Mimi thanks lucky stars for fitness

Impersonating Madonna is hard work. It takes skill and dedication,fashion sense and rhythm, musicality and just the right amount ofsass.

But most of all, it takes a hard body.

Well known for her ferocious workout regimen and physically taxingstage show, Madonna is among the best-conditioned of today's rockstars. Think about it: Elton John is no lithe specimen, and neitheris his fellow piano duelist Billy Joel. Meat Loaf's still hefty andso is David Crosby. Sure, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera haveyouth and metabolism on their side, but that won't always be thecase. In fact, 19-year-old Britney recently told the Scottish DailyRecord, "There are mornings I wake up and my butt feels fat."

So how does Madonna impersonator Mimi Marks maintain her leanphysique? "I swear to God I do not work out at all," says the 5-foot-9, washboard-abbed blond. "I don't have anything specific that I do.I certainly don't eat right or at the right times."

Marks is quick to note, however, that performers at the Baton,where she does three a shows a night Wednesday through Sunday, mustrepeatedly scamper up and down the stairs between their dressingrooms and the stage. Maybe that's the secret: stair work. Or maybenot.

"I don't know," Marks says. "So far I've been lucky, I guess."

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