Siegfried & Roy to be cut from Mirage’s marquee

Friday, March 26, 2004 | 10:59 a.m.

The names of Siegfried and Roy -- Las Vegas icons known for their white tigers and elaborate performances -- will be stripped from The Mirage's marquee next week.

The sign will be replaced by shared promotions for singer Danny Gans and Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, officials for Mirage's corporateowner, MGM MIRAGE, said today.

Danny Gans, who performs in his own theater and regularly draws sellout crowds, is known for his impressions of famous people.

The garden and dolphin exhibit will remain a permanent feature at The Mirage, officials said.

"The intent is that those will both be part of The Mirage family for a long time to come," MGM MIRAGE spokeswoman Jenn Michaels said. "They're terrific attractions and a terrific way for everybody to come and enjoy a piece of Siegfried & Roy history."

No decision has yet been made about the future of the Siegfried & Roy Theater, which has been dark since a tiger attack on Roy Horn last fall left the performer in critical condition.

Michaels said the company is expected to make an announcement in the next couple of months about a replacement in the theater, which has since hosted a few special events.

MGM MIRAGE decided to keep the duo on the marquee for six months as a tribute to their legacy, Siegfried and Roy's manager Bernie Yuman said. The company also has maintained some billboards of the show around town as a tribute, he said.

"We've had one heck of a run," he said. "It's the end of an era."

Yuman said Gans, who has headlined at The Mirage since 2000, is a "great entertainer" who "deserves to be up on the marquee."

"Siegfried & Roy" show gave 5,750 performances and grossed more than $1.5 billion in revenue for the hotel, he said.