CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Actor and comedian Frank Ferrante always dreamed of "playing" Chicago.
"I've known about Chicago theater since I was a kid. I had a subscription to Variety magazine when I was 13, the weekly which was very expensive, but my Dad knew I loved reading about theater and the entertainment business. I knew about the impact of Chicago. I knew the kind of theater that emanated from this city. I knew about Steppenwolf, about The Goodman, and, so, I was thrilled when it finally happened for me here."
Ferrante has been acting, performing and traveling for more than three decades. He played the lead character of "The Caesar" in a West Coast-based variety show called "Teatro Zinzanni" when Chicago came calling. He had played the role in San Francisco and Seattle for 20 years.
"A dozen times, there was a chance of Teatro Zinzanni playing Chicago, with me opening it as the Caesar character. They'd be close, and it would fall through. The hopes were always there. When it finally happened it seemed a little miraculous," he smiled.
When he first saw the giant Spiegeltent built in a previously hidden space on the 14th floor of the Cambria Hotel, on Randolph, he was blown away.
"This place was something no one knew about back then. It was transformed into something so special," Ferrante said.
The long-forgotten space was uncovered during a recent renovation at the hotel. Since then, the massive, 4,000 piece mirrored tent has become a permanent fixture of the hotel.
"This venue is one of the most spectacular venues in the country, certainly in the city. There's nothing like it. There's the venue, the lobby, the design, the detail. It's a special place," said Ferrante.
The cast and crew debuted the show in the summer of 2019.
"Just as we were gathering momentum in March of 2020, everything shut down and I had to tell 100 people to go home," said Klaus Schuller, executive producer. "It was the worst day of my career," he recalled.
"We never predicted we'd be home for so long, out of work so long, but, in 2021, we came back as one of the first live shows back. We opened before everyone in the Loop. We were packed when we reopened. Then, Omicron hit and everything either shut back down or people became too nervous to come to shows. So, we kinda had to start over again eventually," he recalled.
Last fall, the show was reimagined and renamed as “Cabaret Zazou: Luminaire.”
"Part of the change is that we wanted it to be more Chicago. We had a greater focus on music and Chicago musicians, Chicago legends," said Schuller.
The current show features artists from around the world, including singers, aerialists, contortionists, roller skaters and jugglers.
"We find talent by reputation. We don't hold auditions. These people are the best at their craft." he added.
Now, after more than 200 performances with “Zinzanni” and more than 200 with “Cabaret ZaZou,” Ferrante and the cast are taking their final bows.
"People come and go, jobs come and go, but we are practical people too. A 10-month run with this particular show is a long run, nearly 250 performances is a long run. We see five star ratings, that's the audience telling you. That matters to me more than anything,” Ferrante said. “I want people to have good experiences. We're going to give them two and a half hours. Those hours need to be spectacular, special, moving. When people walk out with a smile, I did my job."
Schuller said, in the end, they just couldn't break-even in a competitive theater industry.
"I just don't think we've reached a broad enough audience. We just haven't gotten the sheer numbers to sustain an enterprise like this where everything is expensive," but he added there is still hope for the future.
"We are currently in talks with someone who may wish to reopen the enterprise in the fall. We should know before too long, hopefully in a matter of weeks, whether there is a true option for business in the fall under the same name or the same concept. Whatever it is, it will be a variety show, a Spiegeltent show. We're hopeful," Schuller said.
Ferrante was also a marketing machine for the cast and crew of the show, a one man promotion machine as he spent hours on his days off spreading the word, and selling tickets to keep the show going.
"There is something special about this particular production. I'm an old bull. I never stop fighting. I have no regrets. I want to own this and myself. When I arrived here in 2019, it was meant to be. I took it seriously. This meant a lot to me to succeed here. The stakes were high. I felt I had to deliver,” said Ferrante. “ It could've gone either way. But, for four years, we had a really successful run. We jumped off the cliff as performers. You can't do this if you're not hopeful and believe in imagination and creation."
Ferrante said the Chicago theater community has made quite the impact on his life and career.
"It became a remarkable experience. I am emotional about the thought about leaving. The city has really gotten under my skin. The people of this city are open, hard working and communal. I didn't expect to be so embraced by the community, by local businesses, by the media. I walk around, and I have conversations with people, there's been so many highlights for me here.,” he said. “Everyone is fighting the good fight, coming off the pandemic. It's heartening for me. I told myself to always remember how special my time here has been. This place is a very supportive community. That has been refreshing."
He said he has no regrets as he prepares to take his final bow, for now.
"This is an oasis. This is a place where you can forget. We've succeeded in creating a world that makes people happy and lets them forget the particular hell we all went through together. There's no denying it. We leave feeling great," Ferrante declared.
Ferrante will head back to Los Angeles to spend some time with his family, and, then, he'll take his one man "Groucho" show on the road to Canada and back to Arlington Heights at the Metropolis Theater on January 13.
But, there's no doubt Chicago theater goers haven't seen the last of Ferrante.
"I hope to be back, working here again sometime. Both of my kids are going to DePaul, my brother lives in the suburbs. Chicago reverberates with the Ferrantes," he laughed.
"Cabaret ZaZou"'s final performance will be on Sunday, July 2.
"We're a comedy show, we're a cirque show, we're a music show. Yes, we're not curing cancer here. But, on several occasions, fans will tell us how the show has made them feel special, got them to be social again, and this environment brought them happiness." said Schuller. "This is an extraordinary show, and, I promise you, if you come here, you'll agree with me."
Tickets for the final shows are still available online.
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