Las Vegas Weekly

August 22, 2008 · 6 AM

Nathan Burton: ‘Comedy Magic’ and a guide to Vegas

By Nathan Burton

Nathan Burton.

Photo: Courtesy photo

I’m your guest columnist for the day -- Nathan Burton. I’m a comedy magician with the show “Nathan Burton Comedy Magic” playing daily at 4 p.m. at the world-famous Flamingo Las Vegas. I’m honored to be writing this column and I’m happy to report that I have my own piece of celebrity gossip to share. On Saturday, Aug. 3, Michael Jackson and his three children, Paris, Blanket and Prince, came to see my show, which Robin reported to his Luxe Life readers the day it happened. Still, I would like to say what a great honor it was to have him there. It was crazy to be performing and look out in the audience and see Michael in his disguise applauding and enjoying the show. I spoke to him afterwards and he and his children were very nice. It’s a great day when Michael Jackson compliments you and calls you "Mr. Burton."

My show, "Nathan Burton Comedy Magic," has been open at the Flamingo since April 2008. Before then, the show was at the V Theater inside the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. I am honored to have a show inside the legendary Flamingo showroom, where one of my idols, Wayne Newton, performed for years. I have worked to become a professional magician since I was 5 years old and now that dream is a reality. One of my most exciting accomplishments is my big face up on the front of the Flamingo. It’s crazy to look up and see yourself 20 stories high! My sister, Emily, who works as my production manager, says that she gets scared every time she drives down Interstate 15 and looks over to see my giant head floating on the Flamingo. You'd think she would be used to it since she drives a car with my face all over it. In fact, my mother, Nancy Burton, who works for the show as well, drives a wrapped “Nathan Burton Comedy Magic” car. Having my sister and mother drive cars wrapped with the show logo is a great way to get free publicity all over town. Plus, everyone can tell where Nancy and Emily are at all times.

I first discovered magic when I was 5 years old, when my mother gave me a magic trick where I could turn a nickel into a dime. Once I discovered that I could make money doing magic, I was completely hooked. I did my very first show for my own kindergarten class. It was a horrible show and all the tricks messed up, but the class still applauded. I got involved with local magic groups and was performing for birthday parties by the time I was 10 years old. Then I won a few of the big competitions and got an agent when I was 15 years old. Two days after I turned 16, I traveled to Chile to tape a TV show. I then traveled the globe full-time for the next 10 years. I worked on a cruise ship in Scandinavia along with a troupe of topless dancers when I was 19 years old. Believe me, that is a 19-years-old’s dream come true. I performed for a year in South Korea making an elephant disappear nightly. I performed in Japan, Germany, France -- everywhere. My career really took off when I moved to Vegas.

I started out doing spots in David Saxe’s “Showgirls of Magic” and then David Saxe’s “V -- The Ultimate Variety Show.” I was then cast in Wayne Newton’s E! Reality Show, “The Entertainer,” where I learned the power of performing TV. This all led to my huge "Seven Days, Seven Showgirls" stunt, when I lived inside a glass box for seven days with seven showgirls with nothing to eat or drink. The box was suspended in the middle of the mall at Planet Hollywood and millions of people all over the world tuned into the 24 hours a day Web cam that tracked every second of my seven days in the box.

A week before I first opened “Nathan Burton Comedy Magic” at the V Theater, I auditioned for this little TV show called “America’s Got Talent.” This was before the first season of “America’s Got Talent” had even aired so I had no idea whether this show was going to be legitimate, big deal or a complete joke. Turns out, it was one of the biggest moves of my career. I remember the first day of taping and watching all of these horrible acts perform. My crew kept telling me that we should leave and not waste our time. They were afraid the show was going to be about the worst talent in America, not the best. But, we stuck around and performed the Microwave of Death for our first spot. Two of the judges, Brandy and David Hasslehoff, liked the trick a lot. The third judge, Piers Morgan, wasn’t as favorable and said it wasn’t original enough. But, I advanced on to the next round and this time all of the judges loved my performance. I then performed over six times on primetime on NBC’s No. 1 summer show, which was priceless exposure. To this day, audience members tell me they came to see my show at the Flamingo Las Vegas because of watching me on “America’s Got Talent.” Be sure to watch for me to make a few appearances toward the end of the third season this September.

I love performing on TV. Most recently, I appeared on The Food Network’s "The Next Food Network Reality Star." I performed twice on Megan Mullally’s talk show -- once cutting her in half and once making "The O.C.'s" Peter Gallagher appear. The showgirls and I also taped an episode of “Miami Ink” when one of my showgirls got a tattoo of a sparrow on her hip. I was a coach on VH1’s “Surreal Life: The Fame Game,” where I coached Emmanuel Lewis, Traci Bingham and Chyna Doll on how to perform a magic act. Not too long ago I popped up on Extra when the showgirls and I stopped by David Hasslehoff’s suite at the Planet Hollywood. I also taped an episode of “Paris Hilton’s: MY BFF” that is going to be airing on MTV. The photos of me cutting Paris Hilton in half ended up in InTouch Magazine.

