 Live
In Las Vegas
Shocking
television viewers across the country with a standing ovation on
the season premiere of NBC’s reality show, America’s
Got Talent, Derrick Barry has
made a name for himself as the sexy Britney Spears impersonator
who imitates Britney to such a perfection, he left judge David Hasselhoff
questioning his sexuality.
Born
and raised in Modesto, California, Barry has been a performer all
his life. Barry showcased his acting abilities
in over 30 productions from junior high to college, and found that
musicals were his favorite because he loved the idea of singing,
acting, and dancing all in one.
At the age of 19, Barry moved to Hollywood to further his passion,
but instead he found out something unexpected on Halloween night.
“I was walking down Santa Monica Boulevard with some of my
friends dressed as Britney Spears and people were stopping to take
pictures with me,” Barry recalls. “The energy and positive
feedback I received was amazing. I realized there was potential
in doing this for a living.”
 Two
weeks later, Barry got the confirmation he needed. During a taping
of the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Barry dressed as Britney
Spears for a second time, and went to see the real Britney as a
musical guest. As the camera panned to Barry in the audience, Spears
joked that she might date Barry because “he’s really
into himself,” but
Leno quickly replied, “I don’t think he’s into
himself. I think he’s into you.”
“This
was truly one of the most exciting days in my career,” said
Barry. “If I can have the approval and acknowledgement of
Britney Spears, I can feel confident going anywhere from here.”
That
same night, Barry unknowingly auditioned for his first paid gig
by dancing on the
catwalk at a Los Angeles night club, singing “Oops, I Did
it Again.” Although he was underage at the time, they asked
him to perform every other Tuesday for college night. Six months
later, Barry auditioned for, and landed, the job at the Riviera
in An Evening at La Cage.
 “La
Cage is something that came my way and I was just lucky enough to
be cast in a show with performers from all around the world and
country,” states Barry. “I know 100 percent that I wouldn’t
be as confident as a performer if I didn’t have this experience.”
Barry has never had an agent, which was good when it came to auditioning
in March for America’s Got Talent. For now, Barry can’t
talk about the details of the reality show, but he can talk about
the reaction he gets when dressed as Britney.
“That’s
the fun in it,” jokes Barry. “The last thing people
expect to see is Britney as a man. Anytime I can have someone at
a loss for words that’s when I feel I did a job well done.”
And
that you have Mr. Barry...or should I say Ms. Spears! Derrick can
be seen at The Riviera Hotel and Casino in An Evening at La Cage,
Wednesday through Monday at 7:30 PM. An exciting recreation of its
famous namesakes in New York and Los Angeles, La Cage features the
most accomplished female impersonators in the world, highlighted
by Frank Marino as a memorable Joan Rivers. For more information,
please call 702-794-9433 or visit www.rivierahotel.com.
-Jordana
Anderson
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