LAS VEGAS — The Nathan Burton magic show at the Flamingo Showroom is a really nice diverson for the middle of the afternoon slump.
It works for adults and for kids. Things would be better if the showgirls were a little less showy with themselves — but this is Las Vegas.The magic is well done, with snowmobiles and marble statues appearing out of thin air along with people levitating and surviving the saw boxes.
Burton, who became famous on "America's Got Talent" and for spending a week in a box with plenty of showgirls but no food or water, has a genial air about him, and the two performers who help him put on his 90-minute display are personable and talented as well.
He shares his invention for toilet-papering a house in a hurry and reads the minds of people in the audience without a pause. He frees himself from the microwave only to find he's now a singing black man. He can make it snow in the desert. He can make one leg or two disappear. He invites guests to be part of the fun.
For one recent show, he added two guest acts. One juggles a machete, a bowling ball and an apple. He can juggle himself on the top seat of a unicycle — with a little help from some guys in the audience who are willing to let him climb on their faces. He can balance chairs and even a ladder on his chin. Another can stand atop a pile of precariously balanced boxes and pipes and not fall down.
Burton keeps the show lively toward the end. Here is a magic show that defies logic and approaches David Copperfield in the tricks he performs. It isn't tremendously expensive yet, but it will probably become that way soon. Get your tickets now. He's only under contract through 2012.
If you go: What: The Nathan Burton Comedy Magic Show Where: Flamingo Showroom, Flamingo Casino, Las Vegas Strip When: 4 p.m. shows Cost: $34-$44 Website: www.nathanburton.com
Sharon Haddock is a professional freelance writer with 30 years experience, 17 of those at The Deseret News. She has a personal blog called Grandma's Place: http://sharonhaddock.blogspot.com/