Illusions Starring Jan Rouven

Edgy, fearless and possibly bordering on insanity on occasion, escapologist Jan Rouven defies both belief and gravity in his new show “Illusions”, currently headlining at the beatific Clarion Hotel and Casino Resort. Sensationally dubbed the “Man With Nine Lives” by critics, Rouven has (in his short six month run) been compared to Las Vegas daredevil Kriss Angel for danger factor; David Copperfield for spectacle and a Calvin Klein model for his effortlessly rugged good looks. Thrill factor? You be the judge.

Master Illusionist Rouven was born and raised in Frechen, Cologne, later moving to Kerper with his parents around the age of 7. By 16, Jan had discovered a thirst for illusionism nudged along by his grandmother, who presented him with a magician's set that same Christmas. Veering away from the path of further education, Rouven quickly found his feet with touring duo The Magic Orvellis, subsequently winning the 1999 industry award for “Best Illusionist” in Cologne. Word quickly spread of the illusionist's bodacious skits, leading to a two year run at movie giant Warner Bros' US “Movie World” amusement theater. Jan Rouven's first taste of Las Vegas limelight came during 2009, when Fremont Street Experience executives invited the rising star to headline a month-long OktoberFrightFest. Fueled by critical acclaim and the encouragement of Siegfried Fischbacher (one half of big cat illusion legends Siegfried and Roy), Rouven made the Clarion's FAME Theater a seemingly permanent home!

Kriss Angel fans attest that once you've experienced the thrill of the Magic Circle's most iconic star, nothing else really comes close - until that is, Jan Rouven's “Illusion”. A concoction of dark satire, death-defying stunts and classic Vegas entertainment, “Illusion” is wholly deserving of its open-ended run. Challenging physical possibilities with a series of curious illusions, Rouven immediately expels post-intro anticipation. “Many people have wished they could just make their boss disappear,” he explained in a recent interview with VegasWithLove. “Now I make it possible”. A-typically blond and scantily clad, his glamorous female assistants prepare the stage early on for what has become, one of the defining comedy opening acts in Vegas - making your boss disappear! Of course, Rouven reserves the real eye openers for later in the show. Set to the powerful vocals of Adele's “Rolling In The Deep”, his Water Tank illusion causes a chilling hush throughout the auditorium. Shackled to the interior of a 6 by 4 foot glass-finished tank, Jan compels his audience into awed silence as the water begins to rise. Will he make it? For a performer that has undoubtedly rehearsed this illusion a million times, even he is occasionally surprised at the outcome!

Escapology is just one aspect of “Illusion” that keeps it from wandering into 'seen before' territory. Like all Vegas illusionists, Rouven keeps his audience guessing right up until the last minute with gaff-prone stunts and self-deprecating comedy; mere preludes to audacious knife-edge scenes that quite frankly defy belief. The Jet Turbine Illusion has becoming a talking point of the show, since even veteran illusionists have yet to reveal the trickery involved in its setup. Rouven mounts a 15-foot high platform with the aid of assistants, whom then proceed to strap him onto a gurney and chain his hands to the metal frame. Feet first, the grinning performer is slowly inched into the sucking core of a jet turbine engine, until only his head remains visible. In a tense 60 seconds of cascading sparks and timed fireworks, it is unclear whether the performer has escaped until a shout rings up from the rear of the auditorium. Rouven is thrust into the spotlight once more!