Reel awards to honor the best fake celebrities

By Jerry Fink (contact)

Monday, May 21, 2007 | 7:57 a.m.

What: 16th Annual Reel Awards

When: 6:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Imperial Palace

Tickets: $39.95 to $49.95; 731-3311

The celebrities are fake, but the awards are real.

After 15 years of honoring the best of the best in an industry that prides itself in fooling the public, the Reel Awards ceremonies are moving to Las Vegas.

No foolin'.

The 16th annual event will be held Sunday at the Imperial Palace, home to the granddaddy of all impersonator shows - "Legends in Concert."

The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. in front of the Rock House bar at the Imperial Palace, where fans can take pictures of and with their favorite look-alikes. At about 7 p.m. there will be a walk down the red carpet by faux celebrities.

At 7:30 p.m. the show and awards ceremony begin, hosted by Dee Dee Hanson as Joan Rivers and Bettina Williams as Whoopi Goldberg.

A dozen or so performers will entertain during the ceremony, among them Neil Diamond impersonator Jay White (at the Riviera) and Elvis impersonator Matt Lewis (from "Legends ").

Seventeen awards will be presented in such categories as "Best Actor and Actress," "Best Television Performance" and the "Rising Star Award."

A "Lifetime Achievement Award" will be presented posthumously to Jay Koch who, as Ronald Reagan, played the former president in films, Reagan Library functions and in hundreds of personal appearances since the 1980s.

Sunday's event will be followed Monday by the 7th annual Celebrity Impersonators Convention at the Imperial Palace.

The two events are produced by sisters Janna and Alana Joos, who for almost 20 years have represented celebrity look-alikes.

"As the awards ceremony continued to grow in popularity it was a logical move for us to bring it to Las Vegas," Janna Joos said.

The Joos sisters created International Celebrity Images in 1989 and about a year later created the awards ceremony. Elyse Del Francia created the Celebrity Impersonators Convention at the Imperial Palace six years ago. Joos said last year Francia asked her and her sister to take over the convention as well.

"She was hoping I might think about merging the two events so people could attend both," Joos said.

So, this will be a first - both events in the same location on consecutive days.

Tens of thousands of look-alikes earn a decent income from their features, mostly at corporate events and private parties.

Joos says there are about 50,000 Elvis impersonators around the world. Elvis, Jack Nicholson, Sean Connery, Marilyn Monroe, Cher and Madonna are among the most popular.

"And the Rat Pack has become popular again," she said.

A blast from the past will make an appearance at this year's ceremony - Laurel and Hardy look-alikes.

"They're coming up from Florida," Joos said. "And they're dynamite."