Penn & Teller

By Leila Navidi · April 8, 2009 · 4:33 p.m.

The Temptations, Gladys Knight and Tristan MacManus on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" on Monday, April 23, 2012.

Photos: Gladys Knight’s ‘DWTS’ partner Tristan MacManus lashes out at judges: Tuesday, April 24, 2012; By Robin Leach; The radiance and happiness that shone from our hometown Empress of Soul Gladys Knight on “Dancing With the Stars’ ” Motown salute Monday ...

Penn Jillette with Opportunity Village drivers in front of the two vehicles purchased using a portion of the $250,000 donated by Caesars Foundation to Opportunity Village.

Take that, Donald: Caesars gives $250K donation to Opportunity Village on behalf of Penn Jillette: TV:; Monday, April 23, 2012; By Delen Goldberg; Donald Trump “fired” Penn Jillette on Sunday’s episode of “Celebrity Apprentice,” but the magician’s real employer made good on Jillette's promise to help a local charity.

Smokey Robinson is flanked by Human Nature at the Imperial Palace on May 11, 2010.

Penn booted from ‘Apprentice’; Gladys Knight’s Motown Week on ‘DWTS’: Monday, April 23, 2012; By Robin Leach; Las Vegas is well represented on tonight’s “Dancing With the Stars, and not just because our hometown Empress of Soul Gladys Knight continues ...

Emotional Penn Jillette presents $40,000 to Opportunity Village on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’: Monday, March 5, 2012; By Ron Sylvester; Penn Jillette erupts as a boisterous stage and television personality, but he grows quiet and emotional as he talks about Las Vegas’ Opportunity Village.

Penn Jillette at Sugar Factory at the Mirage.

Strip Scribbles: Penn among new frontrunners on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’: Thursday, March 1, 2012; By Robin Leach; Johnny Avello, race and sports book director at the Wynn, has proved incredibly accurate with his odds and predictions of various events in recent ...

Vegas headliner Penn Jillette leads team to win on 'Celebrity Apprentice': Monday, February 27, 2012; By Ron Sylvester; Penn Jillette advanced to another round of "Celebrity Apprentice" but more importantly raised $40,000 for Las Vegas' Opportunity Village.

Celine Dion's post-show news conference at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 15, 2011.

Strip Scribbles: Celine Dion plans changes to Caesars Palace show: Monday, December 19, 2011; By Robin Leach; Say au revoir to Stevie Wonder and allo bienvenue to Andrea Bocelli. Superstar Celine Dion has decided that there will be new gowns and costumes ...

Penn Jillette and Teller at the 10th anniversary celebration of Penn & Teller and their new three-year contract at The Rio on Oct. 26, 2010.

Strip Scribbles: Still no restart date for Penn & Teller at the Rio: Friday, November 11, 2011; By Robin Leach; This was the weekend that magicians Penn & Teller were due to resume their headliner show at the Rio after a four-week break from each other. I've ...

An audience member participates in a routine as the punchline of a joke is unfurled during Penn & Teller's show at the Rio. Penn busily recruits audience members at each show.

Discovery Channel's Time Warp slows down Las Vegas stunts: Monday, June 15, 2009; Jennifer Grafiada; You may have seen Penn swallow fire, but you haven’t seen it like this: easing down his throat centimeter by centimeter as the flames emerge from inside his mouth. For a view this good you have to be Teller, or watching Discovery Channel’s Time Warp, which heads to Vegas for this Wednesday’s episode.

"The Girls Next Door" reality television star Holly Madison was among those who walked the red carpet at the CineVegas film festival's premiere of "Saint John of Las Vegas" Wednesday night at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.

Stars align for CineVegas: FILM FESTIVAL: Dennis Hopper, Jon Voight, Willem Dafoe, Sam Rockwell among those expected; Thursday, June 11, 2009; By Melissa Arseniuk; While the celebrities might not be exactly lining up for this year’s CineVegas film festival, Las Vegas’ miniature version of Sundance is attracting a decent number of stars both big and small.

