The Magic and Tigers of Rick Thomas

Never work with children or animals; two rules as applicable to theater, as they are to film, yet seem to be foregone by those with grandiose concepts, that promise to alter our perceptions forever. Okay, so maybe German-American “Masters of The Impossible” Siegfried and Roy weren't excessively pushing the marketing side of things themselves, but the ambitious slogan spoke volumes. Comparing that, to the under-hyped titling of Rick Thomas' “Magic And Tigers” at the Sahara Hotel, or Dirk Arthur's “Wild Magic” - well you get the idea.

That old adage pertaining to working with animals is perhaps one that Siegfried and Roy wish they'd heeded, since their act was made extinct in 2003 by one of their own self-raised tigers. Roy was left permanently brain damaged and unable to walk for three years as a result of an “accident”, while performing live at the Mirage. Such an unexpected occurrence, during a show that ran for over 30 years in Vegas without a hiccup, is liable to initiate speculation when it comes to another production featuring exotic wild cats. But Rick Thomas is quick to eliminate comparisons. Unlike the Siegfried and Roy revue, his show doesn't implement huge pyrotechnic stunts, cages hanging from the ceiling or tigers “off the leash”. In fact, the majestic White and Orange Bengals surprisingly only emerge for a couple of brief illusions, during the course of the entire 90-minute production!

Las Vegas' old-timer Sahara Hotel Resort is the newest venue in Thomas' ten year shuffle around Sin City. Setting for the Sinatra-led “Ocean's Eleven” movie of 1960, the hotel is also renowned to be the last surviving accommodation for “Rat Pack” respite, and boasts a 950-capacity theater with some of the most dynamic acoustics to be found in Vegas. For Thomas, the expansive stage space is a blessing, giving his tigers plenty of legroom and allowing for bigger stunts to be performed. Well when your act involves levitating your blond assistant over twenty feet in the air, it definitely comes in handy!

To pigeon-hole Thomas' show as merely a series of grand illusions would be defamatory, given that he is also an accomplished ballroom dancer, fire-poi expert and tiger handler. Sure, there's nothing as bolshy as a Siegfried and Roy tiger jumping out of a ball of flame, but the disappearance of a 600 lb White Bengal from within his cage is enough to get anyone wondering? Then there's the whole aspect of flapping white ducks emerging from a table cloth. Either those tigers are well fed, or Thomas has their attention throughout the entire show. They definitely look chilled enough, languishing within their cages - until ready to mount their master in the “height” illusion.

Rick Thomas' “Shrinking Tiger” spectacle is a time-honored illusion that demonstrates even he is unafraid of incorporating a little humor into the mix. A subtle spotlight floor-show accompanies the parading of his biggest white tiger “Kaos” into a large wooden transport crate. Thomas then indicates the “wild animal” label, and with a flourish slaps on an “extremely” placard above it. Anticipating something big yet? The crate is folded down double-time, to almost quadruple it's original size revealing a smaller placard, bearing the words “cute animal”. At this point you'd probably expect a cuddly toy to be revealed, yet when Thomas opens the crate, a squirming Bengal cub clambers into his arms like a toddler. Whether or not you're a fan of illusionists, the prospect of a post show “meet 'n' greet” with one of these boisterous babies (or their majestic mums) is too good an opportunity to miss!