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Rick Thomas making magic without furry friends

The white tiger era of Las Vegas magic seems to have come to an end, but Rick Thomas had years in Southern Nevada to convince families he can work without the cats.

The lantern-jawed illusionist is back in town for a pre-holiday weekend at the Suncoast, where he debuted his newly tiger-free act earlier this year.

“Tigers were always part of my show, but they never were my show,” Thomas said then of his decision to retire his furry friends to an animal preserve in Arizona.

Most of the big cat illusions can be performed with humans instead. And Thomas is an authoritative presence in his own right with his fast-moving, traditional stage magic.

And if he still needs a point of distinction, he can always tap into his ballroom dancing past to connect on a “Dancing with the Stars” level.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@
reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.

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