Cloning around

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Have you ever wondered where the saying "roll out the red carpet" came from? It started in 1907 with the beautiful young actress Lily Langtry. She asked the theater manager to lay a carpet from her dressing room to the stage to keep the hems of her dress clean. The carpet happened to be red.

From then on, managers had their hands full with temperamental stars who wouldn’t leave their dressing rooms without this tribute to theatrical royalty.

Today, Lily Langtry’s Restaurant and Showplace in King of Prussia still rolls out the red carpet for its patrons. Since 1981, the venue has showcased exciting Las Vegas-style productions. The beautiful restaurant/theater features 30-foot-high garden skylights and decor depicting San Francisco at the turn of the century.

The dining area is meticulously clean and every table has a good sight line of the stage. The audience area is roomy but not too large, and you have no trouble seeing the expressions on the performers’ faces.

There are eight tiers of table seating in this Victorian-styled showroom. There is seating for 500 guests in a plush, dining-room style setting, with tables for two to more than 20, including intimate booths and loveseats. Marble-topped tables and tapestry chairs are featured in the main bar area. Judge Roy Bean’s Bar is an elegant lounge in one of the balconies featuring antique chairs, a loveseat and fireplace. The main entrance features a beautiful staircase lined with ornate antique-framed artwork, glittering chandeliers and gleaming brass rails.

Lily Langtry’s recent changes include an impressive wraparound sound system, intellibeam and roboscan lighting and an expanded stage area. The musical numbers sometimes take on the spectacle of a high-tech rock concert with controlled vari-lites. These multicolored, multi-directional lights create wonderful effects, like sunlight streaking through fog.

Adding a big splash to this summer’s entertainment is the new Stars in Concert show, "Showstoppers." This 90-minute, fast-moving song-and-dance extravaganza pays tribute to the mega-superstars of yesterday and today, and features convincing lookalikes of Michael Jackson, Robin Williams, Linda Ronstadt, Jennifer Lopez and Louis Armstrong.

Lily Langtry’s showgirls join the impersonators onstage with dazzling new dance routines. When you add glittering costumes to those scintillating routines, you come up with an eye-catching evening of music and comedy. There is no lip-synching in this show — all the talented performers use their own voices.

Robin Williams impersonator Michael Clayton looks, sounds and acts like Williams. Clayton has won major lookalike contests and is commonly mistaken for Williams, even by people who have worked with the star. The impersonator’s warm and charismatic performance easily connects with people and his song, Never Had A Friend Like Me, from the movie Aladdin, is loaded with that Williams charm. Joining Clayton on stage is Vince Salazar as the explosive John Belushi. Together, they do a knockout routine called "Shout."

Bill White gives a rousing tribute to one of America’s great musical legends, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong. Called the Ambassador of Goodwill, "Satchmo" toured the world, bringing his uplifting Dixieland jazz melodies to millions.

From Bourbon Street to Broadway, White plays the horn like Louis, sounds like Louis and delivers the nuances that made him a musical legend. You’ll find Mr. White’s musical talents to be a darn good expression of Dixie jazz, Broadway and Tin Pan Alley.

Frederick Henry is a thriller, bad and even dangerous! He has been impersonating Michael Jackson since 1988. This dedicated entertainer has the costumes, choreography and voice of "The King of Pop."

Before arriving at Lily’s Showplace stage, Henry had moonwalked across the Stratosphere Stage in Vegas and The Flamingo Hilton in Reno. His lifelike impersonation of the gloved one has been welcomed in Germany, Singapore, Korea, Mexico, Canada and Japan.

Jennifer Joseph does some dazzling work impersonating both Linda Ronstadt and Jennifer Lopez with sounds of yesterday — Heat Wave — and today — Jenny From the Block.

Joseph cuts an eye-catching figure on stage. In 1995, she held the titles of Miss Las Vegas and Miss Nevada and also won the talent award in the ’95 Miss America Pageant.

Showstoppers at Lily Langtry’s Restaurant and Showplace
Radisson at Valley Forge
1160 First Ave.
King of Prussia
Matinee and evening shows Tuesday through Sunday
Reservations: 877-783-LILY