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Keeping the Magic Alive
By Len Butcher
Magic has always been a major part of the entertainment scene in Las Vegas, and no one has had more success than Lance Burton who is now in his 11th year performing at the Monte Carlo in a theater named for him. I went to see his show the other night, the first time in more than a year, and though it was a weeknight, the place was packed and the show ended with a well-deserved standing O.
You would think that putting on a show almost nightly for more than 10 years would get a little tiring, a little stale, but Burton has been able to keep his show fresh and his enthusiasm high. One of the reasons - and there are many - for the success of the show is that it is one of the few shows in Las Vegas that the whole family can enjoy. Each night he performs, Burton makes it a point to include kids from the audience in his act. Not only do they love it, but the audience does as well. Entertainers of any kind have to have a connection to their audiences, and by Burton making this gesture, he endears himself to every parent sitting in the theater.
Looking back over his run, he had this to say: "The past 11 years seems like it's been a roller coaster ride for my show at the Monte Carlo. Opening night on June 21, 1996, and the 10th anniversary on June, 21, 2006, were two of the most memorable evenings for me. Celebrating the show's opening and the 10th anniversary of the success of my show "Lance Burton: Master Magician" and the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino was a dream come true. I recall hundreds of VIPs, my colleagues in the magic world, my employees, the media and hotel-casino executives on two of the most festive nights of my life. It was also gratifying that my family could be with me.
"During the past 11 of the 25 years that I've been performing in Las Vegas, I've had the opportunity to produce and own five TV specials: On the Road, The Encounter, The Legend Begins, Top Secret and Young Magician's Showcase."
He says the three most unforgettable minutes on stage occurred "when I did The Death Tank for The Encounter before a live audience. It was the most breath-taking and breath-holding escape that I've ever done while submerged in a tank full of water (the size of a telephone booth). I had to get out alive, but the tank was chained and locked shut while I was strapped into a regulation straitjacket. It was such a surreal experience as the audience sat on the edge of their seats.
"One of the neatest things about performing in a top hotel on the Las Vegas Strip was the celebrities who came to my show and I was able to meet. Carl Reiner was filming Ocean's 11 and came in by himself to see the show. Film legend Tony Curtis who played Houdini came to the show and joined me on stage while I did the upside-down straitjacket escape dedicating the Houdini commemorative stamp for the United States Postal Service. Diane Keaton was one of the most recent stars to see the show with her grandchildren.
"I never thought I'd be on America's Most Wanted, but John Walsh invited me to co-host the show. The late Don Knotts was one of my favorites and also had seen me at the Hacienda (where Mandalay Bay now sits). Nicholas Cage, Dana Carvey, Shaquille O'Neal, Criss Angel, Wayne Brady, Pete Rose, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver, Michael Jackson, Bruce Willis, Steve Martin, Hugh Jackman and Hugh O'Brian were some of the famous who took in my magic show."
Along the way he and the show have been named "Best Entertainer," "Best Showroom," "Best Value," "Best Family Show" and "Best Magician" numerous times in the annual Las Vegas Review-Journal's Best of Las Vegas.
"It was gratifying to be so recognized by the media. I also treasure awards from The Shriners, the Variety Club and Optiminists International along with many other charitable organizations. The real reward was giving back."
And that he has, giving his time and talent free of charge to a number of charities in Las Vegas to help raise funds. It won't come as any surprise to anyone who has seen his show, or who knows the man, to see him performing for another 10 years in the same theatre.
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