My Hoosier friend Marcia is loud and showy. So Teatro ZinZanni was the ideal place to take her on a recent visit.
As soon as we entered the big tent, Marcia blurted: “I want to know where she gets her bras.”
She was referring to Teatro bombshell Christine Deaver, a voluptuous funny-gal like her.
Deaver stars in the new show “Be Italian,” which runs through June 12 at the downtown venue near the Seattle Center.
It’s more cirque than circus under the velvet Spiegeltent, which was another reason to take Marcia there.
“I like circus acts without animals,” Marcia said. “I hate clowns. Or animal acts. It was perfect.”
Plus, we got fed a five-course meal.
Hold on to your fork.
“The action happens in the middle, above and even amongst the tables during the meal,” writes “100 Things to Do in Seattle Before you Die” author Athima Chansanchai. “For three hours, this intimate dinner show gives plenty to gawk at, including aerial acrobatics, sexy humor and elaborate stories.”
It has been described as “the Kit Kat Klub on acid.”
For many people, from here and afar, Teatro ZinZanni is for special occasions: date night, birthdays or BFFs visiting from cornfield towns where there’s nothing like it.
Dress in festive bling, boas and tiaras. If these aren’t staples in your closet, the gift shop in the lobby can fix you up.
It’s possible to go to Teatro ZinZanni several times a year and see something new. “Be Italian” was a different experience than two years ago when I saw “When Sparks Fly” with some of the same cast members.
One actor I remembered fondly: Joe DePaul, the hilarious Canadian comedian who resembles Danny DeVito. “That little guy who was bald with the bad comb-over,” as Marcia described him, was just as entertaining this time.
The theme of “Be Italian” is Old Country meets New World. When Papa meets an untimely demise, the family scrambles to revamp his Italian restaurant. The program guide put it so well that I’ll defer to it: “Add in trophy wives with psychic powers, handymen that fix more than lights, a Chinese chef that’s waiting to take flight, and you’ll get love and chaos served ZinZanni style.”
In addition to “DeVito” DePaul and diva Deaver, the cast includes repeat performers such as husband-and-wife team Die Maiers.
The daring duo’s highwire performance elicited a few “Holy (expletives)!” from Marcia’s mouth when the tall, geeky guy and short woman with the serious bangs hopped on a ladder and started swinging from the ceiling.
She’d seen the German couple on YouTube and never imagined she’d see them 15 feet away.
They probably could hear her whooping it up. It’s OK to show enthusiasm at Teatro. In fact, it’s expected. And there were people louder than Marcia. That doesn’t happen often.
The spinning hoops by Vita Radionova, a Ukrainian contortionist, and giant ball bounce by DePaul were my “Holy (expletive)!” acts, but I’m less vocal than Marcia.
Her favorite was Deaver, who she called “the big bosom gal.” She also liked her big hair, which Marcia had when I met her 30 years ago.
Marcia gushed about the show at the time and she hasn’t stopped in the month since. It was a highlight of her visit to Seattle.
“I think the band did a great job. The singer (Jen Ayers) was excellent,” she said. “The whole thing was a blast.”
Andrea Brown at 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.
If you go
“Be Italian” continues through June 12 at Teatro ZinZanni, 222 Mercer St., Seattle; 206-802-0015; www.zinzanni.com. Tickets $99 to $174.
Upcoming events
MishMash Circus Bash: Presented by the Moisture Festival and Teatro ZinZanni. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7:30, April 12 and 13. Circus acts, jugglers, clowns, puppeteers to singers, trapeze artists, tap dancers. Tickets start at $35.
Rock This Way: 11 a.m. selected Saturdays and Sundays, April 9 through May 22. Rock ‘n’ roll circus show with mosh pit for families. Tickets $20 to $25.
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