My grown son and I will be visiting San Francisco Dec. 15-19 and I'd like to plan one special entertainment event. I've read a bit about Teatro ZinZanni on this forum and it sounds like something unique and special. I saw Beach Blanket Babylon last month, so that's out. Jersey Boys will be playing at the Curran while we're there, and tickets for the Tuesday night show aren't terribly expensive.

I'm leaning toward Teatro ZinZanni as it includes dinner (one less plan to make) and could be very entertaining.

I appreciate your input/feedback or other suggestions. I've just begun looking. And I need ideas for one of the other evenings too.

We saw Teatro in Seattle 2 years ago and had a great evening - it was fun and the food was good. We liked it because it was lively and you didn't have to just sit next to each other and watch in silence, as you would have to at a Jersey Boys.

Is your son into 60's music and would he appreciate the Four Seasons aspect of Jersey Boys?

Hope this helps..
Debi

Watching Jersey Boys in silence??? The theatre was rockin when we saw it, the audience was really into it. But agree that it makes this terrific show even better if you're into the 4 Seasons.

I didn't really mean sit in silence - moving to the music would be a given. I guess I meant that you wouldn't be able to carry on conversations and that sort of thing.

Debi

Cirque du Soleil's new show Kooza in also in San Francisco then.

I thought Jersey Boys was okay but over rated. I guess it depends how much you liked their music (I didn't obviously).

Thanks for your replies. I'll check out the Cirque show. That would be special!

Teatro ZinZanni has been running shows in Seattle for years. I have not been myself (it's not cheap), but everyone who I know who HAS seen it loved it!

I've seen all three here in Fan Francisco. I would give Teatro Zinzanni an A (best live show we've ever seen), Jersey Boys a B (I'm a big 4 Seasons fan), and Cirque a C (I found much of it quite tedious). I would also give Beach Blanket Babylon a B-, although I last saw it over 25 years ago, but we get snippets of it all the time here. I think BBB would appeal to the under 35 crowd more than it would the over 50. Too much slapstick for my current tastes, while Teatro's humor is a bit more original, sophisticated, & clever. Also with Teatro you get Cirque type acts, singing, audience participation, a unique/interesting historical theater, & dinner. My belly hurt for several days because of all the laughing I did.

I would go back to Teatro again, but not Cirque or BBB. I think plays like Jersey Boys are one-shot things.

Stu Dudley

Another comment. If you post this question to the "Csalifornia" sub group, you will get a lot more replies from locals - most of whom have probably seen all 3 plus BBB. I only "search" the California threads - this time your post happened to be in the top 5 list for "US" so I saw it "in passing".

Stu Dudley

Kooza doesn't open until November 16th. Thus I don't see how someone could have seen it in Fan Francisco.

A verson of Cirque du Soleil appears every year here - around Christmas. Teatro & BBB changes all the time also - but the basic "premise" remains the same.

Stu Dudley

I've seen all the Vegas Cirque shows and several of the traveling shows. They are all different.

Thanks, All!
Good tip about looking for a California forum here.

I just booked Kooza for our last night. We'll save ZinZanni for another trip.

About BBB, I enjoyed the singing when it was serious, but the humor was a bit disappointing. I am over 60 and I guess it matters. I was also disappointed with Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, which a much-younger colleague raved about. My son enjoyed it.