Mat Franco: Celebrating the first anniversary of ‘Magic Reinvented Nightly’ in Las Vegas
Editor’s Note: While Robin Leach is on his annual family vacation in Italy, several of his showbiz pals have stepped forward to submit guest columns while he enjoys the wines of Tuscany. Today, we welcome AMERICA’S GOT TALENT winners Terry Fator and Mat Franco, who now both call Las Vegas home with their Strip residencies.
The NBC show also can claim a third winner with a Strip headliner show, Paul Zerdin with his ventriloquist show at Planet Hollywood. No TV show in history has produced so many new stars who have claimed their place in the Las Vegas firmament.
Earlier today, we posted Terry’s extraordinary proposal to move the capital of the United States from Washington, D.C., to Las Vegas, and Robin believed that the humor actually made a great deal of sense. Now it’s fellow AMERICA’S GOT TALENT winner Mat’s shot at the keyboard with his guest column in Robin’s absence:
By Mat Franco
This city hasn’t kicked me out yet, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about that! I’m just a kid from Rhode Island who won a talent show on television. I never imagined that the 20-something years of practicing alone in my bedroom would lead to this. Normally, that sort of thing just leads to being socially awkward, which incidentally is a side effect of doing magic. Guilty.
Sure, a large number of magic acts take a stab at having a Las Vegas show at some point in their careers. But now that MAT FRANCO: MAGIC REINVENTED NIGHTLY at The Linq Hotel has been going stronger than ever for a full year, I’ve inevitably been tossed into a much smaller group. In fact, since it’s such a small niche, the only people I can really call for experienced advice are those who are my idols, such as master magician Lance Burton.
As a kid, Lance was probably the guy I watched on television the most. Lance performed more than 15,000 shows in Las Vegas before retiring in 2010, so it should come as no surprise that when Lance asks me, “So, Mat, how many shows have you done in Vegas so far?,” I have no choice but to mumble, “Oh, you know, around 300 or so.”
Despite the fact that I am light-years away from 15,000 shows, Lance is still willing to take time out of his day to meet up and visit. His words are always encouraging. Having the opportunity to spend time with Lance not only reminds me of how far I’ve come, but also how much room there is to grow in the future.
One year can flash by in an instant, especially when you spend most days doing precisely what you love to do. People often ask me, “Do you ever get sick of doing your show every night?” That question always catches me off guard because it seems bizarre to me that I could ever be sick of it – although feel free to check back with me after 15,000 more shows.
The show evolves every day. It’s not like a play where the lines remain identical to an actor’s script. Instead, MAGIC REINVENTED NIGHTLY is a real-time, interactive piece of theater that is created with help from the crowd. It’s a different beast, but it’s one that I know and love.
Growing up in the smallest of the 50 states, I recall two schools on how to live life. One school of thought is to do what you love. The other is to work the job that will pay the most so that you can spend your money on whatever it is that you love to do. My opinion? Do what you love, and you won’t work a day!
Sorry to get all philosophical on you. What do I know? I’m just a magician kid from Rhode Island with a whopping 300 shows under my belt. Nevertheless, onward to 15,000!
Check back Thursday for a guest column by Paul Zerdin, the third of AMERICA’S GOT TALENT winners with a Strip residency, and a preview of THE BEATLES LOVE at The Mirage celebrating its 10th anniversary . If you want to celebrate Bastille Day on Thursday, there’s no better place than Marche Bacchus at Desert Shores as a skydiving team arrives with the new harvest of Beaujolais Nouveau.
