Thanks to Richard Kaufman and a post at Genii's forums, we were made aware of an article at CNN discussing the tough economic times and their impact on magic entertainers in Vegas. "Las Vegas magician David Shimshi used to work as house magician at the famous Mirage hotel and performed with the World's Greatest Magicians show at the Greek Isles Casino. Now Shimshi, as he's known to everyone, including his wife Janelle, has seen his gigs disappear, a victim of the struggling economy. Shimshi is no vanishing act. He's working on a business plan to perform at trade-show display booths for major companies. He's willing to work just to prove he can bring in the crowds. He even says he's willing to take his pay later, when the company's business improves."
*iTricks is also reporting on this story.