Page 69 - 2008 DT 12 issues

In This Issue !

Featured Articles
Mag-ic-al Las Vegas........................1
Fort Pah-ute.....................................2

Departments
News & Notes.................................2
September 2008 Programs & Hikes...........................4
Desk Schedule...............................6
Bulletin Board................................8

Mag-ic-al Las Vegas! on board and Roy was curious to see “Lido de Paris” at the Stardust, but their
the act. The two hit it off immediately, big break came when they opened in a
by H. Dan Wray
but Roy suggested that making rabbits purpose-built theater at Steve Wynn’s
disappear was rather tame. Why not use Mirage Hotel.
t is reputed that when a young
Siegfried and Roy approached a big cats? The rest is history. The ani- The 1,500-seat theater gave them
Ipromoter with a view to opening mals became part of their routine and the opportunity to develop a magical
their magic show in Las Vegas, the their trademark, as well as an integral extravaganza with lavish costumes
promoter replied that there was no call part of their lives. and scenery and stunning electronic
for, nor any future in, magic shows in The “big time” was some time effects. They drew on a dazzling array
Vegas. How wrong can one be? away, though, and several years were of talent from around the world. John
Siegfried Fischbacher was born in Napier of the Royal Shakespeare
1939 in Rosenheim, Bavaria, Germany. Company in England co-directed
At an early age, he was interested in the show with John Caird and
magic and came across a book on magic Lynette Chappell. Lynette had
in his local bookstore. Unfortunately, trained at London’s Royal Ballet
neither he nor his parents could afford School and later became their
it, but one day young Siegfried found a leading lady. The show, which
five mark note floating in the gutter and opened on February 1, 1990, was
he rushed to buy his first magic book. an immediate success. The offer
What a magic way to begin a career of a lifetime contract promised a
during which he entertained millions! limitless future for the show.
At the same time, young Roy Horn, The unfortunate event of
who had been born in October 1944 October 3, 2003 when Roy was
in a war-torn Germany, was growing injured by the tiger “Montecore,”
up in Nordenham. Roy found deep spent honing their act in clubs and is all too well known. The show had to
companionship with his dog, called venues throughout Europe. It was close after almost 6,000 performances
“Hexe.” One day young Roy got while appearing in Monte Carlo that during which an estimated 25 million
trapped in quicksand and could have their unusual act was noticed and they people were entertained. Many of us
died had it not been for Hexe, who ran were invited to Las Vegas. They made will have followed with pleasure the
off and summoned help. Roy realized their debut in the “Folies Bergere” at story of Roy’s recovery in the Review
how animals and humans could bond. the Tropicana Hotel, but their stays in Journal. Since then the duo have in-
At Bremen Zoo, he found himself at- Vegas were punctuated by tours of Cen- volved themselves in a multiplicity of
tracted to a two-year-old cheetah called tral America. In 1973 while appearing activities, not least of which is SAR-
“Chico.” It was Roy’s first bonding at the MGM Grand, they won the Re- MOTI (Sigfried and Roy, Masters of
with large cats. view Journal’s “Best Show Act of the
Siegfried and Roy first met on a Year” and went on to win it two more
cruise liner where both were work- times during their five years perform-
ing. Siegfried was performing magic ing there. In 1978 they opened in the Mag-ic-al, continued on page 6