Friday, January 17, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: Norm!

Roast attendees take umbrage with stunt by Penn & Teller

A prank by Penn & Teller at a roast for the Amazing Johnathan offended many of the people in attendence. Magician Lance Burton, however, says the comedy duo have nothing to apologize for. File Photo by John Gurzinski.

A sacrilegious stunt by Penn & Teller that offended some at a major magicians convention was defended Thursday by fellow local headliners.

A group walked out of a roast of Amazing Johnathan on Monday after Teller, dressed as Christ on a full-sized cross, entered the room on a cart. A midget dressed as an angel performed a simulated sex act on the near-naked Teller.

Penn Jillette, in a Roman gladiator costume, unveiled the scene by pulling away a "Shroud of Turin" that covered the cross.

Rick Neiswonger, a longtime magician and local marketing executive, said "the majority" of the 400 who attended the roast were offended.

"They (organizers) warned everybody that something offensive was going to happen, but my God, where do you draw the line? I've seen Friar's Club ... Sam Kinison and Andrew Dice Clay, but this was beyond bad taste."

The roast was part of the four-day World Magic Seminar at the Riviera.

Monte Carlo headliner Lance Burton, a roaster, addressed the controversy during the awards luncheon finale Wednesday that drew about 1,000.

Reached Thursday, Burton said, "I told them, `You were warned ahead of time.' It was a roast; it was held late at night (midnight). I absolutely, positively did not apologize.

"I said Penn & Teller, Siegfried & Roy, Mac King, Amazing Johnathan and I all have different styles. That's good; that's what makes it an art form."

He added, "Penn & Teller are my dear friends and I would take a bullet for them, and you can write that," said Burton.

Amazing Johnathan said he was aware that a number of "gospel magicians" walked out and raised cane.

"This was performance art," said Johnathan, who moves to a new, open-ended run at the Flamingo on Saturday. "I know that Penn is a practicing atheist, and I agree with him that Christianity can be dangerous. Look at the Trade Center. That was done in the name of religion."

Penn & Teller declined comment.

Super Strategy

The main buzz at the Bleu Blanc Rouge VIP party on Wednesday was the National Football League's rejection of Las Vegas TV ads for the Super Bowl.

A lot of folks are stewing about the NFL's hypocritical policy.

Best counterpunch idea I heard came from Ron Futrell, KTNV-TV, Channel 13 sports director.

"The LVCVA (Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority) should sign up the Super Bowl's potential MVPs and when the game's over, instead of him saying `I'm going to Disneyland,' he yells, `I'm going to Las Vegas!' "

The Scene and Heard

When Melinda the First Lady of Magic retired in August, she announced her priority was to start a family. Mission accomplished, I'm told. ...

Look for Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville to open at the Flamingo in December with an impressive list of names for the opening night concert.

Sightings

Siegfried & Roy, at Fellini's in a party of five Wednesday that included the show's "Evil Queen" Lynette Chappell and Darren Romeo.

Skip Martin, formerly of Kool and the Gang, Rich Little, Robin Leach and State Controller Kathy Augustine at the opening of Sevilla, the new Latin restaurant and nightclub at the Aladdin, on Thursday night. Charo, the headliner at Sevilla, opened her show Thursday.

The Punch Line

"Cockroaches and socialites are the only things that can stay up all night and eat anything." -- Herb Caen, San Francisco Chronicle columnist.

Norm Clarke's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can reach him at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.