VegasChatter

Magicians / Magic Shows / Paul Vigil / King Ink / The Mirage / Freaky Friday / → All Tags

Paul Vigil's Mystery And Magic Still Amazes, Still Free

We’re going to re-introduce you to the finest entertainment deal on the strip. Paul Vigil performs only one hour a week, to a very limited audience and doesn’t charge a dime. It’s free. No ticket, no cover and no hard sell to even buy a drink.

And it’s still the best hour of mystery you’ll see on your trip. Your defenses will be down as there’s nothing to lose. Good. Paul’s already one step ahead of you.

Surprisingly based at The Mirage’s tattoo parlor/lounge King Ink, it’s been over a year since VegasChatter raved about Vigil’s residency. In the meantime, Penn Jillette hailed it as one of his absolute favorite shows of 2011.

There’s a simple premise. A quiet, well dressed deceiver will use familiar props to mess with your mind and confound you badly. It’s not flashy or loud and it's family-friendly. He’ll not embarrass the participants and won’t pander for your applause. Using cards, coins, small props and a local phone book, the concept is to try to read your mind, or counter natural laws of physics and common sense.

more ›

Magic Shows / Tropicana / Rick Thomas / Magicians / Holiday Shows / → All Tags

The Tropicana Will Pull Rick Thomas Out of a Hat Starting December 9

Just a few weeks after we wondered what the heck had happened to magician Rick Thomas's supposed stint at the Riviera, this bit of news lands in our inbox--"RICK THOMAS TO RETURN TO TROPICANA LAS VEGAS FOR A LIMITED HOLIDAY ENGAGEMENT."

Yes, this holiday season you can now give the gift of magic, Rick Thomas-style, at the Tropicana from December 9-31 in the Tropicana Theater. The Magic of Rick Thomas, the show's official name, will go off every day at 4pm with special double shows at 4pm and 7pm from December 26-31st. General admission is $40 plus tax and VIP seating is available for $50. Tickets can be bought directly from the Trop's website.

more ›

Shows / Steve Wyrick / Magic Shows / Magicians / Four Queens / Drag / Impersonators / Divas Las Vegas / Frank Marino / Rat Pack / → All Tags

Two Vegas Shows Making A Comeback. Or Is It One? Or Three?

Over the weekend we spotted a Vegas cab advertising Steve Wyrick's show and figured some ad manager missed the memo, being that his Miracle Mile Show disappeared in 2009. A double take clarified that the ad dollars were in fact well spent, alerting us to his new show at the Las Vegas Hilton. Or is there a new show?

Earlier this week, the Hilton had a page dedicated to Wyrick's new show, Ultra Magician but today that page has done a disappearing act of it's own. The show had already been pushed back at least once due to "scheduling conflicts" and was finally due to open Friday, August 5.

Wyrick still has a $54 million dollar bankruptcy filing pending over the theater that bore his name inside the Miracle Mile. Has the rug been pulled on the show for reasons relating to his financials? Issues with the show itself? Is the Hilton still sorting out its entertainment schedule? Or is this a website glitch? As of today, the Hilton's event calendar doesn't list Wyrick's show or the recently announced Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack that was set to move to the Hilton this week.

A call to the Hilton box office informed us Wyrick is set to debut Friday but will be performing weekly rather than the previously announced nightly schedule.

Steve Wyrick, Ultra Magician, opens August 5:
Where: Las Vegas Hilton Theater
When: 7:30pm nightly Fridays
Price: $21.98 - $137.50
For tickets, call 800-222-5361 or visit LVHilton.com.

UPDATE 8/4: The Hilton website now has a different page up and running for the Wyrick show. That page again indicates nightly performances at 7:30pm beginning August 5. Tix are listed at $39.95 - $125 (plus tax and service charge). We suggest calling if you really want to see the new show.

more ›

Freaky Friday / Closings / Magicians / Magic Shows / Sad Vegas / → All Tags

Is Magic On the Way Out in Vegas?

These people agree that Copperfield’s still got it

We at VegasChatter have absolutely no problem in declaring that we have a thing for magic shows. We love to be astounded, we love to get our little brains churning over how they did it, and we love cursing loudly when David Copperfield magicks a car out of thin air.

But we’re getting worried, because at the moment it seems like the magic shows, they are dying. Lance Burton is going. Siegfried and Roy are officially never coming back. Luke Jermay and Dirk Arthur are both looking for work but, from their silence, not finding much. Steve Wyrick was spotted limping away from Vegas this morning. Even his royal sexiness Copperfield is stuffed away in a grotty theater, when by all sense of what is right in the world, he should be commanding the Strip with his hotness awesome tricks.

more ›

Luke Jermay / Mental / O'Sheas / Mindreading / Magic Shows / → All Tags

End of the 'Mental Goes Free' Saga (Upshot: It's Not Free)

Well we seem to have a definitive answer (for now, at least) on the ‘are there still free tickets to Luke Jermay’s show at O’Sheas’ question. And the answer is no. No there aren’t.

