been friends and colleagues for years; both won Tonys for the original Broadway production of “Nine” and worked together in Tune’s “Grand Hotel.” Tune has been quoted as saying Montevecchi is “a muse” and his affection for her is obvious in the way he focuses all eyes on her as Montevecchi offers a range of deeply moving songs, from Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” to Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose” and Jacques Brel’s “Le Temps.”

Although the 80-year-old Montevecchi’s voice isn’t what it used to be, she can still wring every drop of emotion from these heart-wrenching lyrics and every cell in her still-gorgeous body seems to breathe love, loss, longing, and wisdom. Montevecchi can also be quite funny as the aging French femme fatale and she does “La Belle Poitrine” (“beautiful breasts” in French) with a wink in her eye that makes her sexual come-ons to the audience the stuff of which men’s dreams are made.

Montevecchi is clearly the centerpiece of this ZinZanni production (which could be her last, though ZinZanni’s producers are mum on this) and the show capitalizes on her beginnings as a ballet dancer in Paris with the addition of former Pacific Northwest Ballet ballerina Ariana Lallone to the cast. Lallone is a natural actor and takes easily to the wackiness and the requirement that she play an instrument (a drum) and sing. Tune and Larsson have created several pure dance numbers that showcase Lallone’s towering physical presence and manage, even in ZinZanni’s confined performing space, to allow her room to spread her wings, literally as well as figuratively.

In one dazzling sequence, Lallone does serpentine turns across a runway-like platform in a billowing silk dress with enormous flowing arm extensions. Only serious dance fans will recognize the influence of modern dance pioneer Loie Fuller, but no matter — the visual effect is stunning. Lallone is equally at home in a gender-bending tango duet with Larsson, who looks remarkably like a young Tommy Tune and is just as tall. Clad in navy pea coats, flowing pants, and stocking caps, Lallone and Larsson appear to be two cigarette-dangling tough guys circling each other, angling for a fight. Then they whip off their caps and we realize the dance has been a seduction, which ends with a passionate embrace.

Although the song and dance numbers dominate “Bonsoir Liliane!” no ZinZanni show would be complete without an over-the-top emcee, a contortionist, and acrobats. As emcee, Kevin Kent gets to strut his best improvisational stuff, identifying audience members he can tease into making fools of themselves, all in good fun. At Friday night’s performance, Kent’s body microphone went out; without missing a beat he enticed a man in the audience to follow him with a hand-held mike that materialized out of nowhere and finished the skit in style.

Vita Radionova provided the requisite elegance and beauty in her hula-hoop and contortionist numbers, but she was overshadowed in the only other circus act by three witty French acrobats, Les Petits Frères. Their piece de resistance comes when they simultaneously fall to the ground from the human tower they’ve built almost to the top of ZinZanni’s tent. You’re sure they’re going to crash face-first into the floor but miraculously they land in a rolling action that has them on their feet in seconds. Rounding out the show are the musical trio Diva and the Dixies (introduced as the “triplets of Bellevue,” a takeoff on the French animated film “Les Triplettes de Belleville”), who provide innocuous musical interludes ranging from “Mr. Sandman” to “Every Beat of Your Heart” and Diva’s (Nancy Emmerich) stirring solo aria “Nessun Dorma.”

Like all ZinZanni productions, “Bonsoir Liliane!” is a collaborative effort, with the entire cast having taken part, to some degree, in the creative process. And like all other ZinZanni shows, “Bonsoir Liliane!” provides a rollicking good time, a delicious meal, and a unique theatrical experience.

To read the full article click here.

SeattleActor.com Raves About Bonsoir LiIiane!

Written by: Jerry Kraft

I don’t think it is possible for anyone to spend an evening at Teatro Zinzanni and not have a good time. Less a theatrical show than a self-defined genre, the fabulous, rare European spiegeltent at the Seattle Center is the setting for a three-hour plus entertainment of music, dancing, comedy, variety and cirque acts. During the show the audience will also enjoy a first-rate meal served with felicity and good humor by the wait-staff (also an integral part of the show) and you will most likely meet interesting new people at your table. The mood is one of energy and high spirits, and in the current show, “Bonsoir Liliane!” a large serving of romantic French cabaret.

Created and directed by the celebrated Broadway choreographer, Tommy Tune, the focus of this production is the Tony Award-winning singer, dancer and actress, Liliane Montevecchi. A veteran of the Folies Bergiere and a star in the Broadway musicals “Nine” and “Grand Hotel” she has also enjoyed an international career in film, ballet and numerous prestigious cabaret venues. From the moment she appears on stage it is obvious that this is a big-time star, a presence of commanding talent and elegant sophistication. She is also a woman whose beauty is truly timeless and only her vast resume over many years could reveal how long she has been performing.

Less spectacular and athletic than previous Teatro Zinzanni productions, this show offers more intimacy and beauty. In addition to Montevecchi’s many lovely songs, other acts like the lovely ballet dancer Ariana Lallone, the comic acrobatic trio Les Petits Freres and the harmonizing vocal group Diva and the Dixies add variety to the event. The tall, handsome Tobias Larsson adds a good deal of sex appeal and an appealingly good voice. A contortionist named Vita Radionova uses her body to sculpt impossible postures on a small platform. At one point she does an astonishing routine with multi-colored spinning hoops that is so visually attractive that it overshadows the athleticism required to perform it, truly more dance than stunt. That pure acrobatic athleticism returns  in the balancing, tumbling and gravity-defying work of Les Petits Freres.

