Tucked away under an improbably tall big top known as the Spiegeltent ZaZou on the 14th floor of the Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop right between Broadway in Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre and the Goodman, there’s a riotous evening of circus acts, comedy, magic and music known as Teatro ZinZanni: Love, Chaos and Dinner unfolding Thursday through Sunday evenings to appreciative crowds of tourists and more than a few intrepid locals.
No tables are far away from the action taking place in the center of the elegant showroom, and several butt right up against it as patrons find themselves inches away from contortionists, jugglers and acrobats only to be conscripted into the show themselves.
It’s a fast-moving hoot, thanks in large part to the gimlet-eyed Lucy Darling, time-warped in from a 1950s Vegas casino lounge to perform table magic and work the crowd with comedically vampish zest as each new act seamlessly flows from the last.
The evening starts with a blues number from a crackerjack orchestra and the singer Sa’Rayah, who delivers several high-octane vocal performances, including a show-stopping “Proud Mary,” throughout. Bandleader and pianist Theodis Rodgers Jr. gets the best out of his musicians, including guitarist Phil Seed, who makes a tasty meal out of his solos.
Highlights abound in this pocket-size circus packed with big-time talent, from contortionist extraordinaire Ulzii Mergen and basketball juggler Michael Evolution with flair to spare, to four fine acrobats–Lea Hinz on aerial hoop; Danila Bim, a hair-hanging aerialist (might we call her a hairealist?); and trapeze artists Cassie Cutler and Oliver Parkinson, performing as Duo 19–who turn up the heat with their intricate, gorgeous routines.
There are plenty of silly slapstick interludes to keep kids entertained at matinee performances, but this is date night entertainment full of fun and a dash of romance.
The cocktails are well-crafted and the food is fine, though the various menu upgrade opportunities can easily add $100 per person to the base ticket price. But this is the kind of high-spirited, warm-hearted show that puts one in the mood to say the hell with it and splurge.
Teatro ZinZanni: Love, Chaos and Dinner is performing in a limited engagement at the Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop.
For a full roundup of reviews of this show, visit Theatre in Chicago.
Photo by Barry Brecheisen
