‘La Cage’ star Frank Marino tells all in ‘His Majesty’

Lisa Ferguson

Friday, Jan. 17, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Frank Marino thinks of himself as a jack of all trades.

Ummm, better make that Jacqueline.

In the 10 years the female impersonator has hosted "An Evening at La Cage" at the Riviera, he's mimicked the likenesses of Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Cher and many other divas.

"I've tried everybody, but I've mastered Joan Rivers," Marino says.

Maybe too well. In 1986, the "Can we talk?" comedienne sued Marino for $5 million for being ... well, too convincing.

"Thank God we settled; I was about 80 bucks short," Marino quipped recently during a conversation about his new autobiography, "His Majesty, The Queen."

The lawsuit's in there, along with anecdotes about the man behind the flawless stage makeup and his rise to impersonation fame.

Marino will be signing copies of his book on Sunday at Borders Book Shop, 2323 S. Decatur Blvd., starting at 2 p.m. He'll also appear at Get Booked, 4636 Paradise Road, at midnight.

The drag queen promises, "I'm gonna outdo Dennis Rodman," the Chicago Bulls star who arrived at his own book signing in New York last year dressed as a bride.

Marino says he'll appear as an incarnation of Cleopatra, along with "two big musclemen fanning me."

The last year has been a busy one for Marino, who had to juggle his nightly show duties with writing the book, co-authored by Steve and Cathy Marks.

"I get up at 6 in the morning and I go to bed at 5 in the morning," he says.

An exaggeration, but "It was a lot more work than I had ever anticipated it being.

"I just have the Frank Sinatra complex where I had to do it my way. This way, if it's successful, I can take the credit, and if it fails, I can take the blame."

Originally, the book was to be titled "A Broad in the Riviera," but Marino's publicist gave it a thumb's down. "That was cute for people in Vegas, but ... the title must tell you what it is," Marino says.

Both women and men may find Chapter 1, titled "Let's Face It," helpful: It's filled with Marino's personal makeup tips -- from concealing sideburns to creating the illusion of cleavage with powder.

The hints are in response to the countless beauty and couture queries Marino has received from fans over the years. "I wanted to answer all of their questions in one shot," he says.

Especially the ones about his high-priced wardrobe, which features several Bob Mackie-designed gowns. "I think it's like a fantasy for women ... (who) dream about being in an outfit like that."

Though he's been dubbed 'The Queen of the Strip," the 33-year-old tends to shy away from that distinction.

"I just feel funny saying that," he says. "I refer to myself as The Queen of Everything."