Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

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Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 2nd, 2009, 1:57 pm

From the Las Vegas Sun:
"Magicians new act a bit more revealing than a typical show
By Jerry Fink (contact) ... Red-haired magician Scarlett will launch a provocative new production Wednesday at the Riviera. It will feature more than pulling rabbits out of a hat and sawing someone in half. The 'Princess of Magic' will be backed by a bevy of topless dancers in the adult version of her act, directed by Las Vegas choreographer Bobby Boling."

Lots of cheeky comments to be made here, but I'll leave that to all of you. :)
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Gord » July 2nd, 2009, 4:00 pm

Has anyone seen her act?
Is she any good?
(He asks expecting the answer "no.")

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 2nd, 2009, 5:06 pm

There is a video of clips on her website:
http://www.scarlettmagic.com/flv.htm
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Pepka » July 3rd, 2009, 5:39 am

I won't be in Vegas til March. I hope it lasts til then.

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Francesca Moffet » July 3rd, 2009, 6:40 am

I love her hair but don't think much of her magic to be honest. There was nothing I haven't seen a million times on that video and her presentation isn't that great.

Not great but I've seen much worse.

Don't think I'll apply to be an understudy for one of the dancers though. Hehehe. ;)
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby jason156 » July 3rd, 2009, 8:46 am

She was asked how she got interested in magic and she says she started out as a magician's assistant about 3 years ago.......


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTJKhzhkP0w

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby David Alexander » July 3rd, 2009, 8:53 am

Clips and demo tapes are often edited to make the performer look better than they really are...think Criss Angel. I'd like to see a full routine to see how she interacts with the audience.

A simple criteria can be applied: If her performance looks like she could be easily replaced by a female dancer, then she's not that good.

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Mark Paulson » July 3rd, 2009, 4:29 pm

My wife and I saw her act last summer when we got 1/2 priced tickets. There were only about 25 people in the audience. It looked like a work in progress, but it looked like it would be a nice act for families with little kids. There were too many costume changes, many of which didn't work, in my opinion.

When I first heard about this, I thought that she is getting rid of her core audience. On the other hand, it may just bring in a whole new group of people (and you know who you are, guys).

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Tim Ellis » July 3rd, 2009, 6:49 pm

David Alexander wrote:A simple criteria can be applied: If her performance looks like she could be easily replaced by a female dancer, then she's not that good.


That criteria can be applied to male magicians as well...

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Chris Aguilar » July 3rd, 2009, 7:45 pm

If the video clip on her site is representative of her act, then perhaps she'd be better off ditching the magic and going with an all nude review.

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby opie » July 3rd, 2009, 8:03 pm

Nice tricks.....tsk tsk.....opie

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 3rd, 2009, 11:18 pm

I think she has potential, but she needs a strong director and a good scriptwriter. And the willingness to be directed and speak lines.
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Ian Kendall » July 4th, 2009, 4:42 am

Quote Chris: an all nude review

Revue, surely (unless she's reading this thread in the althogether...)

Take care, Ian

P.S. Having just imagined the current crop of Genii reviewers there was a small involuntary shudder. And another.

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Kurt » July 5th, 2009, 11:51 am

I don't remember such blah blah when Lance Burton had a topless show at the Hacienda.
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby David Alexander » July 5th, 2009, 12:03 pm

Interesting that in the interview she says she started in magic three years ago as an assistant while her website promo claims she was doing magic since the age of 10.

And just for the record, Frakson was working Paris in a topless review in the 1950s, Lance was working at The Body Shop, a strip joint on LA's Sunset Strip before he went to Vegas...and I was working in a topless review in Canada in 1969 and Mexico City in 1970....and that's just three working acts off the top of my head. I'm sure there have been more. Nothing new or particularly scandalous.

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 5th, 2009, 12:27 pm

How many female magicians have worked with nude female dancers?
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Dave V » July 5th, 2009, 2:15 pm

Geno can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Melinda used topless dancers in her show at Bourbon Street. She wouldn't show any skin (other than her wonderfully revealing costumes) but I think her assistants did.
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby James Kernen » July 5th, 2009, 3:00 pm

The one Melinda show I saw many did have topless assistants. The earlier show didn't but the second show did....

