Teatro Time Again

It’s Teatro time again, dear hedonists – when last I wrote about this elegant extravaganza, it was to cover Teatro ZinZanni’s Beaumont & Caswell show that ran from October 15, 2009 to January 17, 2010 and to give them props for upping the ante when it came to the food.

Well now, dear hedonists, a new show has come to their antique Belgian spiegeltent of the (these days, at least) Rainy City: Maestro’s Menagerie. This show – a self-described “mesmerizing melange of trickery and illusions, dreams & divas, music and merriment” – takes us back to an 18th-century-style of circus performance. Complete with the magic of Ukrainian illusionist Maestro Voronin (with Hawaiian-born Brandon Rabe), his contorting puppet Svetlana of Russian, equilibrist feats of a Russian hand-balancer (Elena Boradina), acrobatics (with the Seattle debut of the French Canadian static trapeze artists Ssens Duo and the Collins Brothers), clowning (Peter Pitofsky, a New Yorker who literally ran away to join the circus), juggling (by Ukranian Sergiy Krutikov) and both operatic (Seattleite Juliana Rambaldi) and blues vocals (Chicago-born Francine Reed), this truly international cast meshed together with ease, energy, and excellence. They were also a lot more interactive with the audience throughout the entire show than the troupe in Beaumont & Caswell, which is always appreciated. (For interaction is the spice of hedonistic life.)

Your Hedonista attended on a media ticket the three-hour show that serves 5 courses, complete with optional wine pairings (for an additional $39). As always, TZ met its own entertainment expectations as well as culinary credentials (with Northwest celebrity chef Tom Douglas, how could it not), with only a couple of critiques: 1) the food could be a touch hotter when it comes out (an ongoing angst-ridden issue for timing the complexities of the various performances with the food service, no doubt) and 2) the wine pairings are still not completely spot on, once again falling short with their salad-wine pairing. For the most part, however, the pairings were, overall, very respectable. (They have no sommelier of their own and so are in the process of consulting with outside sommeliers.)* Tasting notes of the meal follow:

Pre-Show Cocktail: It’s a given, right? If you make this show and like a refreshing, fruity cocktail, I strongly recommend the Ringmaster ($12). Made with Pimms, Beefeater Gin, Black Tea, Lemon Juice and Strawberry Simple Syrup, think of it as what would be born if an Arnold Palmer drink joined Teatro ZinZanni. If you like more tart than sweet, give the Blues Fairy a go – with Bombay Sapphire Gin, Lillet Blanc and Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice, I was told by one of the bartenders with a grin: “It’s a weird drink.” Weird? Yes. Wonderful? Also yes. (Think of an evolved Greyhound, here.)

Appetizer: The country French pork pâté, sprinkled with pistachio and served with olives, cornichons, and toast crisps was paired with Punkt ‘Genau’ Rosé (Austia NV). This pairing passed muster; the cherry blossom aroma and taste balanced nicely with the pig, pistachio, ‘n’ pickle antipasto-esque offerings.

Soup: Cream o’ asparagus and leek soup dolloped with red pepper cream that teamed up with Delille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc (Washington 2008). This citrus-filled wine has a floral bouquet and a toasted coconut finish – a lovely match with this creamy spring soup with its wonderfully grassy flavor.

Salad: Baby spinach, frisee, and pickled red onions with a toasted pecan-encrusted disc of chèvre and served with O’Reilly Pinot Noir (Oregon 2008). Like my last review, this salad-wine pairing did nothing for me. The cinnamony/red fruit taste was less than ideal. A sweeter wine with more strawberry and raspberry flavors would have been better for this course.

Main Course: A choice of halibut, filet mignon, or a vegetarian mushroom strata (which opera singer Juliana Ramabldi works into one of many of her very enjoyable performances). Your Hedonista tasted both the filet mignon and the halibut; the former, topped with syrah jam, mashed spuds and green beans, was wedded well with the smoky and dark berry flavors of Corvidae ‘Lenore’ Syrah (Columbia Valley 2007); the latter, complete with roasted sweet spuds and al dente snap peas, was tastily twinned with Walnut City Wineworks Viognier (Columbia Valley 2006). (Mmmmm … Viogner….)

Dessert: The only dish not made in-house (Parisian Star of the Essential Baking Company), this vanilla custard tart, laden with such seasonal fruit as blueberries and strawberries, joined forces with the silky-sweet tasting tones of orange and vanilla found in the Muscat De Beaumes De Venise (Domaine Des Bernardins 2007).

*(Note: You can also bring your own bottle of wine into the show and open it up to enjoy for a corkage fee of $20.)

Maestro’s Menagerie runs from May 6, 2010 to August 29, 2010 with Love, Chaos, and Dinner tickets ranging from $105-$140.  There’s also Love, Chaos, and Brunch – a 2 1/2-hour brunch show taking place most (but not all) Sundays with a four-course meal; tickets range from $75-$110 depending on seating location, with senior, military, student, and child discounts also available.

Camp Zinzanni: for those hedonists with lil’ hedonists of their own – the ZinZanni Institute for Circus Arts (ZICA) offers Teatroesque training for mini hedonists aged 5-16 years old in July and August. Dubbed the Camp ZinZanni, these 5-day-long trainings (plus a final rehearsal and performance that’s free for the whole family to attend) include critical circus skills such as acrobalance, clowning, and mime & mask work. Classes range from $300-350 in cost and serve to instill in the young the ancient and contemporary traditions of the circus arts.

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.