Italian comedian and London Olivier Award nominee Ennio Marchetto will bring his colorful musical madness to San Francisco's Theatre on the Square, Feb. 15-March 12, officially opening Feb. 16.

Using paper costumes designed by Sosthen Hennekam, Marchetto [pronounced mar-ket'-oh] folds and unfolds himself from one character into the next. With a "human origami" repertoire of 150 plus characters, he introduces 40 in each 70-minute show, morphing such celebs as Fidel Castro into the Pope, Lou Reed into Marge Simpson, Miriam Makeba into a giraffe, and Celine Dion into the RMS Titanic.

Marchetto studied at two classical Italian training schools, Scuola dell'Arte and Teatro dell'Arte. After premiering his show at the Edinburgh Festival, he has traveled with it to Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, Berlin and Barcelona. Co-director Hennekam studied at Studio Bercot in Paris and still designs collections for Thierry Mugler and others.

Ennio: Starring Ennio Marchetto played a well-received engagement at New York City's McGinn/Cazale Theatre March-April 1999. For tickets ($25-$35) and information on the mounting at Theatre on the Square, 450 Post Street in San Francisco, call (415) 433-9500.

-- By David Lefkowitz
and Christine Ehren