Doing a double take

Danette Goulet

It was a star-studded day at the Orange County Marketplace Sunday -- or

so it seemed at first glance.

Celebrity look-alikes prowled the fairgrounds Sunday looking for a

someone who could pass for Regis Philbin. Since the new game show, “Who

Wants to Be a Millionaire?” became a hit there is a great demand for

Regis look-alikes, said Marsi Roberson, producer and co-owner of Animal

Crackers Entertainment. Animal Crackers of Lake forest brings in the

bands that perform at the marketplace each weekend.

This weekend, they offered $100 cash and $1,000 worth of bookings for the

best “Regis.”

Unfortunately only a local Rod Stewart, Riccardo Ruggiero, put in an

appearance.

“I got in touch with these people because I wanted to have some fun,”

Ruggiero said.

The 56-year-old Costa Mesa resident said people have stopped him all his

life to ask if he was Rod Stewart.

The lack of Regises was not a loss for those shopping at the swap meet,

however, since the entertainment company brought examples of other

look-alikes to amaze onlookers.

Cher did a number with the Overland Band, while Drew Carey impersonator

Dean Combs danced with Barbara Hyde who bears an uncanny resemblance to

his nemesis Mimi, from the Drew Carey Show.