Cast Announced for HOTEL L'AMOUR at Teatro ZinZanni
By: Tyler Peterson May. 31, 2016
Teatro ZinZanni Seattle today announced the cast of headlining talent set to play in the romantic, original production, Hotel L'Amour. Starring the return of the Tony Award-winning living legend Liliane Montevecchi, Hotel L'Amour also features funny man Frank Ferrante, master illusionist Maestro Voronin, aerialist and choreographer to the stars Dreya Weber, and opera diva Kristin Clayton alongside international circus artists Svetlana, aerialist Rui Ling, and juggler Viktor Kee. When the staff at Hotel L'Amour catches wind of the Madame's return, they literally bend over backward to prepare - champagne flows and dreams never die as the Madame reflects on her life and tales of wonder with gorgeous French flare. Complete with a gourmet multi-course feast, wine pairings, and uniquely curated cocktails, guests will never want to check out of Hotel L'Amour! Hotel L'Amour opens June 16, 2016 and runs through September 25, 2016 at Teatro ZinZanni - tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online atZinZanni.com/Seattle, by calling the Box Office Tuesday-Sunday at (206) 802-0015, or by visiting the Box Office in person at 222 Mercer Street, Seattle.
Madame Liliane Montevecchi makes her return to Seattle after five years away performing across Europe and beyond, from London and Frankfurt to Paris and New York City. Best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Tommy Tune's Nine, Montevecchi's career spans four decades and boasts notable appearances in MGM films where she worked opposite Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando, and Fred Astaire, to more recent work on the set of "How To Lose A Guy in Ten Days" with Matthew McConaughey. With Parisian roots, Liliane is a true living legend who last headlined at Teatro ZinZanni with her fellow co-star Frank Ferrante in 2011. Frank brings his classic Caesar character back to the tent in his sixteenth season. A master improvisation artist, Frank earned New York Theatre's World Award as well as New York Outer Critics Circle and London's Laurence Olivier nominations for 'Comedy Performance of the Year.' With a growing reputation for originating the title role in Groucho: A Life In Revue, Frank continues to build critical acclaim internationally for his work.
Stunning aerialist and choreographer to the stars Dreya Weber also returns to Teatro ZinZanni inHotel L'Amour. Known for conceiving and choreographing celebrated pop star Pink's 2016 Billboard Music Awards performance as well as her 2014 and 2010 Grammy performances, Dreya has worked with the late Michael Jackson, Cher, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and many others. Beyond aerial performance and choreography, Dreya is also a prolific actor having starred in the feature film "Raven's Touch" and others, and has been honored with 48 international festival awards including seven 'best actress' wins. Ukrainian-born illusionist Maestro Voronin also joins this star-studded cast. Last seen in Teatro ZinZanni's 2014 production When Sparks Fly, Voronin is a master magician who returns to Seattle fresh from the International Festival of Magic in Madrid, Spain.
Returning to the tent after eight years is another Ukrainian-born talent, Viktor Kee. Having toured internationally with Cirque du Soleil's Dralion and Amaluna, Viktor's unique performance melds dance, acrobatics, and juggling into an astonishing display of sensuality. American lyric sopranoKristin Clayton is an original Teatro ZinZanni diva. She has garnered critical acclaim for her appearances with Houston Grand Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Theater of Saint Louis, and beyond. Russian performance artist Svetlana's masterful pantomime and contortion skills return in her incredibly creative, funny, and acrobatic puppet act. Trained in the art of contortion since the age of nine, we dare you to take your eyes off the one-and-only Svetlana! Gorgeous, Chinese aerialist performance artist Rui Ling, currently performing in Be Italian! at the tent, also returns with a fresh twist on his stunning straps act.
Teatro ZinZanni's Hotel L'Amour features French-inspired musical themes performed by the live ZinZanni band led by music director Hans Tueber on woodwinds, bass, and everything else; Tom Kellock on piano; Tom Dziekonski on guitar; and Jose Martinez on drums.
The Teatro ZinZanni kitchen's French-inspired menu will feature a heavenly 5-course feast, of which guests can select their entrée from a meat, seafood, or vegetarian options. Then, enjoy the meal with a flight of finely paired wines to compliment each unique course. The full menu for Hotel L'Amour will become available online in the coming weeks.
ABOUT THE CAST
Living legend, actress, dancer and diva, Liliane Montevecchi returns to Seattle in the original production, Hotel L'Amour. Best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Tommy Tune's Nine and in Grand Hotel, Montevecchi's illustrious career spans four decades. Born in Paris, she joined Roland Petit Ballet as a prima ballerina at age 18, spent seven years under contract to MGM, appearing in movies opposite Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando and Fred Astaire, and more. For 10 years, she was the star of The Folies Bergere in Paris and Las Vegas. Her most recent film is "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days," with Matthew McConaughey. She has starred in musicals such as Irma La Douce, Gigi, Hello, Dolly!, and La Plume de Ma Tante. Audiences have applauded her performances at Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and at Lincoln Center in a concert version of Follies. On TV she guest-starred in more than 20 shows, and was nominated for an Emmy for Playhouse 90s's Child of Our Time. She has taken her own highly acclaimed show, On the Boulevard, around the world, and played in prestigious cabaret venues including the Algonquin, the Russian Tea Room and Rainbow and Stars and has recently performed her one-woman show to standing ovations in London and Paris. In Paris she received the Boulevard Award for her role as Mistinguett at the Opera Comique. Along with being knighted a "Dame" for her time spent doing humanitarian work, she was recently honored by the French Minister of Culture as the "Officer of Arts and Culture" to France and the world at large.