After we asked WTF was going on on Friday, O’Sheas twittered us to say that regular tickets are $44.95, but you can get them from the box office for $20 (including two free drinks). How to get the deal? Either with a coupon (good luck finding one) or, they say, “just mention 'free drinks deal'”.

more ›

Cashing Out / Lance Burton / Monte Carlo / Magic Shows / → All Tags

Lance Burton to Disappear from Monte Carlo on September 4

There was speculation last year at this time that magician Lance Burton was out at Monte Carlo but he magically pulled a six-year contract out of his hat.

But today it was announced that Burton will be out as of September 4. And it appears to be have been a not-so-nice parting. We wonder if he will even make it until September? Are you lining up to buy your last Lance tickets or not? Let us know in comments below.

Here's what else is on in Vegas:
· The Frank Sinatra musical will not be coming to Las Vegas [NY Post]
· Could there be a Wynn Mexico be our future? [HotelChatter]
· Why are there bomb-sniffing drugs at the Luxor? [@VegasBatman]
· If it smells good in town today, it's because The Pizza Convention is on! [SF Chronicle]
· Holly Madison and Benji Madden. Discuss. [LV Sun]

Freaky Friday / Closings / Magicians / Magic Shows / Steve Wyrick / → All Tags

Who Will Take Steve Wyrick's Place?

Anyone know what’s going on with The Space Formerly Known As The Steve Wyrick Theater?

The lights are off, there’s no one home, but the hoardings are still up and the shop still has Wyrick t-shirts racked up forlornly.

We’re taking it as read that Wyrick and his orange tan are gone for good, but we’re wondering who, if anyone, is going to move in there. And, more importantly, will it be a magician? Hope so.

more ›

Snapshot / Freaky Friday / Criss Angel / Believe / Magic Shows / Celebs in Vegas / → All Tags

Venus Williams Makes A Rookie Vegas Mistake: Giving Criss Angel A Chance

Criss Angel has a fan. For real. And not only is she female, but she aint bad looking, and she's pretty important, too. For real.

Venus Williams was in town this week, and, like many other tourists, decided to see a show. Would it be a magic show or a Cirque show? Or maybe a blend of both? Thus it was that she ended up spending Wednesday night watching Believe.

Not only that, but at the end of the show, she was dragged invited backstage to have her picture taken with the looker that is Criss Angel. The mouth may be smiling, folks, but the eyes are screaming “help me”.

Next time, Venus, call us. We'll be happy to suggest alternative entertainment. Like spending the evening as a nightclub toilet attendant could be a start.

Of course, we might take this all back if the soon-to-be-implemented changes make Believe any more bearable. But we're almost certain we won't.

[Photo: Las Vegas Now/Tom Rutan]

Freaky Friday / David Copperfield / VegasChatter Reviews / Magic Shows / MGM Grand / → All Tags

David Copperfield's Still Got It (Despite MGM Grand's Best Efforts)

Like: The Copperfield. Dislike: The Copperfield's environs.

We warned you we were going to do this. After David Copperfield hypnotized us with his silky voice and creepy invitations, we wanted to go see his show. This week, we finally got round to it and hit up the Hollywood Theater at MGM Grand.

We wanted to see the magic, of course, but what we really wanted to know is whether Copperfield’s still got it. Because, although watching him walking through the Great Wall of China is a heowge memory from our childhood, that was several years and several more grey hairs in the past.

more ›

Freaky Friday / Steve Wyrick / Magicians / Magic Shows / → All Tags

The Lights Are On, But Steve Wyrick's Not Home

Sigh. Looks like there’s one less weird thing on the Strip. According to LV Weekly, although the lights are still on, there’s nobody home at the Steve Wyrick Theater in Miracle Mile. Looks like it’s curtains for Wyrick's own show Real Magic.

more ›

Freaky Friday / Video / David Copperfield / Magic Shows / MGM Grand / → All Tags

David Copperfield Hypnotized Us Into Wanting To Go To His Show

You may need to turn the sound up to hear the full extent of the creepiness. Sorry!

So there we were, cruisin’ quietly down the Strip last night when we got caught right in the middle of a magician sandwich. On our right hand side was a truck pulling this David Copperfield ad. On our left, no less than two trucks, one behind the other, each carrying an ad for Lance Burton.

Being inexplicably drawn in by those liquid brown eyes and, um, sparkling white t-shirt, their fight for our gaze was won by Copperfield. But then, a horrid thing happened. Copperfield started talking to us, asking us to come to his “brand new show” at the MGM Grand. Over and over and over again, until we felt a little bit hypnotized. Poor Lance Burton was completely forgotten. Both of him.

more ›

Freaky Friday / Steve Wyrick / Magicians / Magic Shows / → All Tags

Is Steve Wyrick's Disappearing Act for Real?

You’d think magicians’ assistants were more natural teases than the headliners themselves, but illusionist Steve Wyrick is doing a proper line in keeping our interest at the moment. Last week, he seemed to be doing a disappearing act for real when he closed his theatre (the modestly named Steve Wyrick Theater at Miracle Mile) out of the blue and stopped returning calls. Then it got juicy as some of the other entertainers at the theatre sued him for doing a runner without paying them and he still didn't pick up the phone.

But now it appears to be more of a ‘now you see him, now you don’t’ game than a full blown disappearing stunt. Wyrick has posted a statement on his website saying that the closure is merely “temporary” and that it will “reopen and resume full operation by the end of the month.”

more ›