This magician appears in three different shows on the Strip

Jerry Fink

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 | 7:08 a.m.

Who: Nathan Burton Comedy Magic.

When: 2 p.m. Thursdays, Saturdays, Mondays through Wednesdays. Dark Fridays and Sundays, except for this weekend when there will be special performances at 2 p.m. each day.

Where: Aladdin's V Theatre.

Tickets: $24.

Information: 932-1818.

In addition to being a magician, Nathan Burton is a juggler - of sorts.

With the opening of his new show this week at the Aladdin's V Theatre, he will be in three productions simultaneously on the Strip, an enviable position for any performer.

"Nathan Burton Comedy Magic" premieres at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Normally, the show would be dark on Fridays and Sundays, but because of the Memorial Day weekend - and the large number of tourists expected in town - Burton will be performing on those days as well this week.

He also performs as a specialty act in "V - The Ultimate Variety Show," but because it also is in the V Theatre, he won't have to travel far to his second job, with show times of 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. nightly.

His third job, also as a specialty act, is with "Buck Wild," the topless country show at the Sahara.

"Buck Wild" performances are at 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

All of the shows are produced by David Saxe.

Burton, the son of a minister, dreamed of performing in Las Vegas when he was growing up in Fort Smith, Ark.

With his new show, his dreams have come true in triplicate.

"I've been extremely lucky," said the 33-year-old Burton. "Most performers are lucky to have one gig and I'm going to have three."

Burton, no relation to magician Lance Burton (at the Monte Carlo), was born in Sacramento. He spent part of his youth in the Palm Springs area and then when he was 10, the family moved to Fort Smith, located at the Oklahoma state line.

He says he became enthralled with magic when he saw how people reacted.

Burton's first trick was changing a nickel into a dime.

His first magic act was for his kindergarten class.

"Mom gave me a magic set," Burton said. "I was terrible. All of my tricks were messing up."

But he wasn't discouraged.

By the time he was 7 he was being paid to perform at parties.

"I think I got $5," Burton said.

His parents chauffeured him to his gigs.

"If they gave me an hour of help with my magic, I gave them an hour of help in the yard," Burton said.

"Our yard looked really good by the end of the week."

Burton plowed all of his money back into his magic as he grew older.

"I'd build large illusions in wood shop," he said.

During summer breaks from school he went on tour - performing in small-town libraries in northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma.

"Every year I got more and more gigs," Burton said.

He called it a blessing in disguise.

"The best part of my performing in rural Arkansas and Oklahoma was that I could be really bad and get away with it."

He had learned his craft well enough by age 16 that he got gigs as far away as Japan. He also spent a year in Korea.

"But I always wanted to perform in Las Vegas," Burton said.

He arrived eight years ago, and has been busy ever since.

"If I'm not working I get antsy," he said.

He also has appeared on TV, including E! Network's "The Entertainer," starring Wayne Newton, and NBC's "World's Greatest Magic" and "World's Wildest Magic."

Last year he made headlines when he spent seven days in a glass box with seven Vegas showgirls.

Burton's specialty act with "V" and "Buck Wild" lasts only about 10 minutes.

For his own show, he will perform 16 large illusions in 55 minutes.

"It's a fast-paced production," Burton said.

It has to be.

He has places to go.