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| - My wife and myself went to Las Vegas and had two planned shows to go to: KA by Cirque at the MGM Grand and Penn & Teller at the Rio. For KA, my wife was the fan and I was just going along. For Penn & Teller, the other way around.
The first thing we noticed coming in to the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio was a live jazz duo playing. The music was good, fitting the lighting and mood of a relaxed evening out. My wife spotted Penn on the standing bass right away, I did shortly after. We were let in about 45 minutes before the show, and the music did a great job filling the time.
Once the show started, it was a very similar feel to their Showtime series. There was about an equal portion of comedy and magic, and as always the pair were quick to point out the basics of how many of the tricks were done. I have always appreciated the "it's not magic, just illusion" approach that Penn & Teller follow, and they were very entertaining in this way, having audience members come up to verify what they are doing and usually sending them off with a keepsake from the performance. In particular, the segment on the Constitution (up my alley for the political statement) and the goldfish tricks were my favorites. Also, the relatively new addition of a fire-eating female assistant made for a highly memorable "saw in half" trick. The very black humor of the pair has not dulled a bit.
Afterward, as usual, Penn & Teller race outside to take pictures and sign memorabilia. There is no fee for this, and they always wait to see everyone. We got the VIP seats which came with a nice book about the men, the TV show and the Rio show. Each was signed by both men as well as our tickets. I got a photo with each, and both my wife and myself left very happy with the show.
All in all, a fantastic evening's entertainment that doesn't break the bank.
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