We decided to go to the Chris Angel show at the Luxor in Las Vegas this week. I am not a big fan, and only knew a little about him, but it’s a popular show and I thought it might be fun. I like magic and I’m impressed by street magicians like David Blaine, but I digress.
While we were in line for the show they made a big deal about “no cameras” and “no cell phones” allowed in the theater. I wasn’t happy about having my cell phone confiscated, but they didn’t take mine away. They did, though, force us to walk through a metal detector, presumably to find any hidden cameras. Okay, so I get it, no photographing or filming is allowed, but I have never seen so much security focused on keeping people from taking a picture during a Vegas show.
At first I thought it had to do with the fact that there is a large gift show and Chris was just trying to protect his image, but as the show was starting I notice lots of badged security folks standing at the end of the aisles scanning the audience intently. On numerous occasions they reminded us that no photography would be allowed and that anyone who takes a picture will be immediately removed from the theater. Really?
After the show was over I thought about it some more and it seems like they went way overboard to make sure that nobody took any pictures. I’m thinking that it had something to do with the flashes that would happen and that they might expose the mechanisms of the tricks, which were mainly someone being here and then poof they are actually there (mis-direction tricks). Or perhaps to ensure the safety of the magician and his assistants?
Overall the show really didn’t impress me, was all the nonsense about not taking pictures to protect the artist’s image or to keep his tricks secret? Anybody know?