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 Brett Nugent
Server/Performer,
Teatro ZinZanni
Brett Nugent has been a professional singer, dancer and actor since he was 16. Like many budding performers, he's paid the rent with restaurant serving jobs. Three years ago he joined Teatro Zinzanni, Seattle's performance of cirque and cabaret beneath an antique Belgian spiegeltent that seats 285 for a five-course dinner. The job pays him to serve and cultivate his craft at the same time.
What role do you play in Teatro Zinzanni?
Maverick the food server during the show, I also serve as the dance captain for the servers, coordinating rehearsals and making sure the choreography is clean.
How do you approach each performance?
I try to take people to a different place. This world gets tougher and tougher. It's even more important that I take my guests to a different place. Ninety-nine percent of people walk out of Teatro and say "wow that was incredible." A good server skill is reading people's faces. You can tell how comfortable they are, what mood they're in. I'm going to bring them to the level where they're out of themselves.
Can you tell who's a visitor and who's a local?
I'm one of those people who ask where people are from. I like to personalize myself with guests so I can take them on a journey and they have a good time. We do get a lot of tourists.
Why does tourism matter to you?
It's a great gig. It's fun being both a performer and a server. It does allow me flexibility and time to work on my own personal goals. I'm writing a musical right now [titled Tini's Twist], so I try to work every single shift because I know I want to take time off in the future.
Why does tourism matter?
I've lived elsewhere and traveled around the world and I honestly believe that it [Seattle] is one of my favorite places. I think Seattleites want to keep it that way, but it's not the quaint city it used to be any more. I think we're on the cusp [of becoming more metropolitan]. Teatro Zinzanni is becoming its own thing. Hopefully, in the next two years, every night will be sold out because tourism is so strong.
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