Okay. We're a few days past Halloween at this point. And you've
finished off the last of that leftover trick-or-treat candy. You've even packed
away most of the scary stuff that you use to decorate the house this time of
year. But for some reason or other, you're finding that you feel a little bit blue
right about now, don't you?
Well, don't listen to your friends & family. They'll just
tell you that you're coming down off of your sugar high, which is what happens
when you consume twice your body weight in Milk Duds and Kit Kat bars.
But you and I both know what's really going on here, don't
we? You're one of those somewhat twisted individuals who actually enjoys all of
the laughter & thrills that are typically associated with Halloween., which
is why Thanksgiving and Christmas just don't cut it for you when it comes to
scares. (Unless – of course – you wanna talk about what it feels like to open up
that Visa bill which arrives right after the holidays. Now that's what I call
REALLY scary. Anyway …)
Teller about to performing the infamous Bunny-and-the-Wood-chipper routine
And since October 31, 2011 is oh-so-far away, what's someone
like yourself (who enjoys that silly shiver that runs up & down your spin
whenever someone pretends to toss a cute little bunny into a wood chipper. Or –
better yet — stifles a gruesome giggle when someone seems to saw a lady in
half with a bandsaw and then things appear to go terribly, terribly wrong)
supposed to do to tide themselves over for the next 12 months?
The solution is simple. If you're looking to shake off those
post-Halloween blues, then get on a plane for Las Vegas and head on over to the
Rio
All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Which is where – starting next Saturday night –
those "Bad Boys of Magic," Penn &
Teller will be " … doing tricks with blood and guts."
Seriously. That's what the official theme song for the Penn
& Teller show (which has been recorded in four part harmony, by the way)
says. That these two " … swindle, lie and cheat. But they do it with a beat."
Penn Jillette proves to the audience that the bullets & guns that he and Teller
are about to use in their Catch-the-Bullet routine are absolutely real
That – for many fans, anyway – is the real appeal of this long-running
live show. That Penn & Teller are so upfront about the fact that everything
they do onstage – whether it's catching bullets in their teeth or dangling in a
straight jacket over a bed of seemingly sharp knives – is really a trick. That
there's some sort of illusion involved that Penn & Teller will then typically
reveal once that trick is over.
Compared to all of those other magic shows that you'll find out
on the Strip, Penn & Teller's is irreverent and edgy. An outrageous
blending of comedy and magic that these two (who have been performing together
for 30+ years at this point) have honed to absolute perfection.
And did I mention that – after each show – Penn & Teller
make a point of appearing in the theater lobby and then personally greet every member
of that night's audience?
Teller signing autographs out in the lobby after that night's performance
This is just the sort of show that you need to see if you're
still looking to shake off those post-Halloween blues. Where your heart will be
warmed as you watch Penn & his shapely female companion eat fire. Though –
that said – you may wind up gagging a little when you see Teller swallow that
handful of needles and a piece of thread. Only too then pull that thread out of
his mouth a few moments later with all of those needles now neatly threaded
together.
With gruesome and seemingly impossible illusions like this being
performed live and onstage night after night … is it any wonder that – in the
almost 10-years that these two have been
in residence at the Rio
All-Suite Hotel and Casino – that Penn & Teller
have been named "Las Vegas Magicians of the Year" five times now?
Well, after spending much of this past summer abroad on their
first tour of the UK in over 15 years, Penn & Teller are back. Doing just as their ad says: "Living in Vegas.
Live at the Rio" performing some classic routines as well as some all-new bits
that will be sure to make you scream with laughter and/or fright.
Penn & Teller standing outside of the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino
And as an extra added bonus: I happen to know where you can
go to pick up some discounted tickets to some of their upcoming shows.
So why not slough off that post-Halloween funk by treating
yourself to a Las Vegas favorite which is just loaded with tricks? That's the
Penn (he's the one who does all the talking) & Teller (i.e. the silent
partner) show. Which – this coming year – will celebrate 35 years of performing
magic / serving up BS together.