A load of hocus-pocus: our list of the world’s greatest magicians
Online casino players can now work their magic on the highly-anticipated sequel of a much-loved video slot game – because Illusions 2 has been unveiled by iSoftBet!
This follow-up game is packed with as many tricks as the original. The symbols on the reels capture all the excitement of a traditional illusion act. There’s a magician, a glamorous assistant, a crystal ball and even a rabbit pulled fresh out of hat. And to celebrate the slot sequel’s release, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the greatest magicians of all time.
Siegfried and Roy
Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn are a duo of magicians famous for their live performances involving big cats. In 1967, the pair were discovered performing with tigers in Paris and asked to fly out to Nevada to wow crowds in Las Vegas. This led to the formation of the most-visited show on the world-famous strip: Siegfried & Roy at the Mirage Resort and Casino. Their illusion act proved phenomenally popular – that was until an on-stage incident involving a white tiger left Horn critically injured. The episode unfortunately coincided with the release of their TV series Father of The Pride. The programmed proved unsuccessful and was stopped after just one series. However, despite the unlucky tiger attack and poor viewer ratings of Father of the Pride, Siegfried and Roy remain two of most famous names in the history of live Las Vegas entertainment.
Penn and Teller
Penn and Teller have been performing together since the late 1970s, combining elements of magic with comedy. Penn has come to be known as duo’s voice, narrating the illusions whilst Teller communicates through mime. Their material varies from light-hearted gags to violent shockers. In fact, they once pulled off the famous ‘bullet catch’ illusion, where each performer fires a gun into the other performer’s mouth! They’ve graced stages all around the world and starred in countless television shows, including the ITV show Fool Us. And in April 2013, Penn and Teller’s marvelous achievements in magic were recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was an illusionist, magician and escape artist who pulled off some of the most astonishing stunts of all time. He began practicing escape acts in 1893 and, by constantly challenging police officers to try and keep him locked up, quickly bagged the name of ‘Harry Handcuff Houdini’. But his tricks did not remain limited to handcuffs. He became a master of all types of escape, working with chains, ropes and straightjackets. He even managed to dig his way to freedom in a sensational stunt that saw him buried alive! And despite many claims of his escape stunts being faked, Houdini was obsessed with upholding the integrity of the profession. He became a president of the Society of American Magicians, working to expose fraudulent escape artists.
David Copperfield
One of history’s best-known performers, David Seth Kotkin (or ‘David Copperfield’ as he decided to call himself) has been entertaining crowds for over 40 years. He was just 12 years old when he became the youngest person accepted into the Society of American Magicians, and soon began combining his love for magic and performing to build a successful career as a professional entertainer. He’s appeared in countless films, television specials, documentaries and even performed at the White House. His illusions have often left spectators stunned and include levitating over the Grand Canyon, walking through the Great Wall of China and making the Statue of Liberty seemingly disappear!
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