Teatro ZinZanni, together with this men's room, is housed in a spiegeltent. "Spiegeltents are hand-hewn circular pavilions with wooden floors, leaded glass windows, canvas, mirrors and cutglass work, detailed in velvet and brocade. The tents were originally built in the late 1910s and 1920s, and used as wine-tasting venues and dance halls. Amazingly, spiegeltents are built and erected completely by hand, using a unique interlocking system with no nails or tools.
"Teatro ZinZanni is housed in the tent known as the Palais Nostalgique, which was built in 1926 and is owned by Willy Klessens, a third generation tent enthusiast. In the 1920s, Willy's grandfather, Willem Klessens, toured Belguium with his first spiegeltent. His son, Gust Klessens, took over the business and for more than 50 years, his tents or mirrors were familiar sights at faairs throughout Europe. Since 1977, Willy Klessens has been lovingly restroing and touring these thents around the world.
"Teatro ZinZanni marks the first time that the Palais Nostalgique has entered the United States. Langill's original productions, blending European cabaret, circus arts and spectacle with fine dining, opened in Seattle in October 1998, and enjoyed a 14 month sold-out run before its rebirth in San Francisco in 2000."