Teatro ZinZanni’s ‘Love, Chaos, And Dinner’ Is Pure Entertainment

Teatro ZinZanni – Love Chaos & Dinner is a fantastical dinner-theater experience with spectacular circus performers and gourmet food. An excellent option for an evening out during the cold winter months.

Whether you have been fortunate enough to visit and enjoy Teatro ZinZanni while it’s been in Chicago or have been meaning to go, you are in luck. The run has been extended through February 16th, 2025!

This incredible performance truly creates an evening to remember. With amazing singers, spectacular performance artists, an endearing clown, a colorful ambiance, and delicious food, you’ll stand for their ovation while trying to figure out when you can return for another show.

What is essentially a grown-up circus in a classy circus tent located inside the Cambria Hotel, this is the perfect event for the cold weather. The colors of the tent are warm and inviting, and you forget the biting temperatures outside while being thoroughly entertained.

Hosted by the magnificent Mr. ZinZanni, Cunio completely lights up the room. His energy, precision of movement, and unbelievable vocal abilities make you wish that he could sing through every moment of the show. I would quite happily listen to him sing the dictionary on repeat. His voice is reminiscent of Freddy Mercury with its own dirty/crisp quality that I can’t even put into words. You have to hear him.

Joined by LiV Warfield, a huge vocal talent and frequent performer, she and Cunio move the show forward. Ms. Warfield was a golden buzzer winner on America’s Got Talent and has been in this show since it arrived in Chicago. She was incredibly impressive when I first saw Teatro ZinZanni in June, but now? Wow. She is spellbinding and gritty in all of the best ways, particularly in the moments when she dives into her lower register.

There are three acts in this show, each divided by a section of the meal and each with its own performance artists.

The first act sees our in-arena flight attendant (played by Vita Radionova) turn into a hula hoop performer. Starting with just one hoop, more and more get added until she has dozens encircling her entire body.

The second act has an incredible straps routine by Raphael Nepomuceno. Hanging from straps in the air, he flies across and above the heads of the audience (in what you suddenly feel is a very small space for such an incredible feat!), using muscles that you didn’t know existed to position himself in amazing holds.

Shortly after his performance is a contortionist act by Elayne Kramer. Moving her body in various positions that most humans cannot conceive of and ending the piece by shooting an arrow into a balloon with her feet while in a contortion pose, she is amazing.

The third act highlights trapeze artists Duo Rose (Sam Sion and Sylvia Friedman). Hanging from a bar, this duo climbs and balances on each other’s bodies to create fascinating poses and positions. It is impossible to describe in writing, but the photos convey just a bit of the exceptional performance.

You also see Doily (played by Kevin Kent) in each of the three acts. A colorful drag queen who is fabulously warm, sweet, and sassy, she is also a huge flirt and a bit of a clown. She stands heads above some of the audience members with her high silver hair and fun outfits and invites some on stage to participate in the fun. The moments that highlight Doily are by far the funniest and most endearing. She is a gem of an entertainer.

At Teatro ZinZanni, food is also a highlight. There are tickets offered for just the performance, but dinner and theater together is such a treat. The standard dinner-theater ticket includes an appetizer, salad, main course, and dessert.

There are additional options available for a fee in each category (i.e. if you want surf and turf instead of the standard chicken option), but the regular dinner is lovely. We had an acorn squash and apple tart as an appetizer, salad with apples, blue cheese, and walnuts, your choice of chicken roulade or salmon with wild rice as a main, and a small goat milk dulce de leche mousse dessert.

There are a few points of genius within this production that I have to point out. Past all of the amazing performances – which is much more than enough for a remarkable evening – is the ability of the cast to pull the energy from the audience.

When the show first started, I remember thinking, “This audience has no energy,” which is a bad situation for any performance. But that is when Cunio introduced karaoke. In minutes, everyone was singing songs that they knew (“Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” and “Don’t Stop Believin'”) and cheering on the audience member who was brave enough to take it on the chin. Suddenly, everyone was present and “in it.”

Also, there is a preshow and sideshows between acts. Each of the performers plays a part (the fireman, the club owner, etc.) and visits audience tables to interact with them. You are constantly immersed in the production, whether Doily is touching the head of a bald man in the audience, the club manager is lifting a cloche with jumping fish, or the flight attendant is passing out ice.

This show has changed since its inception, so it is not the same show you would have seen six months ago. While many components and performers are the same, there are large differences, and along with the audience participation that changes during each performance, you are absolutely getting something new. You will love this experience, so make sure to buy your tickets!

Love, Chaos, and Dinner runs for approximately 3 hours, including a full meal and two intermissions that allow for food and beverage service as well as restroom visits.

Teatro ZinZanni: Love, Chaos, and Dinner Chicago Review – Love, Chaos, and Dinner is playing at Teatro ZinZanni through 2/16/25. Tickets can be purchased on the Teatro ZinZanni website or by calling (312) 488-0900. Teatro ZinZanni is located at 32 W. Randolph St, inside the Cambria Hotel in Chicago.