Yesterday I spoke to magician Lance Burton who announced his decision to end his show at the Monte Carlo with his final performance on September 4, 2010. The Lance Burton Theatre has hosted his family friendly magic show since the Monte Carlo opened in 1996. Over the years, Burton has become an iconic presence for tourists and a local’s favorite act and personality.

Richard Abowitz: What made you decide to leave after 14 years?

Lance Burton: It is not really mysterious. You’d call it: “irreconcilable differences.” A relationship with a hotel is like a marriage.  People get married everyday and people get divorced every day. It is a symbiotic relationship. And, I just came to the conclusion we were going in different directions. I have my philosophy of how to do a show in Vegas, and the hotel had their own philosophy. I just came to the conclusion that those two were irreconcilable.

Abowitz: You have said in other interviews that budget cuts were part of the problem, but not the full picture.

Burton: Yeah. Have there been budget cuts? Yes. Is it the reason I left? No.

Abowitz: When you opened the Monte Carlo you were one of the first headliners to design your own theater.

Burton: I did not design the theater. When the guys who built Monte Carlo came to me and offered the opportunity, I thought a London West End theater would be great in Las Vegas. Up until that time all the showrooms in Las Vegas were the style of tables and booths, you know, big giant nightclubs with a stage.

Abowitz: You mean like the old showroom at Caesars where Sinatra used to perform?

Burton: Yes. But I had played London a couple times and looked at these beautiful theaters and thought this would be great in Las Vegas. You could sit and see the stage in front of you. In a traditional Las Vegas showroom you might directly see the stage, but you might not. You might be seeing the show with your head turned to the side. The first year we opened we were voted by Las Vegas Review-Journal readers as the best venue. And, most showrooms since then have taken that route.

Abowitz: Did you customize the theater in a way to support specific tricks for your show?

Burton: I was mainly concerned with storage space backstage. With a magic show you need a lot of room for all the props and scenery. For the theater I was concerned with aesthetics like having a balcony because I have always liked a balcony in a showroom. Then I wanted restrooms in the lobby. The older Las Vegas showrooms never had restrooms. You needed to leave the showroom and walk through the casino to go to the bathroom.

Abowitz: So, your showroom input was not connected to the magic in the show?

Burton: It was about giving the audience an experience. That is the goal for all Las Vegas. When people leave Las Vegas they say they had a great time. They gambled. They drank. The food was terrific. And, they saw a great show in a beautiful and comfortable theater. Then they want to come back.

Abowitz: You are still performing all summer.

Burton: We are still performing up through Labor Day weekend.

Abowitz: Do you have favorite moments you could share from your many years performing here?

Burton:  That is tough. There are so many.

Abowitz: Well, then let me pick a moment. Can you talk about the aftermath of the fire at Monte Carlo in 2008?

Burton: The day they had the fire at Monte Carlo I had four different televisions at home watching. I don’t think that was one of my favorite memories. It was a memorable memory. The first day there was nothing I could do. It was first responders. But on the second day I saw on the news that all of the guests at Monte Carlo were being allowed back in to get their belongings. I knew there would be a traffic jam of people in the lobby waiting to be brought up to their rooms. I went, “Ah ha! That’s my cue.” I headed down to the hotel and hung out in the lobby all day.  I talked to people. I got up and did a little show.

Abowitz: Do you still have a passion for performing?

Burton: Yes. It is about the audience having a great experience. Magic is an ancient art form. Magic exists in one place. It exists in the mind of the spectator. I am on stage, but I am not really doing magic. All I do is set up the circumstances that allow the audience to create the magic.

Abowitz: Do you see yourself staying in Vegas?

Burton: Yes. I am here. I just built myself a new house.

Abowitz: I hear it is a castle.

Burton: From the outside. It is just the facade.

Abowitz: Do you think you will do another show in Vegas?

Burton: In the short term, we are going to finish up at the Monte Carlo. Then I have a film project that I have been working on for the past couple of years. My writing partner and I just finished the script and now we are going to be able to dedicate more time to it.

Abowitz: But do you see yourself returning to magic and audiences in Vegas eventually?

Burton: That is a good question, and I don’t have an answer. I am a magician not a psychic. (Photo: Sarah Gerke)