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The Dublin streaker hits Vegas

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LAS VEGAS - Funny how things work out. Last column, I ran a photo taken on the streets of Dublin, Ireland of Jan & I with Dublin magician Ruairi O'Connor. Well, Ruairi phoned and said he'd be in Las Vegas soon, and felt it was time for a new photo. So, here he is, in front of New York New York casino on the Vegas strip, and also with me at Treasures Strip Club, a place where everyone know's Ruairi by first name...
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It was a wild week, Ruairi was last here a year ago, when he came to perform in my show which was at The Orleans at the time. He didn't have much sightseeing time then, so he was here to make up for it and to redeem his lap dance coupons.

Jan and I took him around, watched him ride the lesbian roller coaster (a new attraction reserved for only a few lucky tourists) and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city.
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Of course, no trip to Vegas would be complete without seeing the two greatest magic shows in town. Last trip, we took him over to see Rick Thomas in the afternoon spot at the Trop, but our performing schedule did not allow us to get to see Lance.

This time, I called Lance and arranged for the late show on Saturday evening. This was my first time catching the show since Lance put a whole pile of new tricks and sequences into the extravaganza, and I must say, the show, which was already the top evening magic show on the Strip, is now even BETTER! Wow! And everything is so seemless, flawless, effortless...not only as far as Lance goes, but the entire team, both on and off the stage. The show screams along, the illusion sequences are spectatcular, the lighting, the sets, costumes...this my friends, is a REAL magic show by a master.

I LOVED the new open, with Lance materialiing is a space-age capsule-type elevator, then it's off to the races, with Lance's standard open routine, shortened a bit to make way for the whole new sequences that come later.

His casual, down-home delivery is so refreshing. He has the audience from the first "hello" and never letss go until he climbs into the Corvette and flies away at the very end of the evening. Then, he steps back for a final curain call, and holding the curtain open, nods to the back of the theatre and twenty white doves fly across the audience and sail over his head, heading backstage to end the evening on yet another high note.

OVATION

We capped the visit off with a trip to old downtown Las Vegas, where we hit the Lady Luck, and caught up with Fielding West and Jason Byrne backstage before the "Ovation" show. Fielding is happy the show has been growing steadily, with good crowds in the Ovation Showroom/Tent six nights a week.

I have not seen this show in at least a month, and I was looking forward to the new illusions that Jason has added, and the old jokes that Fielding was recycling. Fielding, in addition to keeping the pace moving, is the glue that holds this whole show together. His magic is fun, lots of laughs and genuine surprises. And of course, Tina balanced and amazed, Cess and Cathy flew and spun, the Apolo Brothers juggled up a storm of skills and fun, Christopher and his puppets got big laughs, Jason was his usual smooth self, and the Six Real Brothers are still real. Ruairi was suitably impressed. Who wouldn't be?

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BACK TO DUBLIN

The whirlwind week of activities and wayward showgirls came crashing to an end as we rushed Ruairi back to the airport with money still in his pockets. It was great to see him again, and we look forward to seeing him and Salud when they return next year, unless we get to their side of the pond before they come over, as I am in the process of arranging a tour in the UK that will stretch from Dublin to London, and numerous stops in between...hard to believe Salud let Ruairi come back to Vegas alone again, especially after his arrest last time...

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FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING

Hard to believe, but we have been at this web thing for five years already. Next week you can read my report detailing the long, strange trip this has been and what the future holds for magicwebchannel...it is an amazing story, when I look back at how things started, and more amazingly, how things may have not happened due to so many set-backs along the way. As we recently celebrated the five year mark, I got a little carried away as I held up five fingers to salute the beginning of year five on our magic portal, at a secret location known only to the person who snapped this unguarded moment and the several thousand tourists who were walking by.

SHOWEST CONVENTION IN TOWN

This is the annual gathering that features movies, movies and more movies, as the studios come to town to show their product to the exhibitors, the guys who own the theatres that will be showing the movies in. I always perform at one or two private events during this confab, and this year I will be at the SONY party, after first watching the "product reel" of movies coming soon and unfinished footage from some eagerly-anticipated new films.

Until next time...

Magically yours,

Steve

Last Week's Article

Johnny Carson says his final good-night

Previously: Johnny Thompson Gala Event in Vegas

Previously: Gerry & The Pacemakers

Previous AbracaDACRI Columns

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