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 5th, 2009, 3:00 pm

Having a female magician keep her top on while performing with other topless females sort of begs a question, doesn't it.
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 5th, 2009, 3:02 pm

I should add that I think the idea of having topless female assistants is despicable, whether the magician is male or female, and when I saw Lance's "topless" show it was an extremely uncomfortable experience for many in the audience. You could sense the discomfort, and you could also tell that Lance wasn't happy about it.
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Dave V » July 5th, 2009, 4:37 pm

Well you know, it is Vegas. They expect nothing less. Come to think of it, I guess they *do* expect less...

It depends on the audience. I can understand it working for Melinda, but not Lance. One was a "Cabaret" show, the other was family entertainment.
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Dustin Stinett » July 5th, 2009, 8:00 pm

It was Siegfried & Roy who finally had the juice to kill the nudity in a major show that Las Vegas producers believe is a necessity to draw an audience. It was their show that really pushed the family friendly period in Las Vegas to the forefront. Of course, the town has since done a complete 180 and is back to what Drew Carey likes to describe as Come to Las Vegas: Gamble and Get Laid attitude.

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Jeff Haas » July 5th, 2009, 9:09 pm

I don't see the appeal of nudity in a Vegas show anymore. Don't these people have the internet?

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Ray Eden » July 6th, 2009, 4:20 am

Jeff Haas wrote:I don't see the appeal of nudity in a Vegas show anymore. Don't these people have the internet?


It may have something to do with 3D versus 2D, Live versus Pixels. Hey... what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. :-)

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Francesca Moffet » July 6th, 2009, 5:04 am

I've seen a few episodes of Cabaret du Monde where topless dancers made a few appearances at the beginning and end of the show, they looked completely out of place in a mainly magic-based show and it was obvious the only purpose they served was to titillate the creepy compere.
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Tim Ellis » July 6th, 2009, 5:50 pm

I know I'll sound ridiculously pedantic here, but why do Americans equate "topless" with "nude"?

There is a distinction... ;)

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 6th, 2009, 9:26 pm

Our country was founded by Puritans, where a woman's naked bosom is never to be seen--not on the beach, not on network TV, and so on.

Tim, do you know what a "merkin" is? That's how bizarre it gets in the US. That's when "nude" still isn't "nude" even when it looks like "nude."
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Francesca Moffet » July 7th, 2009, 4:26 am

It's the same in Ireland as in the US at least in the part I come from as I'm way out in the sticks, Belfast is a bit more open-minded when it comes to that kind of entertainment.
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Mark Lewis » July 7th, 2009, 12:41 pm

I am afraid that Ireland is more conservative than the US in these matters. Even in Belfast which after all is part of the holy province of Ulster. I remember when someone tried to open one of those dreadfully improper sex shops in Belfast and all hell broke loose in the newspapers about it and naturally they had to close it.

Dublin might have been different. I have seen some very odd people there who indulge in disgraceful and improper behaviour and such a show might well work there but even so probably not.

I do remember a nude magician years ago by the name of Malcolm Vadell who hailed from Northern England. His career was on a downside so he tried this angle for a while. He was the first nude magician in Britain. It worked temporarily but then a certain circumstance stopped him developing further. That circumstance was that he commited suicide.

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Francesca Moffet » July 8th, 2009, 5:35 am

Psychic Lawrence wrote:I am afraid that Ireland is more conservative than the US in these matters. Even in Belfast which after all is part of the holy province of Ulster. I remember when someone tried to open one of those dreadfully improper sex shops in Belfast and all hell broke loose in the newspapers about it and naturally they had to close it.


Ah yes, the lap dancing club. I remember that, there was a protest outside it and it had to close down. I found it utterly ridiculous, if someone wants to open a club like that it's perfectly within their rights to do so.

I have to be very careful who I confide in around where I live that I do some work as a burlesque/fetish model. I would no doubt be chased with pitchforks and burnt at the stake if some of the villagers found out.
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby bobon » July 8th, 2009, 9:51 am

perverted!!!

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Donal Chayce » July 8th, 2009, 2:45 pm

bobon wrote:perverted!!!

