Tuesday, July 8, 1997 | 11:21 a.m.
OLD FASHIONED bump-and-grind thrived in Hong Kong only a few minutes before the transition to Chinese sovereignty.
As thousands of Chinese troops stood in formation throughout the city, a Las Vegas review entertained 500 of Hong Kong's elite in the Furama Hotel.
And which Las Vegas act was chosen by Hong Kong officials to provide a little Western entertainment to dignitaries in the final moments of 156 years of British colonial rule?
If you're thinking Siegfried and Roy, "Mystere," "Splash," or "Jubilee," then think again.
Hong Kong passed on all the city's major reviews and finally settled on a compact act played out nightly before an audience of fewer than 200 in San Remo's Parisian Cabaret.
"Showgirls of Magic" is exactly that -- a quartet of skimpily-clad showgirls who delight small audiences with their smiles, dance and magic tracks.
And if it plays in the Parisian -- then why not Hong Kong?
So, just a few days before the takeover, the "Showgirls" cast was flown to the Far East, courtesy of a group of Chinese businessmen led by Henry Teng.
"It was a wonderful experience," showgirl Cheryl Murphy said as fellow performers Hope Keen, Julie Northrup and Angela Drake nodded in agreement.
"The best thing about it," said Murphy, who stands at 5 feet 6 inches tall, "was that we all felt tall in Hong Kong."
Well, everyone but Antonio Hoyos, who stands 2 feet 5 inches tall, and who plays "The Great Antoine" in the nightly show.
"Actually, I felt as though I fit right in," Antoine said with a big smile.
Other cast members who made the trip included drummer Jimmy Racy, formerly of the Dummkopffs; Hugo LaTorre and Jorge Dipaola who are the Los Latin Cowboys; and Steve Daly, who at 450 pounds is arguably the largest female impersonator in the world.
During the trip, cast members kept kidding Daley that he was without question the biggest star in the history of Hong Kong.
"I had a great time," Daley said. "But there were some disappointments. I had heard that in Hong Kong, you could get a tailor-made suit for $100, but when I mentioned that price, the tailor grabbed me at the mid-section, and started shaking his head."
Still, all the "Showgirls" cast had a marvelous time.
"There's a lot of humor in the show, and the audience related to that," Racy said. "Everybody likes to laugh."
Drake said she believes it was the magic tricks that captured the attention of the Hong Kong dignitaries.
After all, not every show features showgirls who make each other disappear.
"The Chinese people really like magic," Drake said. "In their eyes, I think that's what makes the show."
Of course, it doesn't hurt when the magician is wearing three-inch spiked heels, a skimpy two-piece outfit, jeweled neck collar -- and not much else.
But Daley -- whose nickname is "Tiny Bubbles" -- wore a full-length white gown completed with feathered boas when he and "The Great Antoine" played a very small Sonny and a very big Cher doing "I Got You Babe."
And thank goodness for that.
Had Daley had taken his clothing off, the troops might have moved in right then and there.
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