Magician mum about reasons for ending show

Lance Burton will close his long-running showcase at Monte Carlo on Sept. 4, MGM Mirage officials confirmed today. The magician opened the Victorian-themed theater, designed to his specifications, with the hotel in June 1996.

Burton said the decision to leave was his, though he remains vague when it comes to specific explanations.

"About three weeks ago I had a moment of clarity when it just all became clear to me that I'm not on the same page as the hotel," he said.

Burton likened the decision to "a couple getting divorced. ... You can stay in the marriage for the sake of the children and be miserable, or you can say 'You know what? This isn't working and nobody's at fault, we're just going different directions.' "

Last summer's end of a contract term triggered a long "will he or won't he" wait to see if Burton would extend.

Finally, after negotiations complicated by Burton dealing with a broken foot, he announced last July that he would stay, in two-year increments, for as many as six more years. Comedic impressionist Frank Caliendo moved in as a roommate production last October.

Closing in September gives Burton one more summer to perform a show long cited as one of the best for families in Las Vegas, and gives the Monte Carlo time to line up a replacement.

Burton said he doesn't plan to badmouth the hotel where he spent "at least a third of my career" and still has "a deep emotional connection" after performing about 15,000 shows.

"I will always love the Monte Carlo," he said. "People should not hold this against the Monte Carlo."

Other news reports suggested Burton and MGM Mirage officials were at odds over budgeting and cost-cutting issues. "Have there been cost-cutting measures in the past 18 months? Oh yeah, absolutely," he said. "But that's not the reason that I gave notice."

Burton categorized his business relationship with the hotel as "a partnership." Most productions at MGM Mirage properties are contracted with outside producers, and the company usually invests indirectly, by subsidizing stagehand or marketing costs, rather than taking a direct risk.

Burton's longtime manager, Peter Reveen, has been ailing. Former Caesars Palace executive Allan Bregman helped Burton negotiate his contract extension last summer.

"It has been an honor and a pleasure to have Lance Burton headline at Monte Carlo for the last 14 years," Monte Carlo President and Chief Operating Officer Anton Nikodemus said in a statement. "We are proud to have called Lance a member of the MGM Mirage family and wish him nothing but the best as he pursues a new chapter in his legendary career."

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