Oh, please...
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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Brian Marks » July 8th, 2009, 3:07 pm

nothing wrong with a topless magic show. At least no one is hiding whatever up their bra, which many male magicians do.

If the women are good looking enough, no one will watch the magic.

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby bobon » July 9th, 2009, 7:46 am

I dont want to fight for my comment but what I see is these people are trying to make easy money using this cheap method(already used by tele and movie media).Showing skin is not a big deal but as far magic is related I dont think its the right way.There is a brunch known as adult magic where I guess a nice humer is created with some witty patter and so the props.Say NickTrost's Horsin' around trick or sometimes a ladies innerware from production box kind of trick.

If you count magic as an art then nudity or partial nudity only acceptable in painting other than any form of art.To create a whisp of wonder inside your brain do we really need a headturner such as this???Now people are shooting pornography in 3D camera so using glasees you can feel more or some PC or Mobile Game published on Sexual intercourses.its related with their subjects.They are experimenting with their level of perfection.


Ask yourself where magic belongs then proceed .You want show magic or some erotic wonders..These people should be kicked out from our brotherhood.

Shame!!!

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby mrgoat » July 9th, 2009, 8:01 am

bobon wrote:perverted!!!


There is nothing perverted about a naked lady. Perversion would be if it was a chicken in a gimp mask.

People really get far too wound up about a pair of boobs.

If nudity is celebrated in all other forms of art (sculpture, painting etc), why not magic?

It's not a lap dance or a titty bar. It's a magic show with some topless girls in.

Sex sells everything these days. Why not introduce some more people to a magic show who come in because of the girls?

How is that bad?

New audiences that might then go and see some more magic.

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Ray Eden » July 9th, 2009, 8:57 am

It's been my experience that "prudes" are the ones who have the most "perversions" to hide, and try to call attention away from the fact by condemning others. I am not accusing bobon of being a part of this group. I'm speaking generically. How many times in just the political arena have we found out that the accuser was guilty of the same "sin" as the accused? Clinton vs. Starr for example. And... I neither condemn nor condone Bill Clinton's need for companionship. The issue was not what he did, but that what he did could have undermined national security. But I'll cease to wax politic.

That facts are this... American's prudish, puritanical morality is all illusion when the curtains are pulled backed and the truth revealed (Hell, the puritans didn't even celebrate Christmas as it was a sinful holiday). And as magicians, we, before anyone else, should be able to see through the illusions that are created for us to exist in. All the "morals" (marriage and divorce, sex before marriage, dress styles, etc.) projected are totally neglected in this "modern" age of "Enlightenment", but a "revealed nipple" becomes headline news for weeks (sorry to bring up a Jackson again) and a bare breast is taboo while husbands cheat on wives and wives cheat on husbands, while at the same time condemning the proverbial "revealed nipple". But, give us Americans a break. In the scheme of time and immemorial we're still in our adolescence years. We'll eventually grow up.

Personally, I am 100% pro the female breast, and will readily admit that I enjoy seeing the female breast. And... I've even been working on a "risque" magical striptease of a female assistant, which would not only expose the female breast but her entire glorious form. In the words of the Psalmist, King David, "When I behold thy creation... oh God!" In my perverse little mind I just know he wrote this while watching Bathsheba bathing across the way. :-)

mrgoat said it. Sex sells and is the most base of human urges. And whether or not the female assistant has clothes on or not, she is ultimately on that stage as misdirection that is brought about due to her sex. And its not just female. Young, handsome men are used to round out the performances. Youth, beauty and sex appeal. Those are the selling points that work. All brought to you by the social engineering of Edward L. Bernays. And he discusses it all in his book PROPAGANDA.

Now... since I'm now living in Finland, I'm off to sauna with fully nude individuals of both sexes. Tah. Tah.

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Tiny » July 9th, 2009, 9:18 am

Hello one and all!
My name is Steve - I have worked under the name "Tiny bubbles" for over 15 years in revue Shows on the Las Vegas Strip.

Many of you who write on this chat board, have seen my act and we have met (sometimes for b-fast at Terribles!)