Frank Ferrante is an actor and director whose acting and improvisation was dubbed "masterful" by the Chicago Tribune and "artful" by The New York Times. Frank originated the title role in Groucho: A Life in Revue written by Groucho's son Arthur in New York, London, and on PBS. He earned New York's Theatre World Award, a New York Outer Critics Circle and London's Laurence Olivier nomination for 'Comedy Performance of the Year.' For three summers, he played his one-man An Evening With Groucho at Seattle's ACT Theatre. Following Hotel L'Amour, Frank is touring 35 cities in Australia with the show. In 1995, he directed and developed the premiere of the Pulitzer finalistOld Wicked Songs. Frank guest-starred as a talking mime on Rob Corddry's Emmy-winning "Children's Hospital," is a voice on the animated "Garfield" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" shows, and was a question on TV's Jeopardy. Frank has been a regular at Teatro ZinZanni since 2001.
Maestro Voronin
Known throughout the world as "The Maestro," Ukrainian-born illusionist Voronin has been described as the essence of Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati. After graduating from renowned Kiev Academy of Circus and Variety Arts and Russian University of Theater Arts, Voronin founded his own company, The Theater of Cagliostro. He is an acclaimed recipient of first place in magic competitions in Germany, Moscow, and Austria; Monte Carlo Magic Stars award, Magic Hands Grand Prix, Siegfried and Roy prize for Master Magician, and The Great Lafayette award. Well-known in the world of magic for his unique style, director's vision and original character creation, Voronin is one of the most sought-after stars of the European cabaret circuit. He is returning to Seattle fresh from his most recent appearance at the International Festival of Magic in Madrid, Spain. An original cast member from the first 1998 tour, this show marks Voronin's 24th Teatro ZinZanni performance.
Dreya Weber
An acclaimed actress, producer, aerialist, choreographer and musician, Dreya headlined in Teatro ZinZanni's, Hail Caesar!, Gangsters Of Love, When Sparks Fly, and The Hot Spot. She produced and stars in the feature film "Raven's Touch" as well as "A Marine Story" and "The Gymnast," and has been honored with 48 international festival awards including seven 'best actress' wins. As aerial choreographer, Dreya conceived Pink's celebrated 2014 and 2010 Grammy performances, deemed "transcendent" by Oprah Winfrey. Choreographic credits include Michael Jackson, Cher, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Kylie Minogue, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, and all of Pink's tours. Writing credits include Raven's Touch, Club Seduce, and Gangsters Of Love. Dreya recently starred in the documentary Driven, and is proud to be a part of the P90X workouts - 1, 2 & 3. Dreya has starred in plays all over the world and will be returning to Holland this winter to appear in Ola Mafaalani's Fellini at the Noord Nederlands Toneel.
Kristin Clayton
American lyric soprano Kristin Clayton has enjoyed portraying some of the great leading ladies in the operatic repertoire with companies throughout the United States. She has garnered high praise for her appearances with Houston Grand Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Theater of Saint Louis, and San Francisco Opera, where she is a graduate of both the prestigious Merola and Adler Fellow Programs. An original San Francisco ZinZanni cast member, Ms. Clayton's vocal and theatrical artistry has been on display in the spiegeltent in a wide variety of roles. Ms. Clayton, who lives in San Francisco, is featured on a recording of Jake Heggie's songs titled "The Faces of Love", (RCA-Red Seal), as the Young Babylonian in Massenet's "Herodiade", (Sony Classical) and on a Teatro ZinZanni recording of "The Divas".
Svetlana Perekhodov
Russian performance artist Svetlana blends modern dance, pantomime skills, magic, and contortion in the creation of her sensational puppet act. Undulating, shifting, transforming right before your eyes, Svetlana's puppet has been warmly received by the audience as both a highly skilled acrobatic performance and as a new comedic and romantic character. Trained in the ancient art of contortion from the age of nine, Svetlana studied at the Kiev Municipal Academy of Circus and Variety Arts and has performed at some of Europe's most distinguished venues including the Wintergarten and the Apollo, Palazzo. She is an original Teatro ZinZanni cast member.
Viktor Kee
Ukrainian born juggler Viktor Kee has been performing on stage since he was six years old and graduated from the professional Academy of Circus Arts in Kiev. A favorite with audiences around the world, Viktor has performed at the Moulin Rouge, Lido de Paris, the Friedrichstadtpalast in Berlin, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand with Barbra Streisand in Las Vegas. He has also toured internationally with Cirque du Soleil's Dralion and Amaluna. Quite possibly the world's best juggler, he has developed a unique, mesmerizing style of juggling that melds dance, acrobatics, and juggling into a wondrous ballet of sensuality. Recently, Viktor founded the nonprofit Viktor Kee Foundation, which focuses on giving back to communities by creating charity missions around the globe where Art Helps the World! Viktor made his Teatro ZinZanni debut in 2008 and is excited to return to Seattle in Hotel L'Amour.
Ling Rui
Rui has been performing and training in the circus arts since he was very young. At the age of 10 he joined the Flag Circus of China where he traveled worldwide. In 2000, he joined Cirque du Soleil'sDralion and toured North America and Europe for five years. In 2006, Rui joined another Cirque production Delirium with his straps act. He presented his act and received numerous prestigious awards including the gold medal at the Wuhan International Acrobatic Arts Festival. Rui was also a finalist in the "Amazing Chinese" TV show. In 2010 ¡Caliente! marked the debut of his straps act with Teatro ZinZanni, which he has been performing off and on since then. In his off-stage time, Rui is focusing on a transitioning to an artistic direction. Most recently he served as Artistic Director for a world-class aquatic production in China by Franco Dragone.
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