Vegas names round out Forbes Top 100 list: Thursday, June 4, 2009; By Amanda Finnegan; A magical team, a longtime illusionist and a cooking legend all represent Las Vegas on Forbes’ annual list of "The World’s Most Powerful Celebrities." The Celebrity 100 is a measure of power based on money and fame.

Nathan Santucci, "Director of Covert Activities" for the Penn & Teller show at the Rio, creates props for the show, which he says is "more like a science lecture" than magic show. "I don't like magic, I don't do magic, I don't go to magic shows," says Santucci, who handles so much stage blood that his hands are permanently dyed red.

Good ‘magic’ is bloody science: Person of Note: Behind the scenes, ‘Director of Covert Activities’ keeps Penn & Teller safe, audiences in awe; Friday, May 1, 2009; By Brendan Buhler; Nathan Santucci has worked for Penn & Teller (hereafter referred to as “the guys”) for 15 years and 2,600 shows, both on stage and television, and for the past nine years has had the G. Gordon Liddy-esque job of “Director of Covert Activities,” which has many responsibilities, chief among them building and maintaining magic props.

Staying power is no trickery: MAGIC: Penn & Teller on their 35-year partnership, charity, religion, vice and the artistic freedom granted by Las Vegas; Wednesday, April 15, 2009; By Jerry Fink; The magic team of Penn & Teller could not be more different — or more alike. Both are brilliant, always exploring thoughts and ideals and holding firmly to their beliefs of atheism and libertarianism.

Penn Jillette performs The Beatles' "Come Together" with the Lon Bronson All-Star Band at Green Valley Ranch on Jan. 29, 2009.

Penn Jillette helps Bronson band create Vegas magic: Review: Foreigner's Domenick Allen also takes stage for show at Green Valley Ranch; Friday, January 30, 2009; By Mark Whittington; Now this is Vegas. “I’m a magician and I’m a juggler, so I’m going to sing for you,” says Penn Jillette, launching into a rambling explanation of how this song was written as the campaign theme for Timothy Leary’s bid for California governor, aborted when Leary ended up in jail.

Penn & Teller: Tricks, gags, laughs, jazz: REVIEW: Spectacle has it all, and it doesn’t disappoint; Monday, January 19, 2009; By Joe Brown; Now that nerds officially rule, and our brainy new president is stocking the White House with similarly intelligent, curious and articulate people, the time has surely come to appoint Penn & Teller as Magicians of State.

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Penn & Teller

Occupation: Comedy magic duo
Venue: Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino since 2001.
Official Web page: www.pennandteller.com
Penn Jillette's Twitter page: twitter.com/pennjillette
Years performing: 1975 to present.
Birthdays:Penn Francis Jillette was born March 5, 1955, in Greenfield, Mass. Raymond Joseph Teller was born Feb. 14, 1948 in Philadelphia, Penn.
Early career: Performed as part of a three-man act, with Weir Chrisimer, "Asparagus Valley Cultural Society," doing shows in Amherst, Mass., and San Francisco. Teller used his skills as a magician and mime and Penn used his clowning and juggling skills to create their act.
Breakthrough: After performing on the streets and small clubs, the pair teamed up in 1981 as Penn & Teller. The 6-foot-7 Penn is the vocal half of the duo, while the 5-foot-9 Teller keeps silent during their act. They became acclaimed for their off-Broadway show and in 1985, they won an Emmy for their PBS special, "Penn & Teller Go Public.
Tickets: Vegas.com.

The Kats Report

It's Glenn Beck's turn to be questioned -- by Penn Jillette

Updated May 20, 2009 (12:12 p.m.) 13

Glenn Beck, forced to cool off his usually manic monologuing, told the Strip headliner that he is not anti-gay and wants us out of Germany and South Korea.