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He’s simply loaded with personalities and really
knows how to work a crowd – starting with the one that
exists in his own body.
That’s why when it comes to the forces behind his great
success and fame, one acclaimed impersonator gives a lot of
credit to the Little people. Yes, that would be all 200 of
them that get him right where he lives.
After all, they are the voices in his head that for more than
40 years have driven Rich Little to put your money where his
mouth is. And, where lips are concerned, the road to Rich’s
has always been through his innate ability to make a really
good impression and not being afraid to be judged by the company
he keeps, which includes a couple hundred famous personas.
“I still get as much of a kick out of performing as
ever,” Little, who will be bringing his show to the
Golden Nugget October 26-December 2 and December 27-30 claims.
“I love to get up in front of an audience and I just
love to write material. It’s a challenge to make it
funny and interesting. The main thing is to do things that
are topical. For example, I do Dick Cheney, so I can do stupid
hunting jokes. One of the newest voices I do is Dr. Phil so
I can do a lot of jokes about psychiatry and problems. I get
the daily news and I try to incorporate it into my act so
that I can keep current. It’s harder to do impressions
today because there are no people with distinctive voices
like there used to be. Movie stars, in particular, are very
bland.”
In his 90-minute show, Little will do about 40 personas, including
the ones he has become known for such as Johnny Carson, Ronald
Reagan, George W. Bush, Jack Nicholson, Andy Rooney, Paul
Lynde and George Burns. He also does a few impressions of
women, including Carol Channing, Jean Stapleton and Katherine
Hepburn. He first made his mark in the mid-60’s, becoming
known for his versatility in doing more voices – movie
stars, politicians and singers, not just one genre –
than any other impersonator. He also did them in rapid fire
succession “without turning around and fixing his hair,”
which had never been done before.
While he will often mimic a celebrity’s notable facial
expressions, Little doesn’t use props, mainly because
they are a “hassle,” asking rhetorically, ‘What
do you do while you’re putting them on?” But he
does picture each person he is emulating in his head and actually
feels like that person for that moment.
“Sometimes after my show, if I’m really into Johnny
Carson, I’ll go to my dressing room and immediately
make out an alimony check,” Little quips.
Interestingly, the entertainer says that he judges his impressions
by another unique talent he possesses – being able to
hear the true sound of his voice as he is speaking or singing,
which he says most people cannot do. He admits that he is
always analyzing and critiquing his performance and that some
nights, some impressions are better than they are on other
nights.
“With any impersonator you see, you won’t walk
out saying that every voice he did was right on,” Little
candidly admits. “No such person exists. The difference
between my being right-on or not can be due to concentration,
the PA system, attitude – my approach may be wrong or
I’m simply not into it -- things like that. In general,
it can take me two hours, two years, or never to get someone
down. Even after all this time, I’m still not that happy
with my Sinatra impression. He’s one of the hardest
to do and if I can nail it, it’s very rewarding.”
Little’s illustrious career is the subject of a book
published last year – one he had been writing for the
last 10 years – called “People I’ve Known
and Been.” It is filled with stories of notables he
has emulated and met, many of whom have come to his shows.
“Senator Hubert Humphrey used to come see me at the
Sands a lot,” he recounts. “He used to think that
because I knew he was there, I changed my act and went easy
on him, which I didn’t. So one night he put on a disguise
– a mustache and a hat – and came in. But the
Maitre ‘D recognized him and called me.”
Little also has a DVD out called “Will the Real Rich
Little Please Stand Up?,” which was filmed at the Suncoast,
and is being put into the pay-per-view lineup in 330,000 hotel
rooms across the country. (“I don’t do too much
TV anymore because the networks are run by 20-somethings and
they think I’m Little Richard,” he cajoles). With
that, the book, a new house and a happy marriage to his wife,
Marie, Little says that it has been a good ride but that this
is the best time of his life.
“To make people laugh is a blessing,” he sums
up. “Probably on my tombstone it will say, “Do
you REALLY know who lies here?”
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ADDITIONAL
ARTICLES
BY
BOBBIE KATZ
HERE |
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In
Good Company
