Teatro ZinZanni Chicago Review of (Re-)Opening Night by Sidetrack’s General Manager

After 18 months of no indoor live entertainment, plays, concerts, comedy shows, or circuses, Teatro ZinZanni was the perfect way to re-introduce myself to all of these amazing forms of entertainment in one spellbinding show.  Entering the Speigeltent (“mirror tent” in Dutch), we were immediately transported to a timeless era of magical proportions.  The tent is full of mirrors which catch and play with the superb light cues incorporated into the show. The waitstaff efficiently and excitedly visited tables for drink orders and appetizers.  It quickly became clear that many of the staff working in the tent are much more involved in the show than their costuming would let on.  A man dressed as a chef did crowd work at the table encouraging us all to let go of all the troubles of the outside world.  We happily obliged.

And while I don’t want to describe any of the show in too much detail to ruin any of the magic, Teatro ZinZanni is an explosive celebration of joy for the senses.   When the show “starts”, it becomes clear that the traditional roles of circus clown, circus performer and emcee are blurred as the stars of the show thread loose narratives through the show while doing comedic sketches, acrobatic performances and singing at different points in the show.   Dinner is timed perfectly with the performances.  Service never feels rushed, nor labored between courses, except for maybe the finale of the show when we just didn’t want it to end. There are no lulls in the show.  At times you aren’t sure where to look as there are many things happening simultaneously.  My husband and I found ourselves chatting with couples from other tables with ease during the meal portions of the night. 

Chef Caesar (Frank Ferrante) is masterful in his crowd work, improvisation and comic timing.  You never see him thinking of the next funny thing to say, the comedy just flows.  He and the lead comic Joe De Paul continually drew full belly laughs from the audience.  The two vocal leads, Storm Marrero and Cunio simply blow the roof off the tent in all the best ways.  Both are captivating and insanely talented.  I would buy tickets to either of their concerts.  

The quality of acrobatic performers is amongst the best I’ve seen.  And as a circus performer in a previous life, I know the additional intensity up-close and personal performance can add to routines. 

This is the third time my husband and I have seen Teatro ZinZanni in Chicago.  At this point, I can assuredly say, there is not a bad seat in the house; but the additional ticket price to sit near the inner circle simply adds to the intimate magical nature of the show.  Each experience has been unique in its own way.  And while I refuse to say which was my favorite; I can say if you have seen the show before and liked it, you will continue to be impressed; I would not miss this cast of the show.  It also did not go unnoticed that this show is VERY queer-friendly.   From RuPaul and Lady Gaga in the preshow playlist to the costuming of Cunio (which is STUNNING) it is clear that the show understands how fun it is to be fabulous! 

After 18 months, it was great to escape into the Speigeltent and the magical world of Teatro ZinZanni.  The experience left me full—of food, of joy and of awe.    

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets, which include a four-course meal, are on sale now and range in price from $119 – $189. Front Row VIP
tickets are available at a premium price. Limited à la carte “show-only” tickets will also be available for $69. Individual
tickets will be available by visiting zinzanni.com/Chicago or by calling (312) 488-0900. Tickets are available now for
groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing
GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com.

“Publicly, Overtly, Over-the-top-ly” • A Farewell to Our Zoom Era!
OUTspoken is now a Podcast – ON THE MIC: OUTSPOKEN LGBTQ+ STORYTELLING at Sidetrack!  OUTspoken is Chicago’s monthly storytelling event celebrating uniquely personal stories from across the LGBTQ community. OUTspoken is held on the first Tuesday of each month at Sidetrack. Doors to Main, Cherry, North and Back Bars open at 6pm (arrive early for Main Bar seating) with Stories from 7pm. Sidetrack is open from 3pm-2am Tuesdays. No cover. 21+

Our ninth Podcast features stories by Janet Anne, Archy Jamjun, and Ray Christian.   OUTspoken is hosted by Kim L. Hunt & Art Johnston. Curated by Archy Jamjun. Artistic Creator: David Fink, Stage Manager: Brad Balof, Audio/Visual Tech: Bryan Smith. The podcast is hosted and produced by Devlyn Camp.

Check out the ninth episode of ON THE MIC: OUTSPOKEN LGBTQ+ STORYTELLING at Sidetrack available on:

PODBEAN:
Click here

SPOTIFY:
Click here

STITCHER:
Click here

Watermelon Sugar High – 12
Grey Goose Essences Watermelon & Basil Vodka, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur,
Red Bull Red Edition (Watermelon), with lemon

Patrónaloma – 10
Patrón Silver Tequila, Sprite, White Grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice and an orange slice (salted rim upon request)

Grey Goose French Martini – 11
Grey Goose French Vodka, Chambord Raspberry Liqueur, pineapple juice, twist of lemon, served up (available on the rocks upon request)

Skinny Peach Popper—a lower-cal/lower sugar option – 11
Grey Goose Essences White Peach and Rosemary Vodka, Perrier Pink Grapefruit flavored carbonated mineral water and a splash of peach schnapps

Mt. Gay Rum Punch – 8
Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, Angostura bitters, garnished with a cherry

The Last Tango – 11
Crystal Head Premium Vodka, orange juice, splash Domaine de Canton French Ginger Liqueur, splash of Barrett’s ginger beer, lemon garnish

Casamigos Margarita – 10
Casamigos Reposado Tequila, Cointreau Orange Liqueur, sour mix, lime juice, lime garnish, salted rim upon request 

Jim Beam Ginger Highball – 8
Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey, Barrett’s ginger beer, lemon wedge

Unicorn Tears by Mad Tasty Non-alcoholic CBD Seltzer – 8.50
CBD seltzer with an exotic and mysterious blend of natural fruit flavors that is delightful on the nose and refreshing for the brain – served by the can.  20 MG broad-spectrum hemp extract containing less than 15 calories a can. Sourced from Oregon-farmed hemp, Unicorn Tears contains zero sugar or sweeteners and no complicated additives needed to mask the hemp flavor.

