You might've seen ads for Ennio's show around the internet (and even right here on Bostonist). We weren't sure what to make of the bright colors and crazy costumes featured in the ads, so we thought we'd check out the show for ourselves. After spending the first few minutes of last night's show in utter bewilderment, we warmed up to Ennio and his odd combination of paper costumes with energetic lip synching.

To call Ennio an impressionist is a little misleading. He doesn't do "impressions" so much as don costumes and sing along with popular songs. The resulting effect varies in its evocation of the figure being imitated. He has Tina Turner down to a science, expertly imitating her lip movements and shuffling dances; for other "impressions," however, the costume is mostly what makes it work.

It took us a while to get over the fact that the costumes are paper, but we ultimately decided it's an odd affectation that makes sense. Ennio's imitations are essentially two-dimensional, as is the audience appreciation of the characters he portrays. We always go to the theatre looking for a little bit of meaning, and the meaning we took away from Ennio is that celebrity and representation are often shallow, temporary, and illusory.

But that's probably getting a little too deep. Most of Ennio's show is just about the silly. From a donkey-riding Dolly Parton costume with enormous breasts (on the Dolly, not the donkey) to a scantily clad belly dancer who wiggles her, eh, endowment, there's emphasis on the scintillating (which is made less so by its status as paper, not flesh). There are other semi-risque moments, as when Ennio turns a Jesus figure into Jim Morrison, or when Dorothy spins Toto's head around, but for the most part the performance is relatively tame.

The main point of the paper costumes seems to be that they allow for interesting and unusual on-stage costume changes--Ennio unfolds Cher's top to make himself into a baby, say, or turns around the baby's bonnet to become Stevie Wonder. He also tends to hide props behind the paper costumes so he can whip out a paintbrush to become Van Gogh, or pull out an absurd number of thermometers while singing "You Give Me Fever." Shadows and lighting made some costumes more interesting--his impression of an overweight opera singer (who turns her dress into a picnic) was accompanied by huge double shadows on either side, furthering the impression of excess.

Perhaps the best part of the show was the group of middle-aged Boston ladies sitting behind us. They were enthralled by the performance, and competed with one another to be the first to identify the person being imitated. "Stevie Wonder!" "Britney Spears!" "Oohhh, CHER! Wow!" During some strange introductory music, one exclaimed, "God only know what this is." They were completely stumped by the Kylie song, but surprised us by eventually figuring out who the wine bottle turned into (hint: she doesn't want to go to rehab). All told, the audience reaction was nearly as entertaining as Ennio's impressions.

If you're interested in watching paper costumes help a man morph into various visages, Ennio's show is for you. Fun for the whole family, Ennio will be at the Huntington through June 1. Go with the fam and celebrate Memorial Day weekend by rejoicing in our ability to memorialize celebrity above all else!