Lance Burton - Newsroom

SEPTEMBER 06, 2000

LANCE BURTON TO BE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME AT TROPICANA WHERE HE BEGAN

The Monte Carlo Resort & Casino's Lance Burton will be inducted into the Casino Legends Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 22 at the Tropicana where he began his career almost two decades ago as an act in the "Folies Bergere."

The Smother Brothers, The Righteous Brothers, The Checkmates, Bob Anderson, The DeCastro Sisters will be inducted into the Casino Legends Hall of Fame as "Las Vegas Living Legends" along with Lance Burton in the Tiffany Showroom at the Tropicana Resort & Casino.

Lance Burton also plans to make a special appearance at the Fourth Annual Adoption Fair at about 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Clark County Government Building (west of Downtown). The event will run from 11 a.m. through 2 p.m. There are more than 300 children who live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area who live in some type of foster-care setting. Forty-five percent of those children are now free for adoption. Last year, 19 children were placed in loving homes as a result of the event. The following organizations are involved in this year's Adoption Fair: CASA Foundation, Jewish Services, Latter-Day Saints Services, New Hope, Dave Thomas Foundation, Cedar Enterprises, Kerr-McGee Chemical and Southwest Ambulance. Lance Burton supports the Variety Club Tent #39 by assisting with the Sunshine Wheels Program on a regular basis. He recently became the title sponsor for the 25th Annual Variety Club Golf Classic. Other sponsorships to help kickoff the day long event to be held on Monday, October 23, 2000 include the Agassi Foundation and Relocating in Las Vegas Magazine. All proceeds will benefit the Variety Club of Southern Nevada - The Children's Charity. The golf tournament will be held at Dragon Ridge Golf Club located in South Green Valley. You may contact them at dragonridgegolfclub.com or call 614-4444. For entry forms or information call 383-8466 or fax 383-1196 or e-mail variety@sierranv.net. Many more players and sponsors are needed. Hotel and corporate foursomes are being solicited for $350 per player. Lance Burton made a donation of $25,000.

The magic star will be appearing on "The Late, Late Show" with Craig Kilborn on Monday, Sept. 18 at 1:35 a.m. (early Tuesday morning). Lance Burton was also interviewed for "Conde' Nast Travelers Magazine All-Stars Show" to air on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6 and 9 p.m. on The Travel Channel.

The Monte Carlo Resort & Casino's hit magical star will return to The Lance Burton Theatre after a two-week hiatus on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Fans are lined up at the theatre's Box Office or at the Show and Tickets & Tour Counter in The Hotel Lobby to see if their are any no-shows so they can buy his coveted tickets minutes before each show. But, there's more - his showmanship, appeal to family audiences and especially children by inviting them on-stage for magic fun, comedy and dance.

Here's what the R-J news staffers (Nevada's largest daily circulation newspaper) said about "Best Male Las Vegan" after awarding him that honorary title, "It's easy to take master magician Lance Burton for granted - especially with his smiling visage adorning billboards and taxicabs all over town, touting his Monte Carlo show. But there's a lot more to the beaming Burton than his on-stage expertise. From his work with such worthy causes as Habitat for Humanity to his regular support of programming at Las Vegas' classical music haven, KNPR-FM 89.5, the neighborly, low profile Burton epitomizes the quaint concepts of giving something back. Which, in our book, qualifies as real magic." The R-J said of winning "Best Magician," "Last year's readers pick, this year's staff pick. In 1998, he was the choice of both." American Online Digital City's reviewer Jackie Gladfelter rated "Lance Burton: Master Magician" as a five-star show - a "must-see" rating. She said, "In a town where jugglers, magicians and stage showmen are highly competitive, this is considered by all as the best magic act in town, beating out the famed Siegfried & Roy. Master magician Lance Burton, along with 60 white doves, six large white ducks and a parakeet named Elvis, captivates the audience for the entire 90-minute show. Burton's amazing sleight-of-hand tricks and spectacular illusions keep the crowd enthralled. It's a must-see for families."

"You will always remember (Lance Burton)." As the advertising campaign says it's the best way to put it. There are moments in the show that are unforgettable. The prestidigitator invites some of the young children from the audience on-stage for an experience that they will never forget nor will their parents. "Master Magician" is the highest energy show on The Strip when at its peak. The Lance Burton Theatre has been voted "Best Theatre" in Las Vegas and was the first legitimate theatre built when it opened in 1996. Lance Burton recently won "Best Entertainer" for the fourth year in a row and "Best Magician" for the fifth in a poll conducted among 250,000 tourists in Entertainment Today Magazine a tourist publication.

He taped a segment of his latest annual television special "Lance Burton: Master Magician: On The Road" in Louisville, Kentucky and other segments at The Lance Burton Theatre, The Magic Castle and on the beach in Florida. This year he added "Lance Burton's Young Magician's Showcase" to his TV specials. The prime-time hour-long annual magic specials will air sometime this year.

During the 1980s and '90s, Lance Burton quickly rose to become the No. 1 prestidigitator in the international community of magicians and appeared 10 times on "The Tonight Show" starring Johnny Carson and another five times on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. He has also appeared on "Hard Copy," CBS' "This Morning," "Donny & Marie," "The Howie Mandel Show" and "Politically Incorrect."

Lance Burton is from Louisville, Kentucky. He achieved a dream come true when he opened the $27 million Lance Burton Theatre at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino and The Lance Burton Magic Shop. During his mid-teens the magic fraternity took notice of this up-and-coming star. Soon he began taking home "Best Junior Magician" awards. In July of 1980, barely three months after his 20th birthday, he became the first person to win magic's most coveted "Gold Medal Award for Excellence" from the International Brotherhood of Magicians. On July 10th, 1982, Lance Burton was the recipient of magic's highest accolade when he won the Grand Prix at the Federation International Society de Magic (F.I.S.M.) in Lausanne, Switzerland making him a "World Champion Magician." He was the youngest person and the first American to win. Johnny Carson called Lance's performance as the "Best 12 minutes in magic."

His reputation had preceded him and 1981 was to be a banner year. The established professional magicians welcomed him into their exclusive circle. The Larson Brothers, Bill and Milt, creators of the famed Magic Castle, not only featured Lance in their annual "It's Magic" show but also arranged for him to be introduced to TV via Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show." That one appearance was the big break he had been hoping to get that changed magic history. The Robb Report in a story entitled "Vegas by the Book" saying, "Lance Burton's show at the Monte Carlo offers a compelling mix of glamour, danger and old-fashioned mystery. His show is astonishing, even without white tigers. (Burton uses ducks instead.)"

Special guest artist Michael Goudeau performs comedy and juggling in the show nightly.

For information on "Lance Burton: Master Magician" call (702) 730-7160 or (877) 386-8224 at the Monte Carlo. Show times are 7 and 10 nightly from Tuesday through Saturday. The theatre seats 1,274 and doors open one hour prior to show time. A bar is located in the theatre lobby.