CONFIRMED! LANCE BURTON'S FINAL COUNTDOWN

As reported here on the Magic Newswire and via other sources reporting on this story,  Lance Burton is ending his contract with the Monte Carlo. It was mostly rumor to date, but is now confirmed via his PR rep who sent us the following info: 

Legendary Illusionist Ends Successful 14-Year Run at Monte Carlo in September 2010

Master Magician Lance Burton will end his historic run at Monte Carlo on Sept. 4, 2010.  The final performance follows 14 years of captivating audiences at the resort’s Lance Burton Theatre.   Beloved by fans worldwide and named the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s “Best Magician” for a dozen years in a row, Burton has been with Monte Carlo since its opening day on June 21, 1996.

“It has been an honor and a pleasure to have Lance Burton headline at Monte Carlo for the past 14 years,” said Monte Carlo President & COO Anton Nikodemus.  “We are proud to have called Lance a member of the MGM MIRAGE family and wish him nothing but the best as he pursues a new chapter in his legendary career.”            

Known for his astounding illusions and mesmerizing sleight-of-hand, Burton will continue to delight audiences at Monte Carlo through Labor Day Weekend, celebrating one of the longest and most fruitful partnerships in the history of Las Vegas entertainment.

“Performing at Monte Carlo and introducing over five million people to the world of magic has been a fantastic experience for me,” said Burton.  “I have loved every minute of this historic run and look forward to turning my attention to new opportunities.”

Lance cited irreconcilable differences as his motivation in an article from the AP saying: 

Burton declined to elaborate but said he and casino officials had different philosophies about how to put on a show.

"The question that I have to ask myself is, 'Do I stay in this relationship and potentially be very unhappy in the long run?' Or do we just say, 'You know what? It's time for us to move on,'" he said. "And that's what I decided to do."

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