ENNIO: THE LIVING PAPER CARTOON Comes to Club Fugazi in January

The art of living origami meets hilarious theatre magic when Club Fugazi presents Ennio: The Living Paper Cartoon, co-produced by Club Fugazi Experiences, Glynis Henderson Productions, and Jonathan Reinis Productions, making its triumphant return to San Francisco after an 11-year absence, with a limited engagement, January 10 through February 5, 2023.

In only 70 minutes original quick-change artist Ennio Marchetto miraculously morphs into parodies of 60 popular characters from the world of music, movies, works of art, and world leaders - from the Mona Lisa to Marilyn Monroe, Adele, Freddie Mercury, Beyoncé, Lizzo, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Diana Ross, Maria Callas, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Justin Bieber, Dolly Parton, Eminem, Bono, James Bond, and many more, using wildly inventive paper costumes.

Ennio: The Living Paper Cartoon will be presented January 10 - February 5, 2023 at Club Fugazi, 678 Green St, San Francisco. For more information or to purchase tickets ($35 - $69), the public can visit clubfugazisf.com or call (415) 273-0600. Club Fugazi's current hit production of The 7 Fingers' Dear San Francisco will take a hiatus, returning February 14, 2023.

Ennio has been hailed by The New York Times as "An absolute hoot" and praised by Time Out London as "A sustained hour of heaven from an entertainer touched by genius." The production received kudos from local critics, earning the highest rating (Leaping Man) from the San Francisco Chronicle, which lauded the show with praise such as"It isn't just the number or bewildering variety of characters that Italian super-mime Ennio Marchetto impersonates that make his solo show Ennio so entertaining. Nor is it the astonishing skill he demonstrates in the course of a hilarity-packed hour. What makes Ennio such a unique delight is the way one routine unfolds from another," and further declared "Ennio plays like a one-man Beach Blanket Babylon!"

It wasn't until cabaret artist/comedian/actor Ennio Marchetto met his collaborative partner Sosthen Hennekam, a fashion and costume designer from Holland, that Ennio: The Living Paper Cartoon was born. After a wildly successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1990, Ennio became an instant cult hit, booking multiple sell-out tours throughout the United Kingdom, a run in London's West End, and appearances at some of the greatest festivals around the world. For his Off-Broadway run in 1999, Ennio was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. His production came to San Francisco's Theatre on the Square in 2000, produced by Jonathan Reinis, where it enjoyed a sold-out, held-over, four-month engagement. It returned to play the Napa Valley Opera House in 2003 and was presented on three separate occasions at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, most recently in 2008. The San Francisco Examiner described the work as "An immensely entertaining, pleasurable, playful evening. A dream of a show." Ennio: The Living Paper Cartoon has now been performed in over 70 countries worldwide - from Singapore to China, South Africa, Colombia, the Netherlands, and the United States, among others. In its Los Angeles run, Variety joined the enthusiastic critics, reporting that Ennio "has the audience rolling in the aisles. Clever and inspired silliness," while the Beverly Hills Courier called the work "amazing, inventive and truly out of the ordinary. You must see it." Wrote the Los Angeles Times, "Watching Ennio transform himself into a gallery of celebrities, objects, and historical icons is like being transported to an alternate reality where all things are possible."

Club Fugazi is located in the heart of San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood and was home to the long-running Beach Blanket Babylon. The beautiful Italianate jewel-box theatre offers audiences a menu of cicchetti (small plates) sourced from local purveyors, and a wine and beer selection designed to complement the Club's Italian roots. In 2021, the theatre became home to the hit production Dear San Francisco, created by The 7 Fingers, one of the world's leading contemporary circus arts companies. That show continues to play to enthusiastic audiences, and will take a hiatus in January, returning on February 14, 2023 to resume its run.

To post a comment, you must register and login.