It can be done - Noonan says it's possible, although he admits he hasn't tried it. Perkins is way into it though.
You have to adopt a more "theater of the mind" approach, though. It will probably go something like this:
Player: Am I close enough to fight any of the orcs?
DM: You're close to the clean-shaven orc, and the babyfaced orc and the female orc are on the other side of the room.
Player: I attack the orc with the flowing, Zeus-like beard.
DM: The orc closest to you is clean-shaven.
Player: OK, I attack the orc with the well-manicured Van Dyke and curled moustachios.
DM: None of the orcs have beards.
Player: Then how come all of the minis are Sages?
If you trust your DM enough, it CAN be done; it just takes a little extra work.