Shea Coul-Alé: The Royal Edition – 7
Tropical Wheat Ale, served in a can

Our Signature Frozen Cocktails are a hallmark of Sidetrack. We are pleased to announce the addition of the much-requested FROZEN MARGARITA! Made with Hornitos 100% Pure Agave Tequila and Cointreau, this Lime Margarita is going to be a Sidetrack favorite.

It joins our other Signature Frozen Cocktails:
-Black Cherry Buzz featuring Effen Black Cherry Vodka
-FROZÉ featuring Stoli Razberi & Martini & Rossi Rosé

Come try one of our delicious new Spring Specialty Cocktails!

Jameson Mule – 8
Jameson Irish Whiskey,  Barritt’s Ginger Beer, splash of fresh lime juice, with a lime, served in a tall glass

Watermelon Sugar High – 11
Grey Goose Essences Watermelon & Basil Vodka, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, club soda with lemon

Spring Peach – 11
Grey Goose White Essences Peach & Rosemary Vodka, Martini & Rossi Fiero L’Aperativo, tonic, club soda with an orange slice

Patrónaloma – 10
Patrón Silver, Sprite, White Grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice and an orange slice (available with salted rim upon request)

Grey Goose French Martini – 11
Grey Goose French Vodka, Chambord Raspberry Liqueur, pineapple juice, twist of lemon, served up (available on the rocks upon request)

Prosecco Spritz – 11
Martini and Rossi Rose Prosecco, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, served over ice

Grey Goose Spritz – 12
Grey Goose Vodka, Martini & Rossi Fiero L’Aperativo, Prosecco topper, served over ice with an orange slice

Bombay Sapphire Spritz – 12
Bombay Sapphire Gin, Martini & Rossi Fiero L’Aperativo, Prosecco topper, served over ice with an orange slice

Denali’s Winter Wildflower Non-alcoholic CBD Seltzer – 8.50
CBD seltzer with a floral and citrus tone, complemented by warm spices – served by the can
Contains 30MG of CBD from Non-GMO Hemp grown in the Midwest and processed by Chicago Cannabis Company.

HOT DRINKS

Honey Apple-Bottom Hot Toddy – 9.50
Mount Gay Rum, Hot Apple Cider, honey, cinnamon stick

Cocoa L’Orange – 11
Cointreau Orange Liqueur, Hot Cocoa, whipped cream with orange sprinkles

Lumber-Jack’d Hot Tea – 11
Westland American Single Malt Whiskey, Cointreau Orange Liqueur, honey, cinnamon stick

Nutty Irishman – 11 
Westland American Single Malt Whiskey, Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur, Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur,
hot coffee, whipped cream & sprinkles

SIGNATURE FROZEN COCKTAILS

Black Cherry Buzz featuring Effen Black Cherry Vodka – 8, Queen Size 10.50

FROZÉ featuring Stoli Razberi & Martini & Rossi Rosé – 8, Queen Size 10.50

add a “float” of your favorite Spirit to a Frozen – 3

OUTspoken is now a Podcast – ON THE MIC: OUTSPOKEN LGBTQ+ STORYTELLING at Sidetrack!  OUTspoken is Chicago’s monthly storytelling event celebrating uniquely personal stories from across the LGBTQ community. OUTspoken is normally held on the first Tuesday of each month at Sidetrack. Due to the Pandemic, we are unable to meet in person as this time but now offer a Virtual OUTspoken Edition via Zoom (the next Virtual OUTspoken will be Tuesday, March 2). 

Since its inception, we have recorded all audio from the stories each month and have had the intention of creating a podcast around these stories.  Since we cannot currently meet in person, we saw this as a great time to move forward with creating the podcast. 

Our eighth Podcast features stories by Darryl Heller, Kim L. Hunt and Channyn Lynne Parker.  The podcast is hosted and produced by Devlyn Camp.

Check out the eighth episode of ON THE MIC: OUTSPOKEN LGBTQ+ STORYTELLING at Sidetrack available on:

PODBEAN:
Click here

SPOTIFY:
Click here

STITCHER:
Click here

OUTspoken is now a Podcast – ON THE MIC: OUTSPOKEN LGBTQ+ STORYTELLING at Sidetrack!  OUTspoken is Chicago’s monthly storytelling event celebrating uniquely personal stories from across the LGBTQ community. OUTspoken is normally held on the first Tuesday of each month at Sidetrack. Due to the Pandemic, we are unable to meet in person as this time but now offer a Virtual OUTspoken Edition via Zoom (the next Virtual OUTspoken will be November 10, due to the Election on 11/3). 

Since its inception, we have recorded all audio from the 6-7 stories each month and have had the intention of creating a podcast around these stories.  Since we cannot currently meet in person, we saw this as a great time to move forward with creating the podcast. 

Our sixth Podcast features stories by Abby McEnany, Sonal Aggarwal and PJ Gray.  The podcast is hosted and produced by Devlyn Camp.

Check out the Seventh Episode of ON THE MIC: OUTSPOKEN LGBTQ+ STORYTELLING at Sidetrack available on:

PODBEAN:
Click here

SPOTIFY:
Click here

STITCHER:
Click here