After a Rest From the Daytime Events...

We rested up a bit and then got ready for our evening.  Reservations were made at "Teatro ZinZanni", Hotel L'Amour.  Anticipations were high and so was our appetite.  We knew a five-course meal would be served to us, we would be in a large, highly decorated tent-like building and there were several acts; we did not know the extent of the talent and clever staging!

And in case you didn't go to their website, here's their own description:

"Teatro ZinZanni's main event is part circus, part dinner theatre, and always magical. Described as "the Kit Kat Klub on acid" and "the hottest ticket in town" Teatro ZinZanni is a night out unlike any other. It is a three-hour whirlwind of international cirque, comedy and cabaret artists all served up with a scrumptious multi-course feast and elegant libations."

We couldn't take any pics of the show.  Instead, I was able to get a couple pics of the building and the dining area when we were getting ready to leave...

The all-star cast is accompanied by an amazing group of musicians (pictured) and it all just takes you away.  The stage is actually round and in the center of all the tables.  What an amazing event.  If and when I go back to Seattle, I'll be sitting at one of these tables again.  As a music teacher, I cannot help but notice flaws within a work.  It is something that distracts me and no - I can't just sit and enjoy the show without doing so.  Tonight, I was able to just sit and enjoy.   It was funny.  It was serious.  It was adult.  It was perfect.  Wow.

After Chihuly's -

Keeping on with our day, we walked over to the Experience Music Project (EMP) museum.  This is a non-profit museum created in 2000 of American pop culture and science fiction, featuring exhibits of famous local famous musicians/styles of music and Star Trek. The building itself is simply amazing -

EMP

According to the brochure -
"EMP’s futuristic Frank O. Gehry designed building is constructed of over 21,000 aluminum and stainless steel shingles and 280 steel ribs. If its 400 tons of structural steel were stretched into the lightest banjo string it would extend one-fourth of the way to Venus."
(Photo courtesy of EMP staff.)

A world-renowned architect, Frank O. Gehry has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Pritzker Architecture Prize (1989), the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Award (1994), the National Medal of Arts (1998), a Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects (1999), and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Americans for the Arts (2000). 

The museum was created by Paul Allen, of MicroSoft in 2000.  The giant exhibits were incredibly meticulous in information, pictures and memorabilia of modern and old.  We primarily focused on the music exhibits.

There is a large exhibit on the 2nd floor dedicated to Kurt, Nirvana and grunge music which was born in the Seattle area.

Kurt

Nirvana Album Covers

THE Guitar

The guitar room/exhibit also included instruments no longer used like this bass from the early 20th Century.  It also displayed a few of Eric Clapton and other famous musicians guitars.

Hawaiin Stroh 1920s

Mando Bass 1930s

And another large exhibit of Jimi Hendrix, also from the Seattle area.  In the height of his fame (1966-1970) Hendrix performed over 500 times in 150 different places and recorded 130 songs in 16 studios.  There was also an auditorium with his videos playing.

1. Photo courtesy of EMP staff.
2. Situated at the base of the world-renowned Space Needle, EMP Mus

Cool Wall

As with any good museum, it was chocked full of information - too much to absorb it all.  What an experience to see the tangible displays of items these young, exuberant musicians made.  They touched the lives of so many of us - spoke to our hearts and tragically left us at such an early age.  

After watching a few videos on the largest IMAX screen I've ever seen, we decided to go outside and find some lunch.  Wowza!  I'd never eaten a hotdog from stand before!  We had the "Seattle" which was a grilled hotdog, grilled onions and peppers slathered with creme cheese.  Yummy!

Pure pleasure!

We also enjoyed listening to the "Peruvian Dudes". I guess these guys play all day long, every day.

We also had our faces drawn by character artists -

Next, we rode the monorail to West Plaza shopping mall.  Here's the view:

We "ubered" back to our hotel room to get ready for the evening's events. Next up - TEATRO ZINZANNI!