Lance Burton

Keeping Vegas classy

By Caroline Fontein

When it comes to magic in Las Vegas there are various choices, but if you're looking for a classic magic show and spectacular production elements there is only one option: Lance Burton.

He started his career as a Vegas headliner in Folies Bergere at Tropicana in 1981 after winning various magic awards and making an appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. After nine successful years, he moved to his own show at the Hacienda and later to his current show at Monte Carlo where he has been wowing audiences since 1996. Burton's $27 million custom-built theater features 1,274 plush seats and a beautifully designed stage with red velvet curtains and gold accents.

His classic magic stems from a dynasty of great magicians who won the world over with their ability to perform the impossible. It all started with the untimely death of Alexander Herrmann, better known by his stage name as “Herman the Great,” in 1896. His death left Harry Kellar as the world’s best magician. Since then, the label has been passed down from one great magician to the next as a way of maintaining a certain standard of excellence for the art of magic. In 1994, master magician Lee Grabel passed the “Mantle of Magic” to Burton, making him an honorary member of “The Royal Dynasty of Magic.”

Like his great predecessors Burton performs in a traditional tuxedo, but his Southern roots as a Louisville, Ky. native make him seem more like a friendly guy-next-door type than a master magician. While some of his illusions include large production elements, others require few props and showcase Burton’s masterful skills at sleight of hand.

“As a general rule, magicians aren’t supposed to be superstitious, but I always start my show with the act that you are about to see,” says Burton.

Then he performs a trick where he turns long white candles into scarves and then a dove while classical music plays in the background. Next he turns to a suitcase where he miraculously pulls out six beautiful female assistants, who he later makes disappear with the wave of his hand. His assistants are not the only thing to appear and vanish. Burton also makes ducks, doves and even a Corvette seem to appear out of thin air.

For one of his larger illusions, the stage transforms into a whimsical dreamscape filled with fog and several of his statuesque assistants. He levitates one of them and has her spin around him proving that there are no strings attached. Then he makes himself levitate along with his assistant. It is astonishing to see them gracefully float to different heights above the stage.

Aside from his big illusions, Burton also incorporates a lot of audience participation into the show. For several illusions he asks children to join him on stage. For one of these instances he turns a boy into a human slot machine by pulling an almost endless amount of silver dollars from the boy’s ears, elbows and even his mouth. People in the audience laugh every time they see Burton pull out another silver dollar and drop it into a bucket he’s filling with coins.

Michael Goudeau adds another dose of playful comedy to the show with his hilarious juggling routine. He performs in between one of Burton’s acts. First he astounds the audience by juggling knives. Then, he makes them laugh when he accidentally lights his assistant on fire while trying to juggle flaming wands.

Watching Burton’s show not only leaves people with a sense of wonderment and excitement, but it also makes them feel as though they have watched a piece of history in the making. Being a member of “The Royal Dynasty of Magic” also means that Burton has the task of passing the mantle to another great magician. There's no telling who it will be. But for now Burton has the title, and it’s easy to see why.