Female magic show misses big premiere

By Jerry Fink

Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007 | 7:10 a.m.

Today was going to be the big day for "Enchanted," an all-female magic show that was to premiere at Palace Station.

At least the magicians thought it was going to premiere.

Apparently, Palace Station had different ideas.

Work on a deal between Palace and producer Anthony Cools, a hypnotist who has his own show at Paris Las Vegas, came to an abrupt end Feb. 1.

"We never made an announcement" about the shows, Lori Nelson, a spokeswoman for Stations Casinos, said Tuesday. "We don't make entertainment announcements until we have a deal."

However, word had leaked about the impending shows, which included "Enchanted," Gerry McCambridge's "Mind Magic" and a paranormal production called "Ghost Hunt."

"Mind Magic" was already selling tickets in preparation for its Feb. 5 debut. "Enchanted" was to begin today and "Ghost Hunt" was set to premiere Friday .

Rumor had it that Palace was being sold by Station Casinos, owners of more than a dozen casinos, and so suddenly a decision was made that the showroom would not offer any permanent productions after entertainer Earl Turner's show closed Jan. 28.

Not so, Nelson said.

"We're simply evaluating the future of entertainment at Palace Station," she said. "We have so many venues, we evaluate all of the opportunities all the time."

Cools was cool about the abrupt change in plans.

"I was bummed out about the whole thing," he said, "but there's no ill feelings. They're great guys. Maybe someday in the future we will work together. But I believe when one door closes another door opens someplace else."

Cools says he received a call on Feb. 1 telling him something had happened to put the entertainment project on hold.

"Officially, Palace Station decided not to put a show in at this time," he said.

Cools has put together an intriguing list of productions.

McCambridge was to be the lead-off, with his mind-reading act that had been at the Rampart for almost two years before moving to the Stardust. Cools produced the show at the Stardust. It has been looking for a new home since the Stardust closed in November.

"Ghost Hunt" involves paranormal investigations.

"We take people to a haunted location, a place where this guy died and his spirit is still there," Cools said. "They are given electric tools that are needed to carry out their own paranormal investigation."

"Enchanted" features an international cast of female magicians headed by Arian Black, a native of Canada who has made Las Vegas her home for several years.

Other magicians include Luna Shimada of Australia, Ava Do of Vietnam and Joan Dukore of Hawaii.

Black says she isn't bitter about the misunderstanding over the business arrangement with Palace Station, even though she spent money creating an advertising package. Like Cools, she remains optimistic.

"I'm thinking something better is going to come along," Black said.

Meanwhile, she's working on several television projects, including reality shows similar in concept to "Dancing With the Stars."

"Only it's magic with the stars," Black said.

Black blames the problem with showrooms in Las Vegas on the constant state of flux that casinos seem to be in.

"They're all in transition right now," she said. "I'm kind of accustomed to this kind of treatment. It's just dealing with corporations. Sometimes entertainers get swept under the rug."