This is going to be a difficult intro for me to write... not because I don't have anything to say about Penn & Teller, but because I have far too much to say about Penn & Teller. They are the act I've seen more than any other professional entertainers, including going to Vegas in July (but it's a DRY 110°!) specifically to see them in their theater at the Rio for my birthday. I've read a couple of Penn's books and listened to all of his podcasts, not because I'm a fan of his as a magician, but because I'm a fan of his as a philosopher; I've read dozens of Teller's articles and essays because I'm a fan of his as a writer and thinker. Their Showtime program BULLSHIT! is an excellent primer on critical thinking, while being laugh-out-loud funny -- a very difficult balance to strike -- and one of the first things I would recommend to anyone questioning commonly accepted social tropes.
Penn & Teller have set the standard, for me, for how entertainers should treat their fans. Back in their early days, when playing college campuses, they were known for meeting their fans after each show, spending time in the lobby to shake hands, sign programs, and just chat and answer questions. These days, with their own multi-million-dollar theater at the Rio in Las Vegas, they are STILL the last people to leave the theater lobby after a gig.
In fact, that July when I spent my birthday at the P&T Theater, I showed up at the theater the night before my tickets with a gift that I had made for Teller -- a hand-embroidered portrait of Harry Houdini. I simply walked into the lobby and waited until he was done signing, so I didn't take any gambling time away from anyone. He not only very graciously accepted the gift, he recognized my name from the card. "You've made things for me before, haven't you?" Why yes, I have.
The next night, my birthday, for which I actually did have a ticket, I was exiting the show through the lobby when Teller saw me across the crowd, and called to me by name. "I wanted to tell you, everyone I've shown your Houdini piece to has been really impressed. My wardrobe seamstress says it's really very fine work. I have a Houdini grotto at my house, and I know just where to put it." And he signed my show program from memory.
There's nothing better in my eyes than people who will call the Boy Scouts out on the carpet for their anti-gay policies, state with clarity that there are no gods, and then look me in the eye and make me feel like the most important person in the room right at that moment. Nevermind the fact that I can stand 6 feet from Teller and STILL not be able to spot his sleight-of-hand moves!
To sum it up, my enduring love of Penn & Teller (especially Teller -- sure, I play favorites) goes back even further than this:
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| One of my favorite pictures of all time. |
Bring your passport!
Caesars Windsor is thrilled to welcome the outrageous comic and magical duo Penn & Teller to the Colosseum stage on Saturday, June 2, 2012 at 9 pm. Successfully inventing their own distinct brand of comedy and genre of magic, the award-winning Penn & Teller have been Emmy nominees for 13 years and are six-time winners of "Las Vegas Magicians of the Year". Penn is also currently a contender on this season's "Celebrity Apprentice". Tickets start at $30 Canadian.
Must be 19 years of age or older to attend performances or enter the casino. Only tickets purchased at the Caesars Windsor Box Office are eligible to earn Reward Credits.