This subject really makes me smile. I spent most of my time in Las Vegas working for a show called "Showgirls of Magic" - we did 2 shows a night, 6 nights a week, 650 shows a year. For many years, the first show was "covered" and the second was "Topless"
Covered NEVER had the crowd numbers the Topless did.

Ever.

Now I am a farm boy from Iowa and Missouri - coming into the show was an eye-opener for this Midwestern farm boy. Being raised that ANY showing of skin on a woman was equal to pornography, I was shocked to see the unabashed nudity that was the norm in the dressing room. Of course, over the years, I came to accept this as just normal "backstage stuff" in the profession. To those who dont work full time as professional entertainer, or those who dont work in show business full time, rather performing magic as a hobby, to see such things might be alarming.

I was amazed at the amount of guys who would get a free ticket from me (something I enjoyed being able to do and allow them to experience the show themselves.) and their reactions to the show.
They would sit with their arms folded, and would stare at the show. Never clapping, Never smiling, never reacting... (And yes, we COULD see you from the stage...)

Amazingly insultive to ANY performer to have an audience react with such lack of even wanting to be there... Let alone it being a fellow magician!

If any of the girls from the show had gone to see THEM perform and sat in THEIR audience with their arms folded looking bored, they would have surely called the girls all sorts of names...
(side note: MOST of the "Guest magicians" had never even WORKED on a professional stage, let alone done 650 PAID shows per year...)


Magic is more than just "tricks" - it is the way in which you present them. The dancers we hired and taught the magic to, were MUCH more graceful and handled the props with such professionalism, that it would put MANY magicians to shame (and they did...)


I fought long and hard for those girls in Showgirls of Magic with the Magic community.
They would say...
"They aren't REAL magicians - they are just DANCERS.."
(I heard that SO MANY TIMES over the years...)
(Sizzle, sizzle...)

Please explain to me what a REAL magician is?
Lol

That's what I thought.

After seeing several contest at magic conventions over the last 3 years - I have to say the Asian Magicians have the American magicians whipped. It was embarrassing to watch American magicians compete against the skill and smooth fluid movements of the other contestants. This smoothness and fluid ability to present magic flawlessly, is exactly what the female dancers did in Showgirls of Magic. They combined their years of dance training, movement on stage training with the skill of presenting magic convincingly.
The combinations made for a VERY long running show in Vegas, as well as helping the careers of many female magicians.

Yes, they worked topless for many of the shows (and the last 4 or 5 years of the shows run at the San Remo Hotel & Casino - BOTH shows were topless.)
To appreciate the human form as natural beauty is something else we Americans seem to be "whipped" over. In Europe, the human body is not shun nor looked down upon, rather is celebrated and admired. And not in a "pornographic" way, either.

I understand and appreciate Richard's comments about the Puritans & the way this country of ours was founded... I also understand they used to burn witches on a stake for doing "magic"....

Times change.
People change and accept change.

Some, Sadly, don't.


A topless Magic show is another form of the Art of magic and it's presentation...
Just as Magic was presented as
* "Scientific Experiments" in the days of old...
* Evening wear (top hats, Tails, & gloves) in Victorian days...
* Tye-dyed overalls and wild hair (Thank you Doug Henning) in the 70's....
* "Street Magic".... (David Blaine, Criss Angel, etc...)
* T-shirts, ripped blue Jeans, and a sport jacket thrown on as if you just walked onto the stage from the street, in todays shows...
* "Topless Magic Shows" are just another way of presenting the art of magic.

Why not try and enjoy it?


Or wear sunglasses in a dark theater and watch what you want...
(And we had a few magicians who visited the show, do JUST THAT...)

Sigh...

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Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby Tiny » July 9th, 2009, 9:20 am

Hello one and all!
My name is Steve - I have worked under the name "Tiny bubbles" for over 15 years in revue Shows on the Las Vegas Strip.

Many of you who write on this chat board, have seen my act and we have met (sometimes for b-fast at Terribles!)

This subject really makes me smile. I spent most of my time in Las Vegas working for a show called "Showgirls of Magic" - we did 2 shows a night, 6 nights a week, 650 shows a year. For many years, the first show was "covered" and the second was "Topless"
Covered NEVER had the crowd numbers the Topless did.

Ever.

