Alan Hudson's Las Vegas Wedding
Las Vegas is often considered to be the magic capital of the world. What better place to get married and to spend our honeymoon than watching a shed load of magic shows.
After booking the trip I was very annoyed with myself for slipping up big-time. Just before we were there was the Desert Magic Seminar and just after we left David Copperfield was performing at MGM Grand. Paula (my now wife) didn't seem to share my disappointment at this mis-planning. Luckily for me, out of the four people (all muggles) who came with us, one of them was a magic fan. My 'best man' wanted to see magic shows and I felt I owed it him to go along as well.
So as Paula gambled away all my savings (tip - never put all your money on Black!) we went to see Mac King, Rick Thomas, Lance Burton and Penn and Teller. Lance Burton's show was probably the worst one. It was the same show I had seen ten years previously and just looked a bit tired (you wouldn't catch me doing the same act for ten years!). Rick Thomas had a bit more to prove. Similar in content to Lance Burton’s show (large illusions, dove productions etc) but with a lot more energy. He's not a natural performer but he has got the tan, the smarm and the raised eyebrow - perfect for Vegas. I'd mentioned to Iain (best man) that I imagined it wouldn't be great. However it was cheap and even with the (Jon Gresham taught) method of tipping the maitre'd for good seats it still cost less than £15 each. It had tigers, comedy routines with members of the audience and girl dancers with little on - perfect for a Friday afternoon!
Penn and Teller were exactly as you imagine them to be - one loud, one mute and not a single live bunny rabbit left alive by the end. I'd seen most of their stuff before on the television but it's such a great act you can't help but get excited when they're firing marked bullets at each other or you see Teller pushing himself around in a see-through version of an illusion they've just performed.
By far the best show we saw was Mac King. I've never been a huge fan but always thought he was OK so I managed to convince everyone in our party to come along to this £5 show (which included a free drink). After his “Howdy - I'm Mac King” introduction we then watched one of the funniest comedy magicians I have ever seen. Sixty minutes of non-stop tricks and gags. Cut and Restored Rope, Signed Card to Pocket, Aerial Fishing, Disappearing Head (in a paper bag), Rock from Shoe and much more - some I'd seen before but most of it was new - it was all great. Everyone had tears rolling down their faces (a great relief to me as I'd dragged them away from putting more money on Black to win back previous losses).
Most magicians have a pet hate trick in magic. Until recently I had two. The Magic Square (until I saw John Archer do it) and Cards Across (until I saw Mac King do it). Cards Across went from being one of my all time worst tricks to probably the highlight of the holiday (apart from getting married of course - I have to put this, just in case Paula picks up the Oracle and for some strange reason decides to read it). It's hard to write down exactly what it was that made it so funny but it did include him wearing a poncho (“an Invisibility Cloak”
and performing the trick as if we couldn't see him!
Las Vegas is an amazing place to visit. As long as you can resist spending all your money in casinos (we couldn't) it's actually a fairly cheap place to go. The flights, hotel, food and shows were all very reasonable. And it’s such a spectacle. The Bellagio fountains, the Treasure Island pirate fight, the Venetian gondolas with singing gondoliers etc ..... It’s all so big it makes you feel like a kid again. Also I got asked to show ID to prove I was over 21...... I love that city!
Las Vegas is often considered to be the magic capital of the world. What better place to get married and to spend our honeymoon than watching a shed load of magic shows.
After booking the trip I was very annoyed with myself for slipping up big-time. Just before we were there was the Desert Magic Seminar and just after we left David Copperfield was performing at MGM Grand. Paula (my now wife) didn't seem to share my disappointment at this mis-planning. Luckily for me, out of the four people (all muggles) who came with us, one of them was a magic fan. My 'best man' wanted to see magic shows and I felt I owed it him to go along as well.
So as Paula gambled away all my savings (tip - never put all your money on Black!) we went to see Mac King, Rick Thomas, Lance Burton and Penn and Teller. Lance Burton's show was probably the worst one. It was the same show I had seen ten years previously and just looked a bit tired (you wouldn't catch me doing the same act for ten years!). Rick Thomas had a bit more to prove. Similar in content to Lance Burton’s show (large illusions, dove productions etc) but with a lot more energy. He's not a natural performer but he has got the tan, the smarm and the raised eyebrow - perfect for Vegas. I'd mentioned to Iain (best man) that I imagined it wouldn't be great. However it was cheap and even with the (Jon Gresham taught) method of tipping the maitre'd for good seats it still cost less than £15 each. It had tigers, comedy routines with members of the audience and girl dancers with little on - perfect for a Friday afternoon!
Penn and Teller were exactly as you imagine them to be - one loud, one mute and not a single live bunny rabbit left alive by the end. I'd seen most of their stuff before on the television but it's such a great act you can't help but get excited when they're firing marked bullets at each other or you see Teller pushing himself around in a see-through version of an illusion they've just performed.
By far the best show we saw was Mac King. I've never been a huge fan but always thought he was OK so I managed to convince everyone in our party to come along to this £5 show (which included a free drink). After his “Howdy - I'm Mac King” introduction we then watched one of the funniest comedy magicians I have ever seen. Sixty minutes of non-stop tricks and gags. Cut and Restored Rope, Signed Card to Pocket, Aerial Fishing, Disappearing Head (in a paper bag), Rock from Shoe and much more - some I'd seen before but most of it was new - it was all great. Everyone had tears rolling down their faces (a great relief to me as I'd dragged them away from putting more money on Black to win back previous losses).
Most magicians have a pet hate trick in magic. Until recently I had two. The Magic Square (until I saw John Archer do it) and Cards Across (until I saw Mac King do it). Cards Across went from being one of my all time worst tricks to probably the highlight of the holiday (apart from getting married of course - I have to put this, just in case Paula picks up the Oracle and for some strange reason decides to read it). It's hard to write down exactly what it was that made it so funny but it did include him wearing a poncho (“an Invisibility Cloak”
and performing the trick as if we couldn't see him!
Las Vegas is an amazing place to visit. As long as you can resist spending all your money in casinos (we couldn't) it's actually a fairly cheap place to go. The flights, hotel, food and shows were all very reasonable. And it’s such a spectacle. The Bellagio fountains, the Treasure Island pirate fight, the Venetian gondolas with singing gondoliers etc ..... It’s all so big it makes you feel like a kid again. Also I got asked to show ID to prove I was over 21...... I love that city!
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