Did TV show play trick on magician?

Yes, David Copperfield will perform on "America's Got Talent" next week.

And yes, Las Vegas magician Murray (Sawchuck) was eliminated from the show last week.

But no, Murray doesn't connect the two, even though he agrees with half of a zealous fan's contention that his reversal of fortune seems a bit fishy.

Viewers' votes didn't keep the magician on the show after judges Piers Morgan and Howie Mandel's lukewarm response to Murray vanishing a steam engine.

Analyzing the show on playback, "it's very interesting watching the judges' reactions. Something wasn't right," he says. Murray maintains their delighted reactions to the illusion were at odds with comments that seemed to come after glancing at note cards.

An e-mail campaign from a Melanie Simmons -- who didn't respond to requests to clarify her role -- suggested Copperfield had something to do with it. Murray says any attempt to steer viewer voting was probably more in the interest of rounding out a field of finalists; not having too many magicians or other genres. "David has always been wonderful to me," Murray says.

Copperfield manager Chris Kenner laughs at the notion that he or Copperfield could tell the producers how to run their show. "They wouldn't even let us watch rehearsals when we were there to look at the stage," he says. ...

This weekend, Murray goes to Indianapolis for the first of several dates as the host of live "Pawn Stars" road shows, helmed by local producer Adam Steck. ...

Joey Fatone of 'N Sync fame will host the live version of "The Price is Right" at Bally's Tuesday through Sept. 25. Not sure what this job's appeal is in boy-band circles, but Drew Lachey just hosted last month. ...

"Striptease The Show" joins the fun at the Sahara as an 11 p.m. late show debuting Sept. 28. It features four "headline" dancers -- who usually tour gentlemens clubs with special billing -- including "Rock of Love" winner Taya Parker. It's produced by four partners: Jim and Ann Marie Hayek, owners of Pure Talent Agency, and Alberto and Gabriel Kibrit, owners of Entertainment Massimo. ...

Ariann Black has closed her magic show "Secrets" at the Westin Casuarina, but hopes to be back soon in a larger venue -- a new one built from scratch at a property to be named -- by November.

She says the show's fate became a self-fulfilling prophecy when the Westin took it off the big marquee outside. Audiences dropped to a trickle. Not that it depended that much on walk-up traffic; Black claims rivals used the sign as evidence to tell ticket vendors the show had closed. ...

"Red Light," a sideshow-oriented revue reported in last week's column as bound for the Rio's Crown Theater, is apparently on hold another week or two. ...

Comedian Robert Schimmel's death Friday came on the eve of a three-day weekend, which might explain why it was spottily reported. Then again, it may just be the story of Schimmel's career. He had an avid following -- closely connected to Howard Stern's radio show -- and his death hit harder with fans than with a larger public.

But Schimmel's career was closely tied to Las Vegas. He taped a Showtime special -- complete with Wayne Newton cameo! -- at Bally's old Catch A Rising Star club in 1994. He worked the Strip at least once a year through his last stint at the Riviera in January.

A series of summer engagements at the Monte Carlo became symbolic starting in 2001, because they coincided with his diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma the year before. Each return visit celebrated another year's victory over cancer, though a car wreck in Arizona finally did him in. ...

Those who enjoyed the '90s retro-swing revival might remember a band called The New Morty Show. The namesake Morty (Okin) checked in to give me a heads up on his new enterprise: a 14-piece Michael Jackson tribute band called Foreverland. (It was called Neverland before a cease-and-desist letter, which didn't come from "Peter Pan" author J.M. Barrie's estate).

The group, playing "Friday Night Live" at the Trails Park in Summerlin, opts to take the classy road, with four singers and no impersonator.

A Michael show without a Michael? That's like doing an Elvis show without an Elvis. Who would try something like that?

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