Teatro ZinZanni Lowers Final Curtain in Seattle

Full cast of Teatro ZinZanni at their final curtain call

Walter Williams / Courtesy of Courtney Nichols

On an October night in 1998, the circus arrived in Lower Queen Anne. A spiegeltent crafted of wood, canvas, and velvet, adorned with stained glass, vast mirrors, and regal chandeliers overtook an empty lot on Mercer Street. Above the entry, an arching sign marked the threshold of the new world of Teatro ZinZanni, welcoming guests to their first show, Love Chaos and Dinner, which featured a unique cast of acrobats, clowns, and various other talents (including Ann Wilson from the band Heart). What was meant to be an 11-week run sprouted roots and secured ZinZanni as Seattle’s staple circus destination for nearly three decades.

After their initial stint at the Mercer Street lot, ZinZanni moved to San Francisco for an extended run, later setting up a second tent in Belltown. After that, they returned to Mercer Street where they remained for ten years; until, yet again, they relocated, popping up in Redmond, Woodinville, SODO, downtown Seattle, and even opening a third tent in Chicago.

In 2020, the beloved Seattle spiegeltent retired to a storage unit and was only seen again in fragmented form, hung on the walls of ZinZanni’s post-pandemic residency at the Lotte Hotel. 

With a repertoire akin to that of Spiegelworld in Las Vegas, Teatro ZinZanni promised a night of humor, spectacle, and awe. Self-ascribed as a dash of circus, a hint of vaudeville, and a whisper of cabaret, ZinZanni has always presented a wide variety of acts. One moment might hold a high flying aerial performance, the next a ping-pong ball juggling didgeridoo player. 

Server with food during the show at Emerald City Trapeze

Walter Williams / Courtesy of Courtney Nichols

ZinZanni’s recent and final Seattle production, Mr. P.P.’s Clubhouse, featured a familiar yet stellar cast (Tim Tyler, Kevin Kent, Z Jones, Jan Damm, Rita Radionova, Cassie Cutler, Sai’len Jaeger, and Ashley Wolffe). Alongside these performers, bartenders, servers, cooks, a live band, and crew members shaped the narrative of the clubhouse and invited guests to immerse themselves, eat well, and have fun.

Upon entering the venue, performance staff garbed in red-striped shirts, black suspenders, and bowl hats greeted guests and guided them to their tables where a menu awaited offering diverse appetizers, entrees, and a five-course taster menu to be delivered throughout the show. 

While the audience found their seats, performers moved about the space to converse with the patrons and establish their characters. Slowly, the actors pulled attention to the stage and the show began, turning the Emerald City Trapeze venue into a wondrous world of whimsy. 

“Our most recent production,” said Norm Langill, Teatro ZinZanni’s founder and Artistic director in a statement, “was created with Seattle very much in mind—reflecting the imagination, irreverence, and humanity that have always defined this city and our relationship with it. Teatro ZinZanni will continue to be fearless in telling stories, building worlds, and creating spaces where wonder lives.” 

Unfortunately Teatro ZinZanni will not be returning to Seattle anytime in the known future. Mr. P.P.’s Clubhouse, with its early closure, marked a turning point for the company, one that many entertainment companies have faced in the wake of the pandemic. 

“Recently,” said Langill on the subject of the early closure, “we faced mounting challenges. Ticket sales declined through the summer and did not recover enough through the fall and holiday seasons to offset rising costs. At the same time, shifts in audience habits continued to impact live performance across the country. Like many arts organizations, we are navigating a landscape shaped by post-pandemic changes, escalating production costs, and broader economic pressures.” 

This trend has been a bitter plague upon the world of entertainment in an array of big cities. A sign, perhaps, that a new era of theater, circus, and live performance must emerge and evolve with the wants of the modern public. While in Las Vegas, where spectacle is all, this genre of entertainment finds itself on the rise—this vaudevillian theater may not be what thrives in Seattle. 

One thing, however, that Seattle will always enjoy and will greatly miss from ZinZanni is its quirkiness and the invitation to be whomever one pleases. ZinZanni’s departure from the city leaves a gaping hole in the landscape of Seattle’s entertainment industry, and it will be a curious thing to see which companies, new or old, expand into it. 

While it is uncertain whether Teatro ZinZanni will return to Seattle, the company holds the city in its heart and hopes to be back again. “Seattle is our home,” stated Langill. “Teatro ZinZanni was born here, and for almost three decades, this city has welcomed us with open arms, open hearts, and a spirit of play that shaped who we are. Our show has always been about love, joy—and yes, a little chaos—and Seattle has given that back to us a thousand times over[...] Seattle will always be a part of our DNA. We are endlessly grateful to every guest, artist, musician, crew member, and dreamer who built this with us. And we truly hope to return some day. Thank you, Seattle, for the love, the laughter, and the magic.” 

ZinZanni’s former lobby

archival / unknown photographer