Rich Little returning to Las Vegas stage

TORONTO — Canadian impressionist Rich Little has signed on for a summer of shows in Las Vegas.

The 76-year-old Ottawa native will kick off a five-week run of Rich Little Live at the Tropicana Laugh Factory on July 14.

The one-man show about his life features more than 30 characters and includes archival video clips.

It comes ahead of a book, Little by Little: Celebrities I’ve Known and Been, due out later this year.

Little boasts a repertoire of more than 200 voices — with an emphasis on dead celebrities and politicians like John Wayne, George Burns, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

Little, who became an American citizen in 2010, is a regular entertainer in Las Vegas, where he lives with his fourth wife Catherine Brown.

He received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 1998 and the neonatal intensive care unit at the Ottawa Civic Hospital bears Little’s name.

He isn’t the only Canadian-bred talent on the Vegas strip. Burnaby, B.C. magician Murray Sawchuck and Grimshaw, Alberta hypnotist Marc Savard both have shows at Planet Hollywood.

Quebec’s Martin Fontaine wrapped up a stint as Elvis Presley at the Westgate late last month and singing impressionist Véronic Dicaire completed a run at Bally’s just last week.

Céline Dion is scheduled to return to Caesars Palace in August.

Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil currently has eight different shows in Las Vegas.