Mike Weatherford delivered a column today discussing the future of magic in Las Vegas. In it, he says:
We've all seen (and that's part of the problem) the Vegas magic show where a woman or a tiger goes into a box and disappears.
Now I'm wondering if we're seeing the box itself disappear.
It's fair to ask if the same is happening with illusionists: If the end of an era is coming for a familiar type of magic show; the ones with big cabinets, leggy dancers and maybe even a sequined jacket with epaulets.
It could be we're just in transition, playing musical chairs. Dirk Arthur, Steve Wyrick and Lance Burton -- after he leaves the Monte Carlo on Labor Day -- all could land in new venues and carry on as before. Rick Thomas might steer his ship back to more familiar crowd counts at the Sahara and Criss Angel might transform "Believe" into a title with positive consensus.