Coming Home – Dinner Show – Teatro ZinZanni

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Coming Home circus dinner show at Teatro ZinZanni. Comedy, romance, (good) chaos, camp, drag, effortless feats of wonder, singing, live band, & a delicious 4-course meal! Thanks Michelle Sanders Communications for facilitating this review! #cirque #cabaret #vaudeville #variety

Synopsis from the Theatre: Teatro ZinZanni’s original brand of love, chaos, and dinner is making its long-awaited return to Seattle with a limited engagement run of the all-new show, Coming Home. When the world went dark more than two years ago, people everywhere were dispersing and lives turned upside. Today, as we rebuild and focus on our dreams going forward, we find that home is where our hearts reside — and Seattle is our home. So, join us in celebrating this return to home with an incredible cast of phenomenal talents in a limited engagement that will serve up the love, chaos, and dinner we’ve all been missing so very much.

Reviewed Performance: 1/15/23

Type: Circus Variety Dinner Show

World Premiere: Yes

Awards: Zero but that’s expected for world premieres

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes

Recommendation: See it especially you like cirque-themed shows

Was This the First Time I Saw a Production of this Show: I’ve seen their last show Love, Chaos, & Dinner in Marymoor Park.

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now: Yes

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.75 Stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: N/A – Not typically tracked in shows like this

Length: 3 hours

Intermission: The was an intermission-like break at the soup course and another at the main course. During each break, the cast members stayed in-character while conversing with the audience.

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Audience Dress: It was surprising that most of the audience actually dressed up in Seattle … on school night (Sunday) nonetheless!
  • Drag: Speaking of dress, Doily’s (Kevin Kent) drag costumes were so detailed and elaborate! My dad actually thought Doily was portrayed by a woman. He was surprised when Kevin spoke in his manly voice toward the second half of the performance. I loved the running gags Doily established at the beginning (her boobs and “El Tigre”).
  • Rizo: The main singer reminded me of Lady Gaga in demenour, looks, and voice. Strangely, Rizo is also from New York like Lady Gaga
  • Dinner: A one-stop venue for both dinner and a show was convenient. I chose the vegetarian option with the following courses.
    1. Appetizer – Wild mushroom-parmesan tart, crisp frizzled leaks, Madeira Gastrique, and chives
    2. Soup – Pumpkin, coconut, and green chili sambal. I couldn’t figure out the garnish. It looked like saffron, but saffron is too expensive to garnish.
    3. Main Course – Wild rice risotto cake and seasonal vegetable ragout
    4. Dessert – Chocolate orange mousse, hazelnut tuille cookie, and berries
  • Lighting Design: It goes without saying that a show like this has great lighting design. The stones or water droplets projected on the floor during an act was enchanting.
  • Impressive Feats: This dinner show included the following spectacular seemingly effortless acts by international performers. Many acts seemed death defying!
    • Hula Hoop – Sometimes 10 at a time! I was so worried a hoop would fly into the audience. But Vita Radionova didn’t lose one.
    • Chair Balancing – Again, I was worried that the precariously stacked chairs would collapse on the audience. But Domitil Aillot kept the chairs upright.
    • Ariel Silk Acrobatics – Anna Nordmoe performed ariel contortions while playing the violin … often upside down. What a unique mashup of talent!
    • Basketball Juggling – This is something I typically don’t see in cirque or variety shows. Again, I was worried that a ball would land in the audience. But Michael Evolution (Michael van Beek) had everything under control.
    • Trapeze Couple – Performed by Duo Madrona (Ben Wendel and Rachel Nehmer)
    • Chinese Pole – Also performed by Domitil Aillot
    • Ariel Hoop – Performed by Elena Gatilova

Other Thought(s)

  • Reused Characters/Tropes: I noticed a couple elements from their previous Love, Chaos, & Dinner show was incorporated into this production like the janitor, the yodeling dominatrix, and the caged audience member.
  • Audience Participation: It felt like they included more audience involvement compared to their last show. I was easy prey in the aisle but they thankfully didn’t pick on me!

Theatre Company: Teatro ZinZanni

Venue: Sodo Park

Venue Physical Address: 3200 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134

Price: Expensive … but at least it includes food!

