I cannot find any words that can describe the experience of ‘A Tribute to Siegfried and Roy’ adequately but I will do my best. It was a truly a magical moment in time when just being there was what mattered and it was an action packed emotional rollercoaster night of pure celebration and entertainment. It all started at around 5 minutes to 7 just before the curtain went up, Siegfried & Roy entered the royal box not with a grand introduction or a fanfare of trumpets but just quietly taking their seats. But if they or any one else for that matter considered for one moment that the legendary princes of magic could walk into a theatre unnoticed and appreciated were very much mistaken. The whole audience rose to their feet applauded, cheered and whistled until it was time to start the show and the atmosphere was simply electric. The twelve piece orchestra under the direction of Ian MacGregor a renowned musical director and musician in his own right played When Magic Cares which set the scene for an off stage introduction by Jeff Hobson for Kalin & Jinger. Kalin & Jinger were truly awesome and to just list the illusions they performed goes only half way to describing their act as the presentation and chemistry of the pair all come together to make the flaming penetration and cutting a woman in half not only baffling but so memorable, I wondered if any one could follow them. But follow them they did as each act kept the momentum going building on what had gone before, Tomsoni & Co were next presenting their comedy act which has been polished to perfection with countless performances and was appreciated by the whole audience of mainly lay people of all ages. Luis de Matos from Portugal performed think ink. He proceeded to pour coloured sand into the murky mess stirring in each colour of green yellow and blue. Later he reached into the black lagoon and produce handfuls of dry green yellow and blue sand all sprinkled about the stage. To close the act he changed the ink back into clear water. A short but a very impressive act. Direct from the Crazy Horse in Paris came Vic & Fabrini a fast moving extremely precisely timed duo where Vic performs many magical effects with Fabrini a robot. I have seen this act on lots of occasions but never better than on this show they excelled. Wally Eastwood is without doubt a juggler par excellence but of particular mention must be his playing of the electronic piano on the floor not using his hands or feet but playing it with five juggling balls to receive a well acclaimed ovation what an act! Jeff Hobson compered the show introducing each act to perfection and in addition performed two magical effects card in mouth and the egg bag using volunteers from the audience. Both effects were master classes in how to handle a volunteer and entertain. He is simply the best. In addition to Jeff Hobson popping up during the show there were also video clips of celebrities paying tribute to the two great men and video clips of some of their performances which brought spontaneous applause after each clip. The second half started with Norm Nielsen billed in the program as the unique artistry of Norm Nielsen .They must have been referring to his very own floating violin which is pure artistry. The next act was Ben Stone son of Paul Stone but on this occasion he weaved a different kind of magic with his voice, as he sang his rendition of the shows anthem When Magic Cares, Miracles Happen which he had also written and he sang it exceptionally well. Jason Byrne’s magical presentation burnt brightly his Yoyo to dove being totally unexpected brought thunderous applause. Raymond Crow is probably the only mime act who talks so to call him a mime would be some what misleading, but there is nothing misleading about his ability to entertain and none more so than his closing shadow graph performance to Louis Armstrong’s What a wonderful world and in his hands it certainly is! Soul Mystique’s quick change act was the last act of the show. They brought to the stage energy, skill and surprise providing a phenomenal colourful end to a perfect show. However this wasn’t the end because the crème la de crème was the finale when all the artists came on for their final bows to be joined be the icons of magic the one and only Siegfried & Roy who received a resounding standing ovation. They thanked all connected with the show and received no less that five curtain calls from an audience who simply did not want the night to end. If I had to sum up this show in one word I would just say ‘Wow’. Executive producer of the show Paul Stone must have been proud of his achievements at putting together such a moment in time and he is to be congratulated for the work he put into making all this happen and making it a night to remember. | 
