Pastries Take the Stage

Pastries can be comfort food, guilty pleasures, breakfast, or dessert, and now in the new production of Cyrano de Bergerac, these sweet multi-taskers fill the role of props. This is as real as it gets when it comes to eye candy, as thousands of authentic French pastries from Toni Patisserie and Cafe take the stage as integral parts of the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s season opener. It’s the quintessential combination of culinary arts meets theatrical arts, taking place now through November 10.

French pastries made by pastry chef Toni Cox play a supporting role in the French play, lending a unique sense of realism to the production. The baked goods are vital for “Ragueneau, the Pastry Chef,” who stocks his pastry shop with Cox’s wares. Made fresh daily at her patisserie, Cox supplies the theatre with a variety of goods, including French meringues, macarons, and almond tarts made with baked almond cream and raspberry preserves. On this unique collaboration, Cox says the opportunity was a good fit for her French-inspired patisserie to partner with a French-inspired play. “It’s our brand and it’s a great connection,” she says. “It’s a fun play and we love to make that connection for our guests.” By supplying pastries for the production and having actors actually eat them on stage, she refers to it as a “taste of reality,” bringing a sense of sweet authenticity to the show.

Toni Patisserie and Cafe
Website
65 E .Washington Street, Chicago
(312) 726-2020
51 S Washington Street, Hinsdale
(630) 789-2020