The easy part about having your own show in Las Vegas is the hour I perform every day. My team and I spend the rest of our days working on marketing, publicity, ticket sales and a million other things that keep the show running. At 4 p.m., I get to relax and do what I love -- perform my show for hundreds of audience members. My favorite illusion to perform has always been the Microwave of Death, where I attempt to escape a giant, industrial strength microwave. I had the original idea for this when I was 16 years old and at first it was the “Tanning Bed of Death,” but it quickly evolved into the Microwave. This illusion always gets a huge laugh and displays the humorous attitude I like to take toward magic. I also really enjoy the Steamroller illusion when the dancers trap me in a dressing room prop and I reappear in the audience. The reappearance is one of my favorite moments in the show because I scare the crap out of audience members and it’s great to see their shocked faces.

I have five great showgirls that dance in my show. The showgirls always have hilarious stories to tell in the dressing room about boyfriends, clipping coupons and painting their nails. We’re always laughing before and sometimes even during the show. The showgirls not only dance in my show in the afternoon, but work in other shows all over town. One showgirl has been a professional magic assistant for several years and also dances in “World’s Greatest Magic.” Another showgirl dances in the Show at the Sky at the Rio and at the Pussycat Doll Lounge at Caesar’s. Two of our dancers dance at the Cathouse in the Luxor and another in “Legends” at Imperial Palace. The showgirls all work hard to make a living as professional dancers in Vegas and do a great job.

Enough about me -- how about this crazy town I live in? I’ve always believed that Vegas is the best city in the world. It has non-stop activity, excitement and world-class shows. There’s a reason that millions of tourists come to Vegas each year and there’s a reason that I live here -- because Vegas is unlike any other city in the world.

Nathan Burton’s Guide to Las Vegas:

Favorite Hotel: The Flamingo Las Vegas, of course. It’s a classic hotel with a rich history, plus live flamingos, great bars and restaurants, and the city’s most beautiful theater.

Favorite Pool: The Flamingo GO pool. A classy topless pool that is always lots of fun. Look for the showgirls and me in a cabana on Monday’s during the summer. It’s a weekly ritual for us to relax before we go and do our 4 p.m. show.

Favorite Lounge: The Peppermill. If you’re looking for a true old-school Vegas glam vibe, it’s the Peppermill. Head to the back to the Fireside Lounge, where you can see around floating fire and classic neon lights. Just don’t wear a hat because they won’t let you in. It’s an old Vegas rule that the Peppermill strictly enforces -- they even kicked Pink out for wearing a hat.

Favorite Club: The Cathouse. The Cathouse at the Luxor is by far the best club in Vegas. It’s not as big as the huge clubs and has a much better vibe, plus you never know when Carrot Top, Criss Angel, myself or other celebs will be in the crowd.

Favorite Bar: The Artisan. One of the most well-kept secrets in Vegas is the Artisan Hotel on Sahara under Interstate 15. The Artisan is one of the only hotels near the Strip with no gambling. Stepping into the Artisan feels like stepping into a 19th century hotel in Paris. There’s a great bar where you can always find locals who are tired of the Strip and want a funky place to hang out.

Favorite Gym: The Flamingo Gym. Big surprise, huh? But the best personal trainer in Vegas trains there and you can often find me sweating profusely in the gym before my show.

Best Shopping: The Fashion Show Mall. The Fashion Show has everything you can want so that’s where I always end up.

Favorite Vegas Entertainer: There is not one answer to this. I like any entertainer who inspires me to be a better performer when I see their show. Two examples lately are Gordie Brown, an impersonater/singer who performs at the V Theater and Carrot Top, who always impresses me with his use of music and clever props.

Favorite Magician: David Copperfield. I have been watching David Copperfield on TV and stage since I was kid. He is the biggest influence on every magician and I am no exception. He plays limited engagements at the Hollywood Theater at the MGM year-round. I recommend that anyone who likes magic go and see the master in action.

I’m really excited about the state of magic today. It’s great how many excellent magic shows are in Vegas right now. All the way from the afternoon guys like myself and Mac King to the big nighttime names of Copperfield and Lance Burton. I also think it’s great that there’s so much magic on TV and I’m excited to see Criss Angel’s Cirque show opening in October. With the major blockbusters like "The Prestige" and "The Illusionist," magic is only getting more popular. I am happy to be one of the hardworking magicians making a good living by amazing audiences daily.

So that’s about all from me. I hope you learned some stuff about me and about Vegas. To see more videos and photos, check out www.nathanburton.com. Right now my Web site is offering a special promotion where couples who get married in Las Vegas get free tickets to my show, so make sure to check it out.

Remember, "Nathan Burton Comedy Magic" performs daily at 4 p.m. at the wonderful Flamingo Las Vegas. You can call (702) 733-3333 to buy tickets. Thanks again, and remember, if you don’t read it on Robin Leach’s Luxe Life, then it’s not worth reading.

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