Pages

Showing posts with label dinner and a show. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner and a show. Show all posts

Friday, July 11, 2014

The new Zinzanni show is electric!

The Zinzanni cast (photo Mike Hipple)
When Sparks Fly
Through September 21, 2014

There is something electric going on at Teatro Zinzanni. Their new show, When Sparks Fly, is fun and fresh. It is definitely going to give a lift to those who have been to the amazing spiegeltent before. In fact, it’s magic!

The theme feels a bit like fusion from Rocky Horror Picture Show and Franken-lite. The Master (Voronin) conjures up a love for himself while the rest of his ensemble find love themselves. But first, as you get seated, The Accordion Player (Sergey Krutikov) serenades you, sometimes with violinist Tom Dziekonski. They make beautiful music together, and the sound is sent through the p.a. system, so you can sit anywhere in the tent and hear them.

Of course, anyone who has never gone to any of their shows will find themselves amazed and delighted. I’ve hoped that returnees could find just as good a time, going for fourth or fifth times. This iteration does have more of a surprising and delightful feel to it. Part of that is the inclusion of illusions that are definitely top-notch skull scratchers.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Teatro Zinzanni: "On the Air" more chaotic in a Good way

Anki Albertsson and Juliana Rambaldi (photo by Keith Brofsky)


On the Air
Teatro Zinzanni
Through June 6

Teatro Zinzanni’s “tag line” is Love, Chaos, Dinner for every show, even as the shows change and get retitled. The current show is named “On the Air” and uses the fictional radio station Radio TZ to broadcast its shenanigans. Refreshingly, this particular iteration is more chaotic in a funny and endearing way, because it shakes up the standard format just a bit, in that it does not specifically have an MC or Maitre d’ character. 

Even a small change is welcome. The standard format has gotten kind of tired and really has needed a rethink. This isn’t to say they have completely abandoned their formula. Indeed, it’s not that much different, but perhaps just enough so that the ensuing chaos feels a little more fun, a little less by-the-book.

It’s a terrific and wonderful place to go for your first time, for anyone who has never gone! And completely makes a special evening, no matter who is performing, since everyone is always a top notch performer. It’s a given, but bears repeating.

There is the audience kibbitzer extraordinaire, Kevin Kent, back to be silly and pull unsuspecting dinner guests from their seats and have them do or say funny things. There are two wonderful singers, Anki Albertsson – a real celebrity from her native Sweden, and an experienced musical theater performer, and Juliana Rambaldi, who scampers ditzily around and teases diners, and helps end the evening with a glorious operatic aria.

The trapeze act is two males, this time, Collin Eschenburg and Matthias Fischer, and a stuffed cat. Les Petits Freres, Domitil Aillot, Gregory Marquet , and Michael Bajazet, are back, though they aren’t actually brothers. Vita Radionova performs her fantastic hula hoop juggling and does her otherworldly contortions, and in this show gets to be an alien from outer space, too. New to the mayhem is Joel Salom, an Aussie juggler who occasionally helps to bring order to the chaos.

For the dinner part of the evening, the new menu includes a very good steak, a crab and sea scallops seafood entrĂ©e, and a rich vegetable mash with filo and sweet corn option. The carrot bisque was very silky and very, very hot! (That’s hard to do with so many to feed at once.) The dessert was a lovely tart of apple-rhubarb compote and a whipped topping.

The flight of wine that goes with the meal includes wine from Germany, France, and a couple of wines from Columbia Valley. The dessert wine, Ice Wine from Columbia Valley, was incredibly sweet and fruity and was a lovely accompaniment to the tart.

For more information, go to www.zinzanni.com/seattle or call 206-802-0015. Discuss your opinions with sgncritic@gmail.com or go to www.facebook.com/SeattleTheaterWriters.