“Lucky in Love” Coming Soon!

Lucky in Love is coming soon! On May 16th the big top will magically transform into Casino ZinZanni. Our story opens with Proprietress Ruby betting that her casino could hit the big time with a stellar show. Oh, and a chance to win the ultimate jackpot: a suitcase full of money!

We love both suitcases and money! Who doesn’t?

Get ready for acrobatic mimes, juggling dealers, high-flying love birds, and a contortionist cat burglar, all-around and overhead as you nosh on a multi-course feast fit for the highest of rollers.

The real question, who is in this superb show? You are in luck, we have the official cast list too! Returning to the spiegeltent:

Joe de Paul

Duffy Bishop (Playing the role of Ruby from August 1 to 25)

Duo Madrona

Francine Reed

Les Petits Frères (Gregory Marquet, Mickael Bajazet, Domitil Aillot)

Peter Pitofsky

Sergiy Krutikov

Vita Radionova

Check out the cast bios and more show info on our homepage!

Stay tuned for more details…

 

Clowning Around with Russell Wilson at Children’s Hospital

As part of Teatro ZinZanni’s commitment to the community,  we offer our gorgeous venue (and even sometimes our performers get in on the act) in support of local causes.  Recently, Seattle Children’s Hospital choose Teatro ZinZanni as the venue for their Children’s’ Circle of Care Soiree, an event held to thank their hospital’s top donors.  We went one step further and brought comedian and clown Peter Pitofsky and gentlemen juggler Sergey Krutikov to Seattle Children’s Hospital to spread some cheer to patients and  their brothers, sisters, parents, and caregivers.

As an extra special treat, Seattle Seahawk’s Quarterback Russell Wilson also stopped by the hospital and proved he’s a good sport both on and off the field.  He shared kind words and gave special Seahawk’s souvenirs with the children.  Russell even “clowned around” with Peter and Sergey in some of their crazy antics.

Everyone involved had a fun filled morning.  On behalf of Sergey, Peter, and the whole Teatro ZinZanni family,  we’d like to thank the Seattle Children’s Hospital for the opportunity to brighten children’s lives.

“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:

Marqueen Madness

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Teatro ZinZanni‘s Diva Julian Rambaldi and accordionist/gentleman juggler Sergiy Krutikov dropped by the MarQueen Hotel in Lower Queen Anne on Friday, July 23 for a little lunchtime revelry with music and a free ticket giveaway.

Join us Friday, July 30 at Caffè Vita on Occidental in Pioneer Square as more of the cast of Maestro’s Menagerie mingle with mid-day munchers from noon-1pm.

Picture of the Day – 7/1/2010 – The Puppetmaker

The Puppetmaker – Sergiy Krutikov crafts life-like puppets with remarkable skills honed at the foot of his mentor Gepetto. He juggles his career as a tinkerer deftly along with household objects…all the while musically wooing his lady love, Juliana. Let him sing you a Russian lovesong in Maestro's Menagerie, now playing at Teatro ZinZanni through August 29, 2010. Photo by Keith Brofsky

Camp ZinZanni, Day 2

By Alison Sargent, Camp ZinZanni Counselor, Team Water

Since yesterday went so smoothly, today we decided to let the kids get physical, so we brought in Peter Pitofsky, “the human cartoon”, to smack the kids around a bit. It was hilarious to watch them learn slapstick as they knocked each other across the face, kicked each other in the pants, and rammed their heads into doors. The louder the smack and the cry of pain the better!

While this sounds like a camp counselor’s nightmare, it was just what we wanted at Camp Zinzanni. I’ve never seen kids look so happy after tripping over their own feet and running into a door. And over the course of their two hours working with Peter, their initial self-consciousness became replaced by a desire to make a fool of themselves and laugh about it – the most important lesson he taught them.

The kids also learned about the legacy of physical comedy of which they are becoming a part. They all agreed that clowns play an essential role in every society, and Markus and les Castors introduced us to Buster Keaton, W.C. Fields, Harold Lloyd and the Three Stooges, as well as the concepts of white, red and pink clowns.

While getting goofy today, everyone started to become more and more comfortable with each other, and I’m excited for tomorrow’s partner work to take their new friendships to the next step. Especially if that next step is as amusing as some of the steps – or trips – that I saw today.

Les Castors help Markus Kunz field questions about the role of the clown. Photo by Christopher Nelson.

Peter Pitofsky talks about his life in the circus. Photo by Christopher Nelson.

Campers enthusiastically volunteer to walk into a door during Peter Pitofsky’s workshop.

Another look…

by Stormy Edwards, Camp ZinZanni Coordinator

July 21, 2008 – Welcome to Camp ZinZanni!

On February 6th, 2008, an idea was born. That idea was put into the hands of a small group of people. Those people were given the task of making that idea grow.

Today, it bore its first fruit. And that fruit was amazing.

Final preparations for Teatro ZinZanni’s first summer camp began at about 7:30 this morning, with our camp staff and counselors. Campers began lining up outside the doors shortly after 8am and Sergiy Krutikov treated them to some accordion music while they waited.

From the moment the doors opened to the moment they closed at 3pm, it was a remarkable day, and definitely a learning process for us all.

There were a handful of highly skilled jugglers of all ages mixed into a group of absolute beginners. I spent the morning watching them work with Sergiy and with their counselors on a variety of instruments – balls, clubs, rings, and scarves. I enjoyed talking to the kids as they practiced, seeing what they had developed over the course of the morning. One entire group perfected a trick with two rings. Another moved on to passing clubs. The third group held some of the shortest and best ball jugglers in the tent. Kids who had never met become fast friends within the first hour.

It was incredible to watch.

And then we turned them on their heads. Literally. Once Doloreze Leonard took over in the afternoon, the kids were asked to perform, to be a stove, a giraffe, a lung. Some of the kids that were learning slowly in the juggling session became the masters of character creation. Some kids, too shy to perform on their own, became leaders within their group performances. The counselors all worked right alongside the kids, encouraging and proving by example that there is no such thing as too silly for the circus.

I cannot wait to see what these kids develop with Sergiy and Dolo this week, as jugglers, as characters, and as teammates.

Tomorrow, we throw Peter Pitofsky into the mix. I’m already giggling in anticipation of what these kids will do when the “Human Cartoon” arrives in their midst. Stay tuned…..