Magicians group honors local duo

Siegfried Fischbacher, left, and Roy Horn hold their International Magicians Society awards at a ceremony at The Mirage Tuesday.
Photo by K.M. Cannon.

      After 40 years and thousands of performances, Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn were presented Tuesday with a special gift from their peers.
      Known to millions as illusionists Siegfried and Roy, the two were named "Magicians of the Century" by the International Magicians Society.
      Tony Hassini, chairman and CEO of the society, said the award represents the best of the magician's craft.
      "It is truly a very prestigious award for both of them," he said.
      Statuettes from the International Magicians Society, a group of more than 20,000 professional and amateur magicians, were presented to the performers at The Mirage.
      The duo credited the vision of Mirage Resorts Chairman Steve Wynn, their management team and the millions of people who have seen their act from the days of their first headliner show, "Beyond Belief," at the Frontier nearly 20 years ago.
      "In my 27 years with this company, nothing has come close to watching them execute and perform this show night after night. These two guys are, night after night, beyond belief," Wynn said, referring to the name of the show the performers brought to the Frontier after performing as a specialty act in "Lido de Paris," "Hallelujah Hollywood" and "Folies Bergere."
      Siegfried and Roy moved their act to The Mirage, opening as "Siegfried & Roy" in 1990. At a cost of about $30 million, the show was at the time one of the most expensive productions ever brought to a Strip property.
      "They took the audience to another place because of their ability to perform," Wynn said.
      Roy, the animal trainer who teamed with Siegfried, the magician, after they met on a cruise ship, said the award is a special honor.
      "Siegfried and I are just two ordinary people who live extraordinary lives," he said. "Being (given) this award by your peers is something that touches us very deeply. I am very fortunate to be with Siegfried and the four-legged family we have today."
      Siegfried was equally grateful.
      "Forty years with Roy -- I deserve an award for that," Siegfried said as the crowd erupted with laughter. "We made a bargain with the audience that we will all believe in magic and we will all share our dreams together. We never thought about money. We always wanted to give our audience wonderment and magic."
      The success of the show has spawned an effort by the pair to preserve and raise rare white tigers and lions on their Las Vegas compound. The animals are featured prominently in the duo's shows.
      Since the pair began at The Mirage, 27 white tigers have been born as part of the preservation efforts.
      Mirage officials said every performance of "Siegfried & Roy" since the first one in February 1990 has been sold out.
      The show is presented at 7:30 and 11 p.m. Fridays through Tuesdays in the Siegfried & Roy Theatre.