When my pal Frank Ferrante is not touring the globe with his tribute to a certain Marx Brother, he can often be found in the guise of Caesar, the somewhat self-absorbed (but always entertaining) host of certain productions of Teatro ZinZanni pictured above.
Now, I can hear some of you wondering: What the heck is Teatro ZinZanni?
It's a dinner show. It's a full evening of entertainment. It's comedy, jugglers, acrobats, singers, dancers and audience participation. You could wind up in the show along with the many talented folks who entertain and feed you in lush, magnificent surroundings. Here's a thirty second promo reel that will give you just a taste…
These are scenes from the Chicago production of Teatro ZinZanni. There's one in Seattle but it closed for Pandemic Reasons and has yet to announce a reopening date. There was one in San Francisco but it closed in 2011 for Real Estate Reasons and its new location is currently being built. Its opening is planned for next year or maybe the year after or the year after. Hopefully, it will occur some time this century…
Chicago opened in 2019 and closed when the world closed for those same Pandemic Reasons. But it's recently reopened to glorious reviews with Caesar presiding over the festivities. That's what Caesar does when he's onstage: He presides. He is an expert presider. And yes, you have to show proof of vaccination to go be part of those festivities over which he presides.
In 2010, I took a lady friend to the one in San Francisco and we had a great, great time. From our arrival to departure, it was close to four hours but we still both said, "You mean it's over?" and wished there was more. My main memory is of how happy everyone was. The wait staff was happy, the performers were happy, the guests were happy. The lady with me lived in San Francisco and she told me she'd always wanted to visit Teatro ZinZanni and it didn't disappoint in the slightest. Frank was, of course, wonderful…but so was everyone else.
I have no financial interest in this enterprise. I just want everyone to know it's there and that I wish I could jump on a plane and go see this but I've decided not to get on airplanes for a while…for Pandemic Reasons. But if I was there, I'd go see it and it you're there (or close), here's more info. Tell Caesar I said, "Hail!"