A little over a year ago, I attended one of the best shows I've ever seen. Teatro ZinZanni is a combination of Dinner Theater and a smaller version of Cirque du Soleil. It's about a 3-4 hour experience during which you eat and watch incredible performers performing around and above you…and if you drink, there's plenty there to drink. Frank Ferrante — oft-touted on this weblog for his must-see Groucho replication — was the Master of Ceremonies that visit in his non-Marx identity as Caesar…but the whole cast was splendid and I have a hunch it's even a great way to spend an evening when Frank isn't in the show.
I mentioned in my report that there was an outpost of Teatro ZinZanni in San Francisco (where we went) and also one in Seattle. That was true then but it won't be true for long. The one in S.F. is losing its venue at the end of the year due to real estate problems. This came as bad news to many, including those of us who often get to San Francisco but rarely to Seattle. Happily, this is not a permanent condition. It has just been announced that ZinZanni has secured a new home in S.F., not far from the old base of operations. Unhappily, it may be some time before it's up and open for business…but I'm pleased to hear that branch is not gone forever.