[ MAUKA-MAKAI ]
IS ART IMITATING LIFE, or is it the other way around for Garry Moore these days? Moore's skill at portraying legendary rock 'n' roll star Little Richard has kept him working for the past 11 years. It also won him national exposure on Dick Clark's "Your Big Break" television show recently, and it gives him a steady gig as one of the "Stars at Sea" aboard the Navatek I. Moore more than
Little Richard
impersonatorBy John Berger
Star-BulletinMoore makes his film debut this weekend in the A&E Channel docu-comedy "Lost In Las Vegas," playing himself in the story about celebrity impressionists.
The movie follows the adventures of Wayne Catania and Kieran Lafferty, two Canadians whose specialty is portraying the Blues Brothers. The duo hooks up with Moore and other celebrity impressionists.
Performing as Little Richard: GARRY MOORE
Show times: 8:15 to 10:15 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays
Place: Aboard Navatek I
Cost: $29, includes pupus; $52 for show and dinner
Call: 973-1311
Online: http://www.go-atlantis.com
Moore says he had a great time during the filming.
"The producers had a basic idea of what they were going to do, but after they got to Vegas, everything was spur of the moment, and the camera just followed you wherever you went," he says. "They caught me in the bathroom one time. Our dressing room in Las Vegas was really long, and at the end of the dressing room, you got the bathrooms. So I was down there, and I turn around and the camera is looking right at me! They were everywhere!"
Moore hasn't seen the final edit yet but says the previews look good. The raw footage includes scenes of him "out of character," relaxing with friends at home or socializing after work. He also performed as Little Richard in a Vegas church.
"We were sitting in the church, and they asked me to go stand with the singers, and then someone thought it would be neat to have 'Little Richard' give a sermon. They had a basic idea of what they wanted, but it wasn't like we were following a script or acting out (characters) like Rambo or something. We do what we do (professionally), but you also get to see everybody in the show as themselves."
Moore had a good time in Vegas but has lived in Hawaii most of his life and still considers Hawaii home. He has been playing Little Richard on stage since 1990 and was part of the Waikiki cast of "Legends in Concert," which opened in 1993. Moore came home last fall to open "Stars at Sea" aboard the Navatek I with another "Legends" veteran, Aileen Fairbanks, as Madonna. Fairbanks is hot as ever even without the high-tech bells and whistles that were part of the "Legends" production in Waikiki.
Moore was an instant hit as Little Richard, and he owned the crowd last Friday from the moment he appeared in a stylish bright yellow suit, sequined vest and thin mustache. He rocked and rolled convincingly through "Lucille," "Tutti-Frutti," "Good Golly, Miss Molly" and "Long Tall Sally" and carried on in character between songs.
Two hapless women became his unwitting co-stars for a moment by picking the wrong time for a bathroom break. No woman goes to the restroom unescorted when the gallant Little Richard is in the house, and Moore followed the women to their destination before resuming the scheduled show. It seemed like something the original "Georgia Peach" would have done.
Moore says he still gets a kick out of playing the legendary star, but he leaves the character in his dressing room. He has met celebrity impersonators for whom playing a star becomes a 24/7 occupation.
"It's weird. They think they're the person -- 'He channels through me!' -- Get the hell outta here!" Moore says with a laugh.
A University of Hawaii graduate with a degree in communications, he has a natural resemblance to Little Richard, but when he has a chance to perform as singer/actor Garry Moore, he enjoys jazz standards and songs popularized by Tom Jones and Rod Stewart, among others.
Moore is also adding to his repertoire of characters. His show-closing segment as Sammy Davis Jr. shows his skill as an impressionist. Moore offstage does not look much like Davis; his features are broader, and he is both taller and stockier than Davis was. But when he takes the stage, he does a remarkable job re-creating a sense of Davis' style.
"I've been doing Little Richard for over 10 years, so that's kind of second nature. ... A lot of my friends, and my peers especially, didn't think I could do Sammy, so now it's a complete challenge for me. I admit that I don't probably look like Sammy Davis, but I try to capture as much as I can. I'm probably doing now 10 or 20 percent of what he did -- Sammy was a dancer and a musician, and he did everything -- but I've been adding to it, and the offers are coming in."
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