As much as Montevecchi is the heart of this production, the delightful and outrageous Kevin Kent is the jovial host to the laughter and joy in our participation. His character puts a ton of gay into this evening of Gay Paree, and it is to his great credit that no matter how outlandish he becomes, or how outlandishly he manipulates audience members into participating, it is always expertly controlled and so infectiously fun that nothing ever becomes uncomfortable or in questionable taste. Kent and Montevecchi are both total pros, and the contrast of his comic informality with her stately decorum is matched in their mutual command of performance.

As a theatrical production I don’t think “Bonsoir Liliane!” is quite as good as some of the previous shows at Zinzanni. It really lacks any distinguishable storyline, and for all Tune’s vaunted reputation, the choreography is more competent than outstanding. Still,  the reason people keep coming back is because they want to see something different, something new, but something that still delivers all the amusement and charm this company is famous for. An audience returning to Teatro Zinzanni because of a happy previous experience will certainly not be disappointed. Anyone coming for the first time will, I would wager, be amazed, amused and thoroughly satisfied. This event (and it is more of an event than a show) is like nothing else you will see in Seattle and it is memorable and unique in all the right ways.

See the full article here.

BWW Reviews: BONSOIR LILIANE! At Teatro ZinZanni

 

Written by: Jay Irwin

One part circus, one part play, one part performance art and a dash of improv for good measure, put all that together and you have Teatro ZinZanni.  And for those that have never seen a Teatro ZinZanni show before (as I was before the other night) you may be a little put off by the price tag.  But remember this is a show AND dinner.  And if their current show “Bonsoir Liliane!” is any indication, then it’s well worth it.  A magical evening from beginning to end filled with hilarity, breath taking feats, and a sumptuous meal.  What more could you ask for?

This incarnation of the show, “Bonsoir Liliane!“, directed by Broadway legend and Tony Award winner Tommy Tune, takes us on a thrilling train ride aboard Teatro ZinZanni’s Red Swan Express as we travel through Paris, Moscow and Bombay as well as the legendary Liliane Montevecchi’s memories as she takes us through the high points of her life.  But it’s not so much just a nostalgia piece as it is a fully immersive experience that you won’t soon forget.

Montevecchi is, of course, sublime.  Her grandeur and grace never wavers and even amidst the raucous and chaotic acts of the evening she manages a beautifully serene moment as she delivers a quiet and understated “clown” medley that almost had me in tears.  But she is not the only brilliant performer for the evening.  In fact, I would have to say they all qualify in this regard from the glorious Liliane all the way to our singing and dancing wait staff (who knew a soup course could be choreographed?).  Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer Ariana Lallone delivers some lovely pieces and her flowing number in white was outstanding.  Adding in some sweet sounds to the evening, Diva and the Dixies (Nancy Emmerich, Dixie Jo Henson and Dixie Lu Sims) kept our toes a tapping as we were served.  And adding even more beauty to the sounds (and I don’t just mean his voice) Tobias Larsson is on hand as Lilianne’s sexy leading man.  Contortionist Vita Radionova astounded as she danced, contorted and hula hooped (you heard me) her way through the evening.  And the trio of clowns, Les Petits Frères (Domitil Aillot, Gregory Marquet and Mickael Bajazet) had us rolling in our chairs with laughter and cringing at their amazing acrobatic feats.  The three of them managed to literally defy gravity whether they effortlessly climbed up poles or each other or hysterically tried to fix a high light as they shimmied up a ladder that no one and nothing was supporting.

And speaking of hilarity, I must give a special mention to Kevin Kent, our conductor, emcee, and all around driving force of the show.  From train conductor to goddess, from Queen to lothario (and those two were within the same scene), Kent had the entire restaurant in tears.  Whether from his outrageous antics with the patrons, or simply perfect comedic timing, he kept the room in stitches and in the palm of his hand.  He even managed to make a couple of technical gaffs entertaining and look completely planned (and I’m still not entirely certain they weren’t).

With absolutely stunning costumes by Giuseppe Grazioli and housed in ZinZanni’s magnificent Spiegeltent and you have enough charm and ambience for 20 shows.  And to top it all of a delicious meal.  Some “dinner theater” places may give you a good show but the food is usually under par.  But ZinZanni’s fare can really only be described as YUMMY!  So this former Teatro ZinZanni virgin can’t wait to go back and experience what they have to offer again.  And for those theater goers that have wandered past there on your way to the Seattle Center or the other theaters around there and thought, “I wonder what it’s like in there.  Is it worth it?”  The answer is a resounding YES!

“Bonsoir Liliane!” performs at Teatro ZinZanni through January 29^th, 2012.  For tickets or information contact the Teatro ZinZanni box office at 206-802-0015 or visit them online at www.dreams.zinzanni.org.

Read the full article and see more photos here.