It must be the holiday season in San Francisco -- the New Pickle Circus has returned. From Dec. 10-Jan. 3, 1999, Diane Wasnak and Jeff Raz (better known as their clown alter egos, Pino and Razz) bring Russian performers, Chinese acrobats, San Francisco Mime Troupe's Amos Glick and the Pickle Jazz Band back to the Cowell Theatre. Step Right Up! officially opens Dec. 16.

Directed by Tandy Beal, the New Pickle Circus is a one-ring, animal-free circus along the lines of Cirque du Soleil, where traditional circus acts are accompanied by live music, drama, dance and humor.

This year, Yuri and Svetlana Gololabova will thrill with their balancing act, teeterboarding and acrobatic clowning while six Chinese acrobats including Weng Xiao Hong, Guangyi Cai, Chun-Yan Hou, Zheng Bo, Cao Liang and Chen Feng Shun will present pole and hoop tricks, chair balancing, knife juggling and Chinese clown skits. Amos Glick, who trained at the San Francisco School of Circus Arts, has performed with the San Francisco Mime Troupe as well as with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival in A Midsummer Nights Dream and Twelfth Night.

After the San Francisco run, the New Pickle Circus will travel to Mountain View, Rohnert Park and Watsonville.

For tickets ($24-$11) to Step Right Up!, call 415-441-3687. The Cowell Theatre is located at the Fort Mason Center on Marina Blvd. -- By Christine Ehren