Ticket Affordability Options: None that I could find

Dates: November 16, 2022 to March 12, 2023 – Extended by popular demand!

Seating: Assigned seating and general admission – call them if you want to sit with other people you know who purchased tickets separately

Parking: Free plentiful street parking

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures under video by Filling the Frame Photography.

Cast and Production Team : See below pictures

@showsiveseen “Coming Home” #circus #dinner show at @teatrozinzanni. #Comedy, love, (good) chaos, camp, drag, effortless feats of wonder, singing, live band, great view, & a delicious 4-course meal! Thanks Michelle Sanders Communications for facilitating this review (showsiveseen.com/3224)! #cirque #cabaret #vaudeville #variety #theatre ♬ Circus – Britney Spears
Vita Radionova
The Band in Teatro ZinZanni’s Coming Home
Teatro ZinZanni’s Coming Home
Rizo in Black
Pianist Marina Albero
Manuela Horn
Kevin Kent
Elena Gatilova
Duo Madrona
Domitil Aillot
Anna Nordmoe
NameRole
Kevin Kent Performer, writer
Elena Gatilova Aerialist, writer
Vita Radionova Performer
Rizo Singer
Domitil Aillot Chinese Pole
Manuela Horn Yodeling Dominatrix
Duo Madrona (Ben Wendel and Rachel Nehmer)Trapeze
Vlada Romanova Acrobat
Mickael Bajazet Acrobat
Michael van Beek (Michael Evolution)Performer
Hans Teuber Music Director, Composer
Marina Albero Piano
Jerome Smith Trombone, Tuba
Anna Nordmoe Violin
Jacques Willis Drums
Keith Lowe Bass
Norm Langill Artistic Director
Tobias Larsson Director
Peter Bracilano Lighting Designer
Brendan West Sound Designer
Shauna Frazier Prop and Set Designer
Debra M. Bauer Costume Designer
Christine Joly de Lotbiniere Costume Designer

Love, Chaos, & Dinner – Dinner Theatre – Teatro Zinzanni

Attended Teatro ZinZanni: Love, Chaos & Dinner with coworkers. Very entertaining carnival/circus dinner theatre with some camp. Much better than Cirque du Soleil. So glad we didn't get called on stage though.
Attended Teatro ZinZanni: Love, Chaos & Dinner with coworkers. Very entertaining carnival/circus dinner theatre with some camp. Much better than Cirque du Soleil. So glad we didn’t get called on stage though.

Type: Dinner Theatre Show

Recommendation: So entertaining. See it! Much better than Cirque de Soleil.

Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.75 stars

Negatives: They pick audience members to “haze.” Among other things, some people in the audience got put in a cage and others were forced to dance. This may be a positive for you if that’s the experience you’re looking for. I usually just like to sit and watch without interaction (except sing-a-longs which I LOVE!).

Story, Script, and Lyrics:  Simple story about the campy shenanigans behind the scenes when a food critic visits a restaurant. The story, script, and lyrics were nothing to write home about but the talent performing them was top notch.

Cast and Theater Company: Impressive how the performers wittily improvise and don’t break character even when mingling with the audience members during intermissions. Most actors had some sort of circus/carnival-type talent (like trapezee) that they showcased.

Venue and Set: Circular immersive theatre. The good thing about this is that there’s no bad view. The bad thing about this is that there is no “great” view. Every seat will miss something unless your eyes see 360 degrees. This theatre company performed across from the Seattle Opera’s McCaw Hall but they got kicked out and are now performing in a circus tent at Marymoor Park.

Music and Audio: Adequate sound engineering.

Food: Okay. Your typical pretentious, small-portioned American fare.

Price: $$-$$$ (Mid to high-priced at $99+). Keep in mind that this already includes dinner so you can technically classify as mid-priced. Check Goldstar for occasional discount or search Google for codes.

Dates: October 19, 2017 to April 29, 2018

Seating: Assigned at the facility. Be aware, you may be sitting with strangers.

Linkhttps://zinzanni.com/seattle/lovechaosdinner/