Vegas star to headline in Tokyo

Tuesday, May 2, 2000 | 9:40 a.m.

Magician Lance Burton says he'll be fulfilling a special goal when he performs in Tokyo later this week.

Burton, who headlines at the Monte Carlo hotel-casino here, will perform at the 5,000-seat Tokyo International Forum Hall Wednesday through Friday. It is the first time he has taken his show outside the United States and the logistics have been tough.

"This is one of our most ambitious undertakings ever," he said before leaving for the Far East on Saturday.

Some of the magician's larger illusions were sent by ship while the cast and crew - and even some birds used in his act - made the trip on a Boeing 747 jet.

Burton said a significant percentage of his Las Vegas audience is comprised of Japanese tourists, and he's long wanted to take his show to Tokyo. He said he promised himself he would do so after meeting many Japanese magicians over the years. Plans for the trip moved into high gear after Burton's television special "Top Secret: Lance Burton: Master Magician" drew strong ratings when aired twice in Japan in 1999.