Is it me or does it feel like there’s a hint of “Las Vegas” in the air? It might have something to do with Michael Loftus performing stand-up comedy out there next week. But also, fresh news of a new limited-series coming out about the iconic magician duo, Siegfried and Roy.
There is a lot about Siegfried and Roy that I didn’t know about until now. And I grew up in 1990’s Nevada! Although, I was way too young to understand a lot of what the behind-the-scenes entertainment came with for these two celebrity magicians. It makes total sense though. Us kids were only interested in the flashy lights, wild costumes, lions and tigers, and magic tricks.
Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn met while working on a cruise ship in 1957. Roy was a waiter and a bell boy, and Siegfried was performing magic. Siegfried asked Roy to join him on stage, to be a part of his show. At one point, they cleverly came up with an idea to smuggle a live cheetah on board and have it be a part of their performance. However, the two were caught during the smuggle and let go from the cruise line.
Both Siegfried and Roy found another cruise line to perform their show on shortly after this incident. And by the mid-60s, they had been discovered once again. This time asked to perform with a European entertainment circuit. And with this group, they were performing with live tigers.
Another success, another discovery. The year was 1967 and they were doing a performance in Paris, France. This time the request was to perform at the Tropicana in Las Vegas, Nevada. But it wasn’t until 1990 that Steve Wynn offered them a 5 year, $57.5 million contract to do a residency at The Mirage Hotel and Casino. The Mirage is where they stayed until the show ended in 2003.
The two were also romantically involved throughout the years. But details about their partnership remained tight. They resided together on their 8-acre property in North Las Vegas, known as “Jungle Palace.” This property lied within their 80-acre property, known as “Little Bavaria.” According to The Clark County Commission, the latest owners of the property plan to convert the home to an entertainment venue and museum.
The show was immensely popular in Las Vegas for over a decade. The duo made movie cameos and appeared on a variety of talk shows over the years. The ride finally came to an end in 2003 when tragically, Roy was horrifically injured on stage by one of the show’s tigers.
After the show closed, the hotel kept open Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, which opened in 1996. Here visitors could view live dolphin shows and watch the tigers and lions in their habitats. They also kept open a souvenir shop and you could still purchase show merchandise for a while.
Both Siegfried and Roy have sadly passed away by now. Roy, in 2020 due to Covid. And Siegfried in 2021 from Pancreatic cancer.
From there, the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat closed in 2022. And for the final trick (see what I did there?), the doors of The Mirage Hotel and Casino permanently closed last year.
From seeing billboards at McCarran airport’s baggage claim, to sitting all dressed up in The Mirage Theater to watch an epic magic performance, Siegfried and Roy defined Las Vegas in the 90s.
What a wild ride for these two amazing showmen. But awesome news lies ahead! There is a new show for Apple TV+ on the horizon. Wild Things, a limited-series about Siegfried and Roy, starring Jude Law and Andrew Garfield. Right now the release isn’t for over a year from now. But we’ll definitely keep our eyes out for this sometime towards the end of next year or the beginning of 2027. How perfect is this? Oh, and you had me at Jude Law.