Las Vegas Weekly

September 16, 2008 · 6:31 PM

Arrival of illusionist Barry, Angel’s push-back heats up competition among magicians on Strip

By Robin Leach

Keith Barry, the Planet Hollywood's ace in the hotly contested Strip illusionist competition.

Photo: Keith Barry

The push-back of magician Criss Angel’s new Cirque du Soleil Believe show to Oct. 31-- Halloween -– now puts him in direct confrontation with an upstart British hypno-illusionist who wants to steal the Mindfreak’s No. 1 title. Thirty-two-year-old, Irish-born mentalist Keith Barry will open his first-ever Strip run just three days earlier -- on Oct. 28 -- for a one-month introductory run at Planet Hollywood’s mezzanine showroom.

CBS aired his debut hourlong magic special -– and it sent ratings and Internet blog chats through the roof. So much so that the network promptly signed the unheard-of and unknown artist here to four more!

Photo: Keith Barry

Keith Barry as a druid.

Scott Zeiger, co-CEO of BASE Entertainment, which runs the Planet Hollywood theaters, commented: “Keith is a modern master of illusion and the mind. He is a European phenomenon with sold out shows across the continent. He is revered there for an array of mystifying talents ranging from hypnotic effects such as inducing temporary amnesia and paralysis, top bizarre magic such as stopping his pulse and actually dying onstage.

“He is on the cutting edge of the field and we believe that his style of mind-bending magic is what Vegas has been missing. Audiences will be blown away to see his magic and we are proud to be the first to showcase his talent on the Vegas Strip.”

Not only does it pit Keith against Angel’s opening at the Luxor, but right under the same roof in Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile is the Steve Wyrick show and the new Scarlett, Princess of Magic shows at the V Theater there. That’s, right three magicians all within steps of each other!!!

Keith’s skills were first shown on the CBS Keith Barry Extraordinary special, when he performed the illusions for and with Jessica Simpson, Matthew McConaughey, Vivica Fox, Wilmer Valderrama and Elijah Wood.

Photo: Keith Barry

Keith Barry, heading to the gallows.

Keith arrives in Vegas after a two-year, sell-out tour of Europe, and having starred in his own MTV show Brainwashed. He’s also the star of the hit British TV series Close Encounters with Keith Barry.

A near-fatal car crash near his home in Dublin KO’d him for five months with severe left leg trauma, and he credits his own self-hypnosis with speeding his recovery. For one of his live escape shows, two random audience members tied him to a chair with thick ropes. They carried the chair into a workman’s shed where it was nailed to the floor and then additional wood was hammered all around the small building. A fuse was lit and a 120-second countdown began at which time the shed completely exploded. The magician was discovered safely some distance away hanging midair on a gantry!

To prove his sensational magic, Keith entertained a group of Planet Hollywood executives and employees and selected its chairman, Robert Earl, to participate in the blindfolded spike illusion. When the magician punched his hand down on the hypnotized head honcho’s wrist right onto the spike and then removed it safely without blood he was convinced enough to sign him on the spot! Keith, who has replaced the musical groups on many of the Ellen DeGeneres talk shows, will appear nightly through Nov. 27 at 9.30 p.m.

Photo: Keith Barry

Keith Barry has money to burn -- no, wait, that's an exploding wallet!

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