Las Vegas Weekly

April 5, 2010 · 10:27 AM

Lance Burton: ‘I leave the Monte Carlo with no regrets. Not one.’

By Robin Leach

Lance Burton and Robin Leach.

Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage

In master magician and Monte Carlo headliner Lance Burton’s own words in an email to me that I now share with Vegas DeLuxe readers:

Hey Robin,

Thank you for your support all these years! You are a good friend and a stand-up guy.

Working in Las Vegas and at the Monte Carlo has been a dream come true. I have done 15,000 shows in my life, and over 5,000 of those shows have been at the MC. That is at least one-third of my career. The Monte Carlo will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you to the Monte Carlo! The MC is a fantastic property and is as gorgeous today as the day we opened it.

I am very proud of my cast and crew and all we have accomplished over the last 14 years. A magician is only as good as the people who assist him. I feel blessed to be surrounded by highly professional, caring, motivated and hard-working people.

We have been on an amazing ride! Over 5 million people at the live show, a dozen TV specials, scores of talk show appearances, countless appearances for charitable organizations, and through it all, my cast and crew were right there with me every step of the way. Any success I have achieved is due to their dedication. There are also at least 20 children that have been born into our “family.”

I have so many wonderful memories from the last 14 years. One of my favorites is from our 10th anniversary show. I had my dear friend Robert Goulet onstage for a comedy bit, and he was fantastic. I remember looking down into the audience to see someone taking a photo. I thought to myself “Hey, there is no picture taking during the show!” Then I recognized the person taking photos. … It was you, Robin! I thought to myself, “Oh, it’s Robin Leach. That’s OK … I’ll get a copy of that photo.” And I did get a copy of it. Thank you, Robin.

So I leave the Monte Carlo with no regrets. Not one. It was a wonderful chapter in my life, and now it is on to the next chapter, whatever that brings. In the short term, I have been working on a film project for the last couple of years, and now with some time off coming up, I will be able to devote my energy to completing that. Robin, I’ll tell you more about this movie project when we meet in person.

In the long-term … well, I do have some plans. I can’t divulge the details at this time, but it involves a fishing pole, a catfish and a frying pan.

In conclusion, I just want to say this to the people of Las Vegas: THANK YOU! Thank you for supporting my show and me all these years. Since I was a little boy, I dreamed of performing magic in Las Vegas. My dreams came true. No one could ask for anything more than that.

Lance Burton

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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