Columnist Joe Delaney: Little has made a big impression on showbiz

Joe Delaney

Friday, March 1, 2002 | 9:10 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at joe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4066.

Rich Little was the first full-time impressionist to succeed in Las Vegas as a main showroom headliner, circa mid-1970s ... What set Little apart from Frank Gorshin and so many others in that era was his presidential press conferences ... His right-on-the-mark singing-star impressions usually were the closer for his concert-type performance.

But it was the presidents -- from Nixon through Ford, Reagan, Carter, Bush, Clinton and George W. Bush -- that is the heart of his performance ... Little has been working on a legit theater production for Broadway that would be based upon his presidential press conferences ... Little actually opened the door for Danny Gans and those who have followed.

Born in Ottawa, the son of a doctor, Little began his career in school doing impressions of his various teachers ... Jimmy Stewart was his first star impression ... This led to jobs in small Ottawa nightclubs while still in his teens ... He often shared the bill with a young singer from that area, Paul Anka ... Little had his first real test as a performer during that period.

When he realized one night he had a non-English speaking audience, he decided to try mannerisms, poses and manner of walking ... He did the walks of Jack Benny, Bob Hope and John Wayne.

In Little's own words: "An impression is what one thinks the person looks and sounds like. It could be an exaggeration or a cartoon effect. I think of an impersonation as more of an exact copy. The art is knowing the speech pattern and mannerisms so you imitate the person in the same way as he is perceived by the audience.

"Each impression is a unique challenge. For instance, it took me seven years to develop my impression of Frank Sinatra; Dr. Ruth Westheimer, an impersonation, took less than seven minutes."

It was the late Mel Torme who saw Little in Canada. Torme was musical director for the Judy Garland television show. Garland did not care for impressionists, but Torme prevailed. Little so impressed her that his appearance was really made even more effective by her on-camera reactions during the telecast.

Little became a regular on "The Ed Sullivan Show," "The Jackie Gleason Show" and all the TV talk-show programs ... In the 1980s at Bally's, Little was featured on a number of HBO specials, "The Great Pretenders" series ... Anka was the special guest on the first in that HBO series.

Other guests included Bob Anderson, Susan Anton, Vic Damone, Johnny Dark, Shecky Greene, Tony Orlando and Debbie Reynolds ... In addition, Little had two other HBO specials, "Robin Hood" and "A Christmas Carol" in which Little was the entire cast, using stars' voices and characters as cast members.

Little's act is always funny and as current as tonight's TV newscast ... He is active in good causes, especially those that deal with children in need ... In the 1980s, with his good friend Sinatra's help, they raised $1 million for a neonatal unit at the Ottawa hospital where Little was born.

The warm performer and audience-friendly confines of the Suncoast showroom are ideal for the artistry, as both an impressionist and an impersonator, of Little ... Make it one of your must-see shows this weekend.

Weekend wrap-up

The Chippendales male dancers are performing in The Scintas' slots through March 14 when The Scintas return, and the Chippendales move to the 10:30 p.m. spot in the Rio's Masquerade Showroom ... The Blue Note Jazz Club is offering two-for-one ticket deals to locals, Mondays through Thursdays only, for a limited period,

Actors Repertory Theatre's "Beguiled Again," the songs of Rodgers and Hart, continues this weekend and next (Summerlin Library Theatre) ... Community College of Southern Nevada presents "La Ronde" this weekend and next, and it's the final weekend for "Master Class" at the LV Little Theatre.

Caryl Churchill's "Top Girls" opens tonight (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) in the Black Box Theatre, playing this weekend and next ... Support good jazz wherever you can find it; call the Nevada Jazz Society ... See you next Thursday.