Young at Art: Magician, juggler among youngest players on the Strip

By Jerry Fink

Friday, Aug. 17, 2001 | 9:29 a.m.

Fast Facts

What: "Illusions and Beyond."

When: Noon and 2 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays (dark Mondays).

Where: New Frontier Showroom.

Tickets: $12.95.

Information: 794-8200.

David Darkstone and Will "Silly Willy" Roya are the new kids on the block.

Since June 1 the two young performers have been appearing in afternoon shows at the New Frontier's 240-seat showroom.

Magician Darkstone, 23, is billed as the youngest headliner on the Strip. Juggler Roya isn't far behind at 24.

Besides being the youngest, the two may be the fastest-rising stars in town. Until they decided to roll the dice and give up their secure day jobs for a shot at stardom three months ago, Darkstone and Roya were co-workers at a local magic shop. "We both fooled around a lot at work," Roya said.

The fooling around led to serious discussions about putting together a two-man show, with Darkstone working his magic and Roya adding comic relief during his juggling routine. Roya, who also performs on cruise ships and at corporate functions, had an engagement lined up for a production show in Bermuda and pitched the idea of a magic/juggling act to the entertainment director of a hotel there.

"They didn't want it," Roya said. "They said we didn't have enough experience, so we decided to try Vegas."

When the men learned they could sublet a piece of the showroom at the New Frontier from the P.R. Network company for two afternoon performances, six days a week, they jumped at the chance.

P.R. Network, headed by Peter Vent, holds the lease on the venue and rents it to three producers who have a total of five productions at the showroom. In addition to their show, titled "Illusions & Beyond of David Darkstone," there is "Thunder From Down Under," two Elvis tributes and a tribute to Frank Sinatra.

"Will and Dave were making money after their first month," Vent said.

Their landlord said he was impressed by the tape the young men gave him and invited them in for a conference.

"We had a couple of meetings. I picked their brains. I wanted to find out where they were at and where they want to be," Vent said. "These two young fellows really proved to me they do not just want to appear at the (New Frontier) indefinitely. They want to be at the Mirage at some point in their life.

"Whether they have the talent, they now have the opportunity to show it."

Vent said during his discussions he discouraged Darkstone and Roya from the idea of becoming permanent fixtures at the New Frontier.

Vent said: "I told them, 'What I want is for you to come in and do a great job. Hone your skills. Every performance, give 100 percent for the price you're charging. Give the customers entertainment value so they are happy that they saw a great show.' "

Afternoon delight

Noon and 2 p.m. are not the best time slots for shows to draw big audiences in Las Vegas, but so far the dynamic duo have not had a problem attracting enough people so that the rent and other bills are paid.

Roya, who handles the business side of the partnership, says there are days when the showroom is full, "but usually it's 40- to 60-percent full."

The show is still evolving.

"When we first started David did his magic and I did a 15-minute juggling act in between," Roya said. "Now we joke together onstage. There is a lot more interaction (between us now). My next big gag I will be wearing a suit made of Velcro. That's all I can say about it."

The performers are growing as well.

One of the things Darkstone learned after getting a toehold on the Strip is that entertainment is a cutthroat business.

"I thought magic was a business of friendship," he said. "In my circle of friends back home in Miami, if someone wanted to borrow an illusion the person would say, 'That's great just bring it back.' I would borrow theirs and they would borrow mine.

"But it's not like that here. There is animosity among some of the magicians, little jealousies."

While some of their fellow entertainers may be less than kind, Darkstone and Roya say audiences are wonderful.

On occasion amateur magicians have come up to them after a show and pulled money out of thin air and given it to them.

"The say, 'Here, go have a drink on me,' " Darkstone said. "It makes for a very friendly environment."

While they are honing their skills as performers in noontime shows, Darkstone and Roya say they would like to do a midnight show as well.

"We would play to two totally different audiences," Darkstone said.

Darkstone and Roya's daytime material would be G-rated, if shows on the Strip had ratings. They say they could do edgier material at a midnight performance.

They may get the opportunity to stay up late next month when the beefcakes from "Thunder From Down Under" go on a brief hiatus. Roya and Darkstone said they hope to work a split shift and fill in for "Thunder," which holds the late-night slot.

Old pros

Although the young men are new to the Strip, they have been performing for years.

Darkstone, the creative partner, became interested in magic and performing while growing up in Miami. He turned pro at the age of 12.

"I worked for a party company and I'd perform magic at birthday parties around Miami," Darkstone said. "But it wasn't always magic. Sometimes I had to wear a Barney costume."

After he outgrew the kiddy circuit, Darkstone graduated to more sophisticated venues. At age 13 he went to work for an electronics store in Miami. The store had a small stage where magicians performed for customers.

"Basically, I (fibbed) my way in," Darkstone said. "I said I had all these big illusions, but I didn't. I figured if they hired me I would come up with them."

Two years later he went to work for Santa's Enchanted Forest, a Miami theme park, where he remained for seven years. During the park's open season (November through January), he performed two magic shows per night.

Earlier this year Darkstone decided his Florida career was in a rut, so he packed his magic trunk and came to Las Vegas, where he soon met Roya.

Roya didn't become interested in entertaining professionally until late in life -- compared to Darkstone. The Vermont native was 17 when he began performing magic at children's parties.

At the University of Vermont he studied theater and business and performed at corporate functions on weekends.

He picked up magic, juggling, balloon sculpting and unicycling.

After college he married, and Roya and his wife moved to Las Vegas two years ago. Roya began taking jobs on cruise ships out of Florida for several weeks a year to supplement the income his day job provided.

Darkstone and Roya see themselves as being at the first stage of a long career.

"It's been interesting," Darkstone said. "Over the last few years you don't even notice how things have evolved, and you still have a lot more time ahead of you. There is a lot to learn."

Roya said when he wakes up every morning, he can't wait to go to work.

"You must have the desire and the persistence," he said. "If you don't, you're never going to make it."

Spoken like an old-timer.

Jerry Fink is an Accent feature writer. Reach him at 259-4058 or jerry@ lasvegassun.com.

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