December 27, 2006

Penn & Teller: How Did They Do That?

While in Vegas, you should experience Vegas. That's my feeling. Rather than coop up in a hotel room or watch television, you should make time to play the slots, play the tables, see shows, go to nightclubs, or whatever finds your fancy. This week being Christmas week, we made time for the relatives, and time to get entertained. Last night's presentation by Penn & Teller was a great show, and if you're willing to suspend skepticism, magical.

The pair are well-known, with Penn playing the part of the large, boisterous dominant type, and Teller, the mousy, silent sidekick. In fact, Teller doesn't speak at all. The pair entertained the audience yesterday with a wide variety of tricks from the age-old "hidden cup and ball" maneuver to juggling broken wine bottles, and catching bullets in their teeth.

While they took the time to explain the origin of some optical illusions, some have been so well honed, I'd rather not try and figure out how they did it. Outside of a theater's special effects, Penn & Teller managed to have you just wondering the secrets they dared not tell. And they were funny. Penn is an excellent emcee, and plays his role well - keeping the audience's attention and respect throughout.

Though unlike the show we saw the previous night, Menopause, in just about every way, Penn & Teller is similarly a must-see. My only major regret from this week's trip was our inability to see Jerry Seinfeld. Maybe next time.