Columnist Joe Delaney: Prestidigitation prevails in LV

Joe Delaney

Friday, May 15, 1998 | 11:16 a.m.

IF IT'S MAGIC, it's in Las Vegas -- the most and the best of it. ... Old timers will remember when magic meant very little here; mostly, it was variety acts combining comedy with simple feats. ...The Amazing Ballantine was an LV favorite, very funny, until he wound up on TV's "Gilligan's Island." ... Ballantine was featured in the Tropicana's "Folies," and Galli Galli in the Stardust's "Lido" show.

Then along came Siegfried & Roy, first as a featured act in production shows, then as stars of a Kenneth Feld production, heavy in circus values, for nearly a decade at the Frontier.

Feld and personal manager Bernie Yuman combined with Steve Wynn to send Siegfried & Roy off on a world tour while a showroom was being built to S&R's specifications at the Mirage. ... Today, at $89.35, the duo fills the 1,500-seat showroom twice a night.

Now at Bally's

Penn & Teller, who opened in Bally's Celebrity Room Thursday, earned their stripes as mavericks of magic, making comedy a co-equal part of their off-the-wall presentation of magic in its various forms. ... Penn, the big guy, the talker, and the diminutive Teller, the silent worker, built their reputation away from Las Vegas on late-night TV shows, PBS specials and concert venue engagements.

David Copperfield, born in Metuchen, N.J., went to Hawaii in the 1970s to build his reputation. ... He came to Caesars Palace as a $25 minimum act and now commands $77.50 or more nightly in the Circus Maximus. ... Copperfield sells his illusions as romantic musical vignettes.

He plays here June 18-July 20 at Caesars, price to be announced. ... Penn & Teller hold their tab at a comparatively reasonable $35.20. ... In checking prices, check as to what is included.

Anent Lance

Lance Burton did 12 silent minutes of brilliant prestidigitation for years as part of the Tropicana's "Folies Bergere" before moving to the Hacienda, future site of Mandalay Bay, as star of his own production show, adding illusions and comedian-juggler Michael Goudeau. ... The Monte Carlo, a joint effort of Circus Circus and the Mirage, signed Burton to a multi-year contract and built a theatre to his specifications.

This should sound familiar; see Siegfried & Roy above. ... Returning to Caesars Palace, there is Caesars Magical Empire, which includes a dinner for $75 and several magic acts, plus at least one headline-type act. ... The Pendragons are there at present.

Magic, mostly illusions, as performed by Ayala in "Spellbound '98" at Harrah's, also features comedy and dance routines for a modest $34.95. ... There is a new edition each year.

And elsewhere

Steve Wyrick is referred to as a "World-Class" magician. ... A Texan, he is apparently succeeding despite the downtown casino center location, the Lady Luck Hotel, and a tent-like theater. ... At $27.95, his show is worth a trip from the Strip. ... Magic is also available in the afternoon at the Boardwalk, Maxim and Tropicana.

Nick Lewin's "Comedy Magic" (Maxim at 1 and 3 p.m.) is one of LV's best buys at $9.95, all inclusive. ... Dixie Dooley is at the Boardwalk, 4 and 5:30 p.m. for $8.95, everything extra, while the "Illusionary Magic of Rick Thomas" (Tropicana at 2 and 4 p.m.) has a $12.95 ticket.

Bonnie Saxe's "Showgirls of Magic" is a fast-paced, well-performed romp at the San Remo with a $19.95 tab and three fine comedy acts to go with the lovelies and their legerdemain. ... If there is an omission in this list, it must have disappeared from my notes.

Friday addenda

Night clubs are something recent in Las Vegas. ... The LV Hilton was the first, followed by Ra at the Luxor, Studio 54 (MGM Grand) and Club Rio, not necessarily in that order. ... Recommendations: Olga Preeskin and her "Passion Mexicana," Tuesday through Saturday (Showboat). ... Jazz treats: The Jazz Organ-ization, noon-3 p.m. Sundays, Santa Fe Pavilion, and Don Menza on Mondays (Riviera lounge). ... See you next Thursday.