David Blaine could not escape his destiny as the resident illusionist in 'In Spades' at Resorts World Las Vegas. The cardician, close-magic maverick and endurance artist has been an A-list practitioner of prestidigitation throughout his adult life, bringing his act to audiences via television and touring. Now he’s pledged to perform six times on the Strip, joining friends and fellow masters of the magic such as David Copperfield and Penn Jillette as Vegas headliners.
While his buddies astound and amaze, Blaine has a way of creating apprehension in onlookers, ranging from people on the street to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, before pulling off sleight-of-hand card tricks that just don’t seem humanly possible. It’s difficult to not be spooked by the sight of someone making a frog appear from his mouth after it had been sewn shut or correctly guessing each card, one-by one, in a poker hand.
Blaine’s dry, laconic delivery adds to the slightly macabre flavor of his close-magic material, which will be a major part of the show as technology and a state-of-the-art venue enable him to engage with participants while providing visual access to a broader theater audience in a way he could not have done when he was a rising star. The spacious Resorts World Theatre also enables him to introduce new escapes and endurance tests that take the approach he established with his ABC specials and public stunts to new levels.
There’s no illusion to Blaine’s capacity for holding his breath, whether in a water-filled sphere or frozen in a block of ice. It takes superhuman discipline and dedication, a lot of time and training, and sheer will to attempt to break records for holding a lungful of oxygen while being submerged. Harry Houdini turned such attempts into performative art recorded for history by the mass media. Now Blaine brings his brand of sleight of hand to the best destination in the world for fans to find him and begins the next chapter in his legacy of legerdemain and breathtaking escapism.
Resorts World Las Vegas, Sept. 30-Oct. 1. axs.com
Click here for your free subscription to the weekly digital edition of Las Vegas Magazine, your guide to everything to do, hear, see and experience in Southern Nevada. In addition to the latest edition emailed to every week, you’ll find plenty of great, money-saving offers from some of the most exciting attractions, restaurants, properties and more! And Las Vegas Magazine is full of informative content such as restaurants to visit, cocktails to sip and attractions to enjoy.
