Mad for Madonna : Dan Gore calls his ‘Blonde Exhibition’ impersonation show an affectionate tribute to the celebrity entertainer.

A car turning off Glenoaks Boulevard rolls to a stop while the driver stares through the open door of a dance studio. Maybe he’s suffering from MTV-induced hallucinations. Maybe he’s having a “Truth or Dare” flashback. But that sure does look like Madonna.

The driver grins at his passenger and speeds off.

Inside the studio, Madonna impersonator Lisa Welch and the dancers don’t even notice, and continue their “Express Yourself” routine. Outside the studio, creator-producer-director Dan Gore smiles. The driver’s response is just what Gore’s after.

For the last two years, Gore’s full-time vocation has been keeping up with Madonna--her every video, her every TV appearance, her every look. The effort culminates in “The Blonde Exhibition” on Saturday night at the Alex Theatre in Glendale.

This is no parody. And please restrain your impulse to mention Beatlemania. (“How many different looks did the Beatles have?” Gore quips.) “The Blonde Exhibition” is a tribute, conceived and executed out of an unadulterated love for Madonna.

“She’s an entertainer. People focus so hard on her stands and positions on certain things, they forget that,” Gore says. “She may not be the greatest singer. She may not be the greatest dancer. But to me, she’s the greatest entertainer.”

It takes four impersonators--two men and two women--and 10 dancers to recreate the 23 performances in “The Blonde Exhibition.” The costumes and choreography have been copied from music videos, concert footage and televised award-show acts. Selecting impersonators to do certain songs is up to Gore. Welch does the most athletic dancing numbers, many from the “Blond Ambition” tour. Lynda Mendoza does the Material Girl- and Boy Toy-era songs. Cesar Rivas does the sensual “Bedtime Story.” Julian Viva concentrates on Madonna’s dramatic music video performances, such as “Rain” and “Take a Bow.”

The costumes and wigs lined up against the wall indicate the lengths to which Gore and his cast have gone for the sake of authenticity. There are the infamous “Like a Virgin” cone-shaped bras. There’s the long, black “Like a Prayer” clerical robe. There are two different blond, curled wigs: one is tight, to replicate how Madonna looks at the opening of a concert; the other is looser, the way she looks after two hours of performing.

Celebrity-impersonation is familiar turf to Gore, 26, who played George Michael in shows for five years. Concert re-enactment is big business, especially in parts of Asia where pop music stars never tour. Gore says he performed for crowds of up to 18,000 who were desperate to see their favorite singers.

“The Blonde Exhibition” certainly could do a successful run in Asia, Gore says, but he’d first like to see the show tour the United States. Over the summer he hopes to stage it in New York, Chicago and Madonna’s hometown, Detroit.

Gore, clearly, is a little hung up on Madonna. He talks about how she has inspired him, and how people connect to her. But he’s not the biggest Madonna fan in the whole wide world. He’s not even the biggest fan in the dance studio.

Because on the other side of the room is Cesar Rivas.

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Rivas, 22, prides himself on being able to re-create--with the help of his brother Ramiro, a makeup artist-- every Madonna look from “Borderline” to “Bedtime Story.” When Madonna appeared in a long, beaded dress during the British Music Awards on a Tuesday last February, Rivas (drag name Shadonna) did the same in his show at Ozz, a club in Buena Park, the following Sunday.

Madonna’s voice is on his answering machine. He carries a mini photo album with 100 pictures of himself emulating his favorite entertainer. He wears the same red-black nail polish. He worries that there’s no fan to blow his long, blond wig properly when he lip-syncs at rehearsal.

True Madonna fans, Rivas says, would notice the difference from the music video he’s imitating.

Rivas has been playing Madonna professionally since age 17. Perfecting the role takes a lot of practice--and a lot of cosmetics. “You paint somebody’s face on someone else’s face. Without this makeup I look completely different,” he says.

Despite the unequivocal adoration of Madonna, there’s a little . . . dare we say it . . . resentment hovering around the studio. Seems The Blonde One isn’t touring to promote “Bedtime Stories.” And, she skipped Los Angeles during her last concert tour. As a result, “The Girlie Show” is not mentioned without its moniker: “The one where she didn’t come here.”

For those craving a Madonna fix, “The Blonde Exhibition” may be the next best thing. More intimate than any Madonna concert venue, the 1,500-seat Alex Theatre makes those naughty crotch-grabs up close and personal.

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WHERE AND WHEN

What: “The Blonde Exhibition.”

Location: The Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale.

Hours: 8:30 p.m. Saturday only.

Price: $19.50, $24.50, $28.50.

Call: (800) 233-3123.