The implosion gods seemed to mock Rick Thomas last year.

After eight years of building a solid afternoon business at the Tropicana, the magician decided to jump ship to the Stardust rather than wait for news about the Tropicana's uncertain future.

Well, wouldn't you know? It was the Stardust that got fast-tracked for implosion to make way for Boyd Gaming's $4 billion Echelon Place.

The Tropicana held tight while its parent company went through a bidding war. The incoming owner plans to keep the casino open for a spell.

Another magician, Dirk Arthur, took over Thomas' berth at the Tropicana. He is doing quite well there, so there's no going back.

Thomas doesn't seem to mind, though. He says the 16 months with Boyd Gaming's corporate reach and marketing have made him better-known than in all his years at the Tropicana.

And after last week's closing of the underwhelming "Headlights & Tailpipes," Thomas was handed the Stardust's showroom keys for a third daily performance at 7 p.m.

"I guess it's my theater now," he says. "For as long as they let me have it."

If history had a value on the Strip, Thomas would be claiming a valuable piece of it.

The Stardust is one of the Strip's oldest showrooms with one of the shortest lists of acts, thanks to "Lido de Paris" staying put for 32 years.

If anyone cared about Las Vegas past, the lineage of new-Vegas epics such as Cirque du Soleil's "Ka" could be traced to the Stardust. "Lido" opened with a swimming pool and six hydraulic lifts.

The July 2, 1958 Review-Journal noted: "The four rising stages in front ... can be operated individually or locked together. The stages can bring into view complex stage settings, groups of chorus girls or, when locked together, a complete ice skating rink."

Any nostalgia for the Stardust's entertainment legacy will probably be tied to Don Rickles' shows Sept. 14-16 and Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme on Oct. 26-28. Both acts are age-appropriate for the era being celebrated, even though star policy only came to the showroom in this new century.

But it's cold reality that replaces sentiment on the Strip, and Thomas acknowledges his role as a dependable workhorse. "They know I can hold my counts," despite the slow drain of staff members and regular players.

Summer is a strong season for the family-oriented magic show.

After that? Thomas is cryptic, saying he has "interested parties" elsewhere on the Strip, but wants to be loyal as long as it's workable.

"People are always asking me, 'What are you going to do when the Stardust is imploded?' " he says. His answer: "Make sure I'm not there."

Mike Weatherford's entertainment column appears Thursdays and Sundays. E-mail him at mweatherford@review journal.com.