Review: ‘Luminaire’ dinner show lights up a special occasion

For those of us who remember the ’60s and ’70s, it was the heyday of variety shows on TV. One of my favorites was “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which ran from 1948 to 1971; it featured every kind of entertainment you could think of, from The Beatles to comedians, magicians, aerialists, impressionists, novelty acts and Broadway musical numbers.

Cabaret ZaZou’s “Luminaire” – now playing in an open-ended run at the Cambria Hotel in downtown Chicago – brought back those kinds of memories, as well as pleasant memories of “Teatro ZinZanni,” a four-course dinner and show also staged here that I reviewed in the summer of 2021. Both then and now, audience members interested in a fantastic, memorable night out need look no further.

I’m not a restaurant critic, but the dinner itself should impress any date. As you’re escorted to your table in the Spiegeltent ZaZou, a huge, mirrored, stained glass, wood and canvas tent that can fit over 300 guests, you see your aperitif, which includes pita bread and a trio of dips (such as beet hummus), and a carafe of water. Your waitperson, who may provide backup vocals later in the entertainment portion of the evening, quickly appears to see if you want any other appetizers or drinks. After a Caesar salad, the main course options by Blue Plate range from steak frites to pan-seared salmon to marinated chicken breast to a seasonal risotto; for an up-charge, you can enjoy a combo of filet mignon and jumbo shrimp. A chocolate pot de crème (with salted caramel sauce, whipped Chantilly, oatmeal streusel) is the delicious closer.

If you want to enjoy all the entertainment in store for you, arrive 20 minutes early, so you can see the arrivals/interactions of your costumed performers, including a bellhop and a young man with a big heart – made of cardboard. Playing the bellhop Fortissimo – Forte to his friends – is the quick-witted comedian/actor/improv pro Frank Ferrante, who was The Caesar in “Teatro ZinZanni.” Forte is Caesar’s nephew, who’s always wanted to direct a band or orchestra and to be a master of ceremonies like his uncle. Forte may get his chance at that unlikely, if not impossible, dream when Forte announces that Caesar is “indisposed.” Forte also tells us that he sadly left the love of his life 40 years earlier in an Italian rose garden because his uncle had a job for him in America.

If it sounds like the show has a plot, it really doesn’t, but this background allows Ferrante to provide some fun audience interaction at various points throughout the evening. Besides Ferrante’s antics, audience members get to enjoy:

• A five-piece band (bass, woodwinds, drums, piano and guitar) that got us all in the mood with “In the Mood.”

• Soulful singer/songwriter LiV Warfield, whose costume changes are almost as varied as her musical numbers (“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “Feeling Good,” “I Can’t Stand the Rain”).
• Grammy nominee/Broadway star (“A Chorus Line,” “The Color Purple,” “Ain’t Too Proud”) James Harkness, whose solo songs here – and duets with Warfield – are complemented by his smooth dance ability.

• Trio Vertex, a hand-to-trapeze trio from the U.K. – Cornelius Atkinson, Isis Clegg-Vinell and Nathan Price – that does amazing aerial work in the center of the tent and high above the heads of the audience. Closer to the ground, roller skates even adorn the feet of two trio members early in the show.

• Contortionist Ulzii Mergen from Mongolia, who doesn’t pull a rabbit from a hat but emerges from a hat and bends over backwards – literally – to entertain us. Her Cirque du Soleil background is clearly on display here.
• A master juggler from Ukraine, Viktor Kee, whose balls of light bring out the illumination in “Luminaire.”
  

Director Dreya Weber has brought experience with aerial design and choreography to create a very special show. She even puts one of the non-Trio Vertex performers above the crowd at one point, but I’ll leave it “up in the air” on which one that is.

For the best view of all the performances, you may want to splurge a bit and get a table in the “Center Ring” area. I was in that prime location and was even lucky enough to be chosen as an audience participant in one of Ferrante’s comedic improv bits.

In summary, they say in the program that a “luminaire” is “someone wealthy in enlightenment” who “shines that light brightly for all.” This troupe is definitely shining their light, sharing their wealth of talent for those in the mood for a memorable evening.

• Paul Lockwood is a singer, local theater actor (including the new adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” coming to the Woodstock Opera House), Grace Lutheran Church (Woodstock) and Toastmasters member, theater reviewer, podcaster, columnist, business proposal writer, and past president of TownSquare Players. He’s lived in Woodstock for more than 21 years.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “Luminaire”

WHERE: Cambria Hotel, 32 W. Randolph St., Chicago

WHEN: Wednesday through Sunday performances; open-ended run (dates currently available through April 23

INFORMATION: cabaretzazou.com, 312-488-0900