After I perpetrated an all too easy joke at the expense of Siegfried & Roy (a testament, really, to the enormity of their fame. After all, hardly any time passes without Leno, Letterman and most other TV talk show hosts taking a swipe at them), Richard requested my opinion of the S&R article and interview. Okay, since he asked, I will give it. Now it's up to you, dear reader, to decide whether or not to continue. However, be forewarned: the subject will eventually turn to my favorite subject – me.Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
Sorry, Dustin, but Roy wasn't wearing his codpiece in the photo on the cover.
Let me know what you think of the article and interview.
This feature article is one of the finest pieces ever to appear in Genii. The interview that follows it is more than just a Q&A with the subjects of the feature: It's a vehicle that brings full circle the thoughts of a first time viewer of their show and the inner workings of the men behind that show. I am going to continue believing that this was due to the brilliance of the writer and his editor and not some cosmic accident. (The older I get, the more I grow skeptical of the existence of cosmic accidents that result in perfection – I believe that there had to be a master plan.) Jon Racherbaumer and Richard Kaufman are to be congratulated.
But more than just an article/interview that captures a show and pair of showmen who may very well be in the twilight of their careers (but whose light still shines brightly), the piece made me think about how truly lucky I have been. I have seen Siegfried & Roy twice; though both times were in the 1980s while they were at the Frontier Hotel with their Beyond Belief show. The few times I've made it to Las Vegas since, I was in a position where either I couldn't afford the tickets, or I couldn't get the tickets.
However, I still count myself lucky because at least I have seen S&R live. I think about the countless number of magicians and magic fans who have only seen them on TV. They really don't know what they are missing. And not just with Siegfried & Roy, but other grand illusionists as well. I am lucky. I have seen the late Doug Henning and Harry Blackstone, Jr. perform live. I have seen David Copperfield and Lance Burton perform their shows live. The diversity of all of these performers' styles is as wide as the range of emotions that their audiences experience during their individual shows. And I have experienced them – how lucky.
It's not too often that I reflect on such things. Instead, I take them for granted. But now I am realizing how fortunate I have been during my life that I have experienced these and other great magic events and performers. And it's amazing to me that a magazine article and interview made me think of all this.
How often can one say that?
Thanks Jon and Richard.
Dustin