The Final Bow

March 2, 2009 · Print This Article

Welcome back to The Expressionist Magazine


2390908634_65838cac6eOn February 28, 2009, a legendary act took the stage for the final time in a dramatic fashion that led to a standing ovation.  That night, Siegfried and Roy officially ended their spectacular career in Las Vegas where it all started.

Throughout the years, Siegfried and Roy amazed their audience with magic and wild animals.  The biggest thrill of their show was the fact there was no barrier separating the jungle beasts from the audience.  Siegfried and Roy’s stage performances have left people speechless for nearly 20 years.

In 2003, Roy Horn was brutally malled by the Bengal tiger used in their act. The horrendous spectacle not only shocked the audience, making them realize the danger of the show and their own vulnerability to something going wrong, but it also ended the limelight for Roy Horn.

After plastic surgery and five years of therapy and rest, the illusionists last performance was nothing shy of perfection.  Roy Horn limped slowly on stage dressed in a black robe, his face concealed with a mask.  The stage was covered in mist, and Roy steadied himself on his partner’s shoulder.

They performed a signature illusion where Siegfried, dressed in a white robe and mask, stood inside a cage while it was concealed with drapes.  Roy removed the drapes and Siegfried appeared across the stage, the Bengal tiger replacing him in the cage.

With that, Las Vegas forever lost one of their most prominent and acclaimed acts.  In turn, Siegfried and Roy went down in the history books, and there they shall remain.  Despite their retirement, they will be talked about for generations to come regarding some of the most impressive illusions ever to emerge from the desert.

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