Lance Burton (born William Lance Burton on March 10, 1960 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American stage magician who performs nightly in his own show at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has appeared on numerous television programs, and also performed for Queen Elizabeth and President Ronald Reagan. He has also appeared on the 2006 Labor Day Weekend Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “Louisville” redirects here. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “Louisville” redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino is a hotel and casino located on the famed Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada - it is currently owned by MGM Mirage. ... For further information, see Las Vegas metropolitan area and Las Vegas Strip. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the fortieth President of the United States (1981 – 1989) and the thirty-third Governor of California (1967 – 1975). ...

History

He first became interested in magic at the age of 5, when he was one of the volunteers at a performance of Harry Collins's during a Christmas party at the factory where his mother worked. The trick was The Miser's Dream, where Collins "pulled silver dollars out of the sky" and Burton's ears. The young Burton was fascinated, and a neighbor, hearing of his interest, gave him a book, Magic Made Easy, which her own (then-grown) children had used. It contained ten tricks, all of which young Burton quickly learned. His first performances were for neighborhood children, charging them a nickel each.

Collins, a full-time magician, noticed the interest, and became his mentor when Burton was in his teens, teaching him the fundamentals of the trade. In 1977, as a teenager, Burton entered his first magic competition and won first prize. In 1980, shortly after his 20th birthday, he was awarded a "Gold Medal of Excellence" from the International Brotherhood of Magicians. After that, he moved to Southern California, where within a week he appeared on The Tonight Show. Host Johnny Carson watched him in rehearsal, and allowed him to do an unprecedented 12-minute routine. Through the course of Burton's career he was invited back for a total of ten performances while Johnny Carson was host, and another five performances during Jay Leno's tenure. Burton has also appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) is the worlds largest organization for professional and amateur magicians, with approximately 15,000 members worldwide. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other persons named John Carson, see John Carson (disambiguation). ... James Douglas Muir Jay Leno (born April 28, 1950) is an Emmy-winning American comedian who is best known as the current host of NBC televisions long-running variety and talk program The Tonight Show. ... Another program called The Late Late Show is Irelands longest-running TV chat show. ...

He performed an initial eight week trial at the Folies Bergere show in Las Vegas, and this was then extended for a record-breaking nine years. In 1982, he competed at the international Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (FISM) competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, and won the "Grande Prix" prize, (the main event of the FISM competition) the youngest person to ever win the main event, and the first American to do so. Costume, c. ... The Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (FISM) (International Federation of Magic Societies) was founded in 1948, and is one of the most respected organizations in the magician industry. ... Waterfront view of Ouchy, just south of Lausanne Lausanne is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), across from Évian-les-Bains, France, and about 60 km northeast of Geneva. ...

In 1991, he produced, directed, and wrote his own show, which opened at the Hacienda Hotel and ran for five years. The Hacienda was a casino and hotel located in Las Vegas, Nevada. ...

He was married once, to magician Melinda Saxe in August 1993, but they divorced a year later. The wedding was performed by Rabbi Appel, a conservative rabbi in Las Vegas.

In August 1994, Burton signed a 13-year contract (the longest contract given to any entertainer in Las Vegas history) with the Monte Carlo Resort in Las Vegas. The 1,274-seat "Lance Burton Theater" was built to Burton's specifications for his show, cost $27 million US, and opened on June 21, 1996. Entertainment Today magazine lists it as the #1 family magic act, and according to USA Weekend, during the 13-year run Burton is expected to earn more than $110 million USD. is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

At Buffalo Bill's Hotel & Casino in Primm, Nevada, Lance Burton escaped the path of a speeding roller coaster while on the tracks of "The Desperado". The Desperado is one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the United States - taking one minute to climb, and 3.5 seconds to descend to where he was on the tracks. The blue, magenta and yellow trains are custom coaster coaches in a bullet-train style. He avoided the coaster by a mere tenth of a second, the trick having apparently gone wrong. After the narrow escape, he looked at the camera and said "That was stupid... That was really stupid." [1]

Lance Burton will be celebrating his ten-year anniversary at the Monte Carlo by introducing his newest illusion entitled "Solid Gold Lady" in which he utilizes $10 million in gold.

Awards

• He has twice been awarded "Magician of the Year" by the Academy of Magical Arts.

• He won the Grand Prix Award at FISM in 1982 for his performance, where Burton stood in a street scene in traditional top hat and tails and spectacularly produced doves, candles and gentleman's walking canes, seemingly from nowhere.

• 1998 Blackstone Theatre Award

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (FISM) (International Federation of Magic Societies) was founded in 1948, and is one of the most respected organizations in the magician industry. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is on the source of light. ... Look up cane in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

See also

• List of famous Louisvillians

This is a list of famous people and celebrities that were either born in or have lived in Louisville, Kentucky. ...

External links

• Lance Burton's website
• TV.com biography
• FISM Grand Prix winners
• Lance Burton review & video
• "Interview with Lance Burton", January 10, 2004, CNN
• USA Weekend, June 27, 2004, "This magic man soars"