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StumbleMurray Sawchuck at Trop; Jabbawockeez’s new digs; ‘Rat Pack’ is back
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Magician and illusionist Murray Sawchuck.
Thursday, March 29, 2012 | 10:29 a.m.
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Murray Sawchuck
Murray Sawchuck on Pawn Stars
“Pawn Stars” regular Murray Sawchuck, who dazzled the judges on “America’s Got Talent” with his magic and illusions, has signed a limited-engagement residency to kick off the Laugh Factory’s new comedy club at the Tropicana.
The news comes the same day that comedian Brad Garrett, who formerly held court in that theater, opens his comedy club across the street at MGM Grand. The legendary Laugh Factory in Hollywood has now taken over Brad’s former showroom as a multi-venue comedy experience at the Trop.
Murray, who starts his first 3-month run April 30, is taking on the first-of-its-kind magic challenge in the round for audiences. He’ll appear nightly at 7 before the 8:30 and 10:30 standup comics yet to be announced.
“It’s impossible to make a full-size train vanish nightly there,” laughed Murray, who told me exclusively, “That’s why I thought how unusual and unique it would be to perform part of my close-up magic totally surrounded by the audience.” However, if it gets through the loading dock, he will have the train on the red carpet premiere.
Murray, with his trademark spiky blond hair and black Armani glasses, will perform his regular close-up and then perform two signature illusions on a 360-degree platform right in the middle of the audience.
“The ‘Circle of Magic’ gives them an opportunity for a rare up-close-and-personal magic experience -- seeing behind, in front and on the sides. You can’t get any closer to magic than this, and it’s almost as if the audience is part of the show,” he said. Comedy sidekick and sleight-of-hand artist Douglas “Lefty” Leferovich also is part of the show.
Murray competed on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” where he reached the semifinals by magically producing a Ferrari, turning a girl into a 450-pound tiger and performing one of the largest illusions ever when he vanished a 1918 Steam Train Locomotive in front of more than 22 million people. He also is seen regularly on the hit History Channel series “Pawn Stars” as the magic expert.
Murray has performed around the world for more than 25 years, played the former Frontier 10 years ago and guest starred regularly in “Crazy Horse Paris” at MGM Grand. Most recently, he headlined the Magic Castle in L.A. and “Vegas Magic” at the Gold Coast.
The changes at the Tropicana are part of the resort’s nearly $200 million transformation, and now New York-based One Group, which operates hotels, restaurants and nightclubs, has taken over the former Nikki Beach there to reopen with a new concept that includes a boutique hotel within one of the Trop towers.
The Laugh Factory is known for hosting some of the biggest names in comedy, including Roseanne Barr, Drew Carey, Jim Carrey, Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook, Rodney Dangerfield, Ellen DeGeneres, Kathy Griffin, Andy Kaufman, Jay Leno, David Letterman, George Lopez, Bill Maher, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Paul Rodriguez, Ray Romano, Bob Saget, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Jon Stewart, Chris Tucker and Robin Williams, and will produce live shows and TV specials from the Trop’s main showroom.
In other big Strip residency news this morning, Vegas Deluxe has exclusively learned that when Blue Man Group moves from the Venetian to the Monte Carlo this year, the Jabbawockeez, who currently perform their “MUS.I.C.” there, will move next door to the Luxor. I can reveal that they will get their own new theater under the pyramid, and work has already begun on the conversion of the former IMAX 3D movie venue there.
Meantime, following their 2011-2012 Broadway Theater Season cross-country tour, members of “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show” have returned home to Las Vegas and Wednesday night began their new run of performances at the LVH (Las Vegas Hotel, formerly the Las Vegas Hilton). They’ll perform nightly at 8:15 through April 29 and then switch to a three-night-a-week permanent run as of May 1.
“Vegas Magic” at the Gold Coast is taking a hiatus while British producer Paul Stone considers its future.
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.
Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.
Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.
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