| Is it cabaret, dinner theater, or a circus? Actually, it's all of the above. Teatro ZinZanni, a traveling show now in San Francisco, is a gorgeous feast under a red velvet tent, complete with ribald and exciting live music and comedy. Designed as a special-occasion evening, the Teatro experience brings together good food, an opera diva, a blues belter, an arch maitre-d', a troupe of European acrobats, the drag-queen chef, and a cast of scalawags seemingly straight from the Commedia dell' Arte, presented in a spiegeltent - a luxurious Belgian-made structure that travels with the show and is one of only a few in the world.As diners are seated, they're greeted with a gourmet antipasto platter on the table. The chef announces each course. More highjinks ensue, and then the main course appears, borne by waiters with roses clenched in their teeth. The arrival of dessert is a magnificent spectacle of racing waiters, a frenzied orchestra, and just overhead, two trapeze artists in a sexy pas-de-deux.Plates whiz through the air; a performer might grab you by your collar and throw you into the show; jugglers try death-defying feats just two feet away from your table; or a randy scullery wench might plop herself in your lap. It's all part of the game.The price may seem steep, but look at it this way: Teatro offers a once-in-a-lifetime evening out, three hours of entertainment guaranteed to leave you sated, exhausted, and happy.It's often sold out, so book ahead. The dinner and show is three hours long, and patrons are advised to dress up (outlandish is okay, too). The doors open an hour before show time for complimentary, passed hors d'oeuvres and no-host bar. |