Now I am a farm boy from Iowa and Missouri - coming into the show was an eye-opener for this Midwestern farm boy. Being raised that ANY showing of skin on a woman was equal to pornography, I was shocked to see the unabashed nudity that was the norm in the dressing room. Of course, over the years, I came to accept this as just normal "backstage stuff" in the profession. To those who dont work full time as professional entertainer, or those who dont work in show business full time, rather performing magic as a hobby, to see such things might be alarming.

I was amazed at the amount of guys who would get a free ticket from me (something I enjoyed being able to do and allow them to experience the show themselves.) and their reactions to the show.
They would sit with their arms folded, and would stare at the show. Never clapping, Never smiling, never reacting... (And yes, we COULD see you from the stage...)

Amazingly insultive to ANY performer to have an audience react with such lack of even wanting to be there... Let alone it being a fellow magician!

If any of the girls from the show had gone to see THEM perform and sat in THEIR audience with their arms folded looking bored, they would have surely called the girls all sorts of names...
(side note: MOST of the "Guest magicians" had never even WORKED on a professional stage, let alone done 650 PAID shows per year...)


Magic is more than just "tricks" - it is the way in which you present them. The dancers we hired and taught the magic to, were MUCH more graceful and handled the props with such professionalism, that it would put MANY magicians to shame (and they did...)


I fought long and hard for those girls in Showgirls of Magic with the Magic community.
They would say...
"They aren't REAL magicians - they are just DANCERS.."
(I heard that SO MANY TIMES over the years...)
(Sizzle, sizzle...)

Please explain to me what a REAL magician is?
Lol

That's what I thought.

After seeing several contest at magic conventions over the last 3 years - I have to say the Asian Magicians have the American magicians whipped. It was embarrassing to watch American magicians compete against the skill and smooth fluid movements of the other contestants. This smoothness and fluid ability to present magic flawlessly, is exactly what the female dancers did in Showgirls of Magic. They combined their years of dance training, movement on stage training with the skill of presenting magic convincingly.
The combinations made for a VERY long running show in Vegas, as well as helping the careers of many female magicians.

Yes, they worked topless for many of the shows (and the last 4 or 5 years of the shows run at the San Remo Hotel & Casino - BOTH shows were topless.)
To appreciate the human form as natural beauty is something else we Americans seem to be "whipped" over. In Europe, the human body is not shun nor looked down upon, rather is celebrated and admired. And not in a "pornographic" way, either.

I understand and appreciate Richard's comments about the Puritans & the way this country of ours was founded... I also understand they used to burn witches on a stake for doing "magic"....

Times change.
People change and accept change.

Some, Sadly, don't.


A topless Magic show is another form of the Art of magic and it's presentation...
Just as Magic was presented as
* "Scientific Experiments" in the days of old...
* Evening wear (top hats, Tails, & gloves) in Victorian days...
* Tye-dyed overalls and wild hair (Thank you Doug Henning) in the 70's....
* "Street Magic".... (David Blaine, Criss Angel, etc...)
* T-shirts, ripped blue Jeans, and a sport jacket thrown on as if you just walked onto the stage from the street, in todays shows...
* "Topless Magic Shows" are just another way of presenting the art of magic.

Why not try and enjoy it?


Or wear sunglasses in a dark theater and watch what you want...
(And we had a few magicians who visited the show, do JUST THAT...)

Sigh...
:crazy:

opie
Posts: 501
Joined: March 14th, 2008, 10:43 am
Location: austin tx

Re: Scarlett Opens a New Magic Show in Vegas With Nude Assistants

Postby opie » July 9th, 2009, 12:25 pm

Tiny....nicely put.....

I have attended countless topless/nude performances during my 70 years and thoroughly enjoyed the moments. They are not something I seek out to attend, but I certainly do not sit in a closed-body posture. Having spent many many years in foreign clubs, as a career military man (during which one forth of the time I was a single man), I can compare the shows to watching card-trick performances at a convention. I can enjoy a couple and then look for something different. A little honey does sweeten life occasionally, but too much can make one sick.

For those folks who do not like boobs, check out something more wholesome like Penn and Teller or the gay clubs in Vegas. I have heard they are pretty entertaining...hahaha....

opie


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