It was just over 25 years ago that Teatro ZinZanni first opened its velvet and stained glass spiegeltent in Seattle. The original production of Love Chaos and Dinner starred Kent Kevin, Ann Wilson of Heart, and a collection of international clowns and acrobats along with a great meal. It was meant to run for a few months in a parking lot on Mercer Street.

Well, thank you Seattle… you kept coming out night after night… and now it’s been 25 years! Over time, we have jumped around town a little bit, moving the first spiegeltent to San Francisco for a long run, putting up a second spiegeltent on 6th and Bell, and landing again on Mercer Street – our home for 10 years. When our time on Mercer ended, we popped up in Redmond, and then in Woodinville. We opened a third spiegeltent in Chicago. After the pandemic, we re-opened in Chicago and popped up in SODO, and now we’re in downtown Seattle for a season at the Lotte Hotel.

Over the years, we have produced 120 original productions with the most amazing array of talent. Always served up with a feast and accompanied by a live band, the shows have treated our patrons to a collection of amazing singers, comedians, clowns, yodelers, Chinese pole artists, contortionists, hand balancers, magicians, chair climbers, hula hoopers, roller skaters, foot jugglers, aerialists on trapeze, lyra hoop, straps, corde lisse, and of course… a unicyle-riding, didgeridoo-playing ping-pong ball juggler!

We are filled with gratitude and humbled by this family of artists that have come together over the years, with a new generation joining us now. Their artistry and talent attracted some of the world’s most respected artists and adventurers, including most of Seattle’s celebrities and others including Stephen Hawking, Sean Penn, Alan Alda, and Neil Gaiman.

On March 31, we will give the final performance of our 25th year celebration Residency at Lotte Hotel and we want to host you before that day comes! We continue to search for our next Pacific Northwest show location and will keep you all apprised – our dear Seattle family – but until then, these final performances are our toast to you for loving us all these years. We hope you’ll come see us and the beautiful work of these artists inside the stunning Sanctuary Grand Ballroom.