Magic has always been a major part of the entertainment scene in Las Vegas and no-one has had more success than Lance Burton who is now in his thirteenth year performing at the Monte Carlo in a theater named for him. I saw his show the other night for the first time in more than a year, and though it was a weeknight, the place was packed and the show ended with a well-deserved standing O.

You would think that putting on a show almost nightly for more than 10 years would get a little tiring, a little stale, but Burton has been able to keep his show fresh and his enthusiasm high.

Looking back over his run, he had this to say: "The past 11 years seems like it's been a roller coaster ride for my show at the Monte Carlo. Opening night on June 21, 1996 and the tenth anniversary on June 21, 2006 were two of the most memorable evenings for me. Celebrating the show's opening and the tenth anniversary of the success of my show "Lance Burton: Master Magician" and the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino was a dream come true. I recall hundreds of VIPs, my colleagues in the magic world, my employees, the media and hotel-casino executives on two of the most festive nights of my life. It was also gratifying that my family could be with me.

"During the past 13 of the 25 years that I've been performing in Las Vegas, I've had the opportunity to produce and own five TV specials: On the Road, The Encounter, The Legend Begins, Top Secret and Young Magician's Showcase."

He says the three most unforgettable minutes on stage occurred "when I did 'The Death Tank' for The Encounter before a live audience. It was the most breath-taking and breath-holding escape that I've ever done. I was submerged in a tank full of water the size of a telephone booth. I had to get out alive, but the tank was chained and locked shut while I was strapped into a regulation straitjacket. It was such a surreal experience as the audience sat on the edge of their seats.

"One of the neatest things about performing in a top hotel on the Las Vegas Strip were the celebrities who came to my show and I was able to meet. Carl Reiner was filming Ocean's 11 and came in by himself to see the show. Film legend Tony Curtis who played Houdini came to the show and joined me on stage while I did the upside-down straitjacket escape dedicating the Houdini commemorative stamp for the United States Postal Service. Diane Keaton came to see the show with her grandchildren.

"I never thought I'd be on America's Most Wanted, but John Walsh invited me to co-host the show. The late Don Knotts was one of my favorites and also had seen me at the Hacienda-where Mandalay Bay now sits. Nicholas Cage, Dana Carvey, Shaquille O'Neal, Criss Angel, Wayne Brady, Pete Rose, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver, Michael Jackson, Bruce Willis, Steve Martin, Hugh Jackman and Hugh O'Brian were some of the famous who took in my magic show."

Along the way Lance Burton and the show have been named "Best Entertainer," "Best Showroom," "Best Value," "Best Family Show" and "Best Magician" numerous times in the annual Las Vegas Review-Journal's Best of Las Vegas. "It was gratifying to be so recognized by the media. I also treasure awards from The Shriners, the Variety Club, and Optimists International, along with many other charitable organizations. The real reward was giving back."

And that he has, giving his time and talent free of charge to a number of charities in Las Vegas to help raise funds. It's a great show. Don't miss it when you're in town.

Len Butcher, a 25-year resident of Las Vegas, is an online columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and a former Managing Editor of the Las Vegas Sun and of Gaming Today. Reach him at lennylv@netzero.net