There are close to sixty characters included, which means sixty costumes, and in some cases, several copies for select ones, as a paper costume gets torn apart or torn up, especially when Ennio lets loose. Take Liza Minnelli, for example. He dresses - literally creates the major portion of her costume - in front of the audience using a long sheet of red crepe-like paper and making it into a cape. By the end of "New York, New York", he shreds it, and throws pieces of it to the audience like confetti.
He doesn't sing the songs nor does he lip sync; it's a soundtrack with the original artists singing. So what does Ennio add? Everything! He contorts his expressive face and moves his fluid body in a variety of ways - some controversial and almost obscene - but acceptable, as he lovingly flaunts the look of the celebrity to the strains of the background music. There's, of course, Marilyn Monroe, his very first paper creation...and then there are Dolly, Cher, Barbra, Celine and Gene Kelly ... and even Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. There are political figures too, like the Queen, athletes like a sumo wrestler, animals like Dorothy's Toto and even a living painting of the Mona Lisa. Many of Ennio's costumes are back-to-back or two-in-one, as he will start out, for example, as a whole church choir, unraveling it into Elvis, or a belly dancer turns into not one, not two, but three Supremes.
Astonishing, and if you've never seen this show, you must run to buy tickets! Pasadena Playhouse. Through August 28 only, this Sunday! Ennio. Performance artist extraordinaire; there is no one else on the planet comparable to Ennio Marchetto.
On a purely topical note, there's also something special to be said about Ennio's transformations. Like from priest to rock singer - religion or politics to rock or rap: Ennio's a cartoon of the changing face of the entire human race, and he nails them all
- brilliantly!
