Early in the nineties, there was a period wherein I found myself routinely commuting to Las Vegas for odd combinations of biz and pleasure. During this time, I paid no less than a half-dozen visits to the Hacienda to see Lance Burton in a show that was short on price tag (approx. $20) and budget (not many sets, some of them leftover from a shopworn Minsky's Burlesque revue that had preceded him at the shopworn — now extinct — casino). But what he lacked in funds, Burton more than made up for via sheer talent and ingenuity. I've seen enough magicians to know when I'm watching the very best…and Lance Burton was and is the very best. His little show was so good that no one was surprised when he signed a multi-million buck, 10-year deal with a new hotel that was then under construction. In fact, the showroom at the Monte Carlo was named for him and designed to his specifications and now he performs there.
A great show it is…a bit less charming than the one at the Hacienda because, among other differences, it lacks intimacy and underdog status. But magic doesn't get much better than what Mr. Burton offers on that stage.
All of this is a roundabout way of leading up to a recommendation. I just got a copy of Lance Burton: Secrets of Magic, a low-priced (under 12 bucks) DVD that you can purchase from Amazon-dot-com by clicking on the picture above. It's really a bargain for magic fans, as it contains two of those fine NBC specials that Lance did a few years back, plus another magic special that he's in but does not headline, as well as a few extras. The magic is terrific and it's photographed with great integrity, meaning that the director didn't "help" the magician by doing little time compressions or cutaways to omit what you might have caught, had you been there live. I believe this DVD is on closeout, having been discontinued, so if you want one, buy now.