Masters of Illusion, Siegfried & Roy made real magic when they fulfilled a 1-year promise to lead
the 2nd Great Santa Run challenge for the Opportunity Village fundraiser today. It'll be several days before Vegas knows if
its turnout of almost 5,000 Santa's beats the current Guinness World Record held by the Beatles hometown of Liverpool, England.
The temperatures nudged just over 60-degrees under clear blue sunny skies!
Not only did Roy walk the full mile course,
but for the last quarter-of-a-mile he threw away his walking cane and did it all under his own power. Siegfried told me: "What
I am seeing is a miracle. This is real magic." Mayor Oscar Goodman added: "This is another miracle of the
Christmas season."
Click here for our previous Luxe Life story on how the doctors told Roy he might never walk or talk again after he was dragged
off the stage of their theater at the Mirage 3 years ago on the eve of his birthday. Click here for our Luxe Life coverage of the recent Walk of Fame star given to the two Masters of Magic. It all began on the main stage of Fremont Street downtown with dancers from Andre Agassi's elementary
school helping warm up the Santa's as they signed up. Then they divided up into two groups, one for the 1-mile walks and the
others for the 5K run.
I was honored to countdown the start of both races with sirens sounding to get the challenge
underway. It's real touch-and-go between Vegas and the Merseyside city. Earlier this week the Mayor of Liverpool claimed 5000
Santa's and Guinness officials are now double-checking, qualifying and disqualifying certain entrant counts. When Vegas run
officials handed out the 4,500 number there was excited cheering, with dozens of other waiting runners having to officially
register after the 1-mile and 5K races. Guinness officials will then verify all and report with the verdict within the next
week.
Vegas certainly now holds the record for the largest Santa gathering anywhere in America! Said Mayor Goodman: "I think our turnout is great! It's a real challenge. The Mayor of Liverpool said they would kick
our butt. I said "NO WAY" Las Vegas will have over 4,500 people here." Then he added with a joke: "I've made contingency plans
anyway. If it's a hair length's difference I'll release 300 people from the jail. Seriously though, it looks like we will
break the world record."
Then the Merry Mayor of Mirth added: "This 1 mile walk by Roy is one of the most awesome occasions
in Vegas history. They are iconic. Nobody can ever detract from their greatness and the fact that they've come back this far
when people had written poor Roy off is a miracle and this is the season of miracles isn't it."
Siegfried commented:
"Roy really wanted to do this for an entire year. Last year he just couldn't attend the st one so he made a promise to do
it this year for the 2nd one, and he kept the promise. I forgot all about it to be honest but a week ago he said it was time.
I actually tried to discourage him because this is not an easy task. But he insisted he'd promised and it was his goal to
do it -- and he did it. Now it's a real miracle for me the entire year, the three years has been a miracle. You know I am
an illusionist. Magic has been my entire life -- but with this now I feel and see real magic everyday."
In this photo provided by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Siegfried & Roy, right, celebrate Roy's
62nd Birthday in their 'Secret Garden' at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006.(AP Photo/Las Vegas
Convention and Visitors Authority, Glenn Pinkerton)
OCTOBER 3RD 2006
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROY & CONGRADULATIONS S&R ON YOUR LATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT!
LAS VEGAS' LATEST WALK OF FAMERS!
AND BIRTHDAY CAKE TO FINISH OFF A MOST PURRRRRRRRFECT DAY!
If Robert Goulet had to deal with the effects of Beatlemania in 1964, he's found things haven't changed much.
The Las Vegas-based entertainer says he was trying to navigate the red carpet for Cirque du Soleil's "Love" gala Friday
night when suddenly, "these big tough guys came out" and his wife, Vera, said, "Paul's right behind you."
Trying to clear a path for Paul McCartney, the man every camera was there to see, Goulet says he jostled Siegfried, who
jostled Roy, as McCartney's entourage steered past the three Las Vegas legends.
Goulet said he spoke to McCartney, who "didn't know who the hell I was." His wife begged to differ.
More than 4,000 guests were invited to two private performances Friday of Cirque's fifth Las Vegas show, one that marks
a rare licensing partnership with McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, all four of whom attended the early
show.
Starr, wearing a star emblem on his shirt, flashed the peace sign to the crowd as he moved quickly by. Ono, wearing the
biggest hat in the casino, worked the carpet more slowly, posing to stare down the top of her sunglasses at reporters and
photographers from nearly 100 media outlets.
Both were hustled through a door on the far side of the "Love" gift shop, catching browsers who saw them through the window
by surprise.
Before the show, Mirage president Scott Sibella addressed the crowd and dedicated the show to Siegfried & Roy, who
performed in the theater space for 13 years before Roy Horn's injury from a tiger bite in October 2003.
Waiting to stroll the red carpet in the High Limits Lounge before the show, Siegfried Fischbacher said he didn't think
he'd feel nostalgic for a room remodeled beyond recognition.
"I'm just happy to be able to be here as Siegfried and Roy, and I'm happy to share this with the greatest name in show
business," Fischbacher said.
Cirque founder Guy Laliberte made a special dedication to the late George Harrison, whose friendship led to the show's
creation. "We shared an emotion, we shared a vision. We dreamed about this night," he said.
At the end of the show, McCartney, Starr, Ono, Laliberte and music producer George Martin came onstage with the cast, circling
the round platform flashing peace signs.
"For George and John!" McCartney declared to a roar from the crowd.
McCartney hugged Ono and Harrison, to great approval of those seated nearby.
The Mirage's Media Center was transformed into a party with a psychedelic theme filtered through an East Indian sensibility,
sort of the Taj Mahal gone wild. The party was expected to continue the all-night tradition of Cirque's rooftop "Zumanity"
premiere and a "Ka" debut staged in the MGM Grand Garden arena.
Like the other parties, this one was transformed by Cirque's apprentice production designers and came complete with a planned
performance: a 10-minute "Midnight Tableaux" by a dozen performers to signal the end of the mingling and the start of dance
floor action.
Siegfried & Roy's absence from the 20th anniversary of the city's largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser -- one of their pet
projects -- raised eyebrows Sunday.
The legendary illusionists were to be honored with Golden Rainbow's highest honor, the Toddy Award, for "lifetime commitment
to HIV/AIDS awareness."
Paul Spiers, an event spokesman, said, "We were informed a couple days ago that they were triple booked
and were trying to work things out."
Organizers went ahead with the tribute to the duo before a packed house at Bally's "Jubilee!" Theater.
Siegfried
Fischbacher and Roy Horn have been major supporters of the event from the start, "when people didn't want to be involved,"
Spiers said.
"Just say there was disappointment," said one of the longtime organizers.
Siegfried & Roy spokesman Dave Kirvin said, "They had travel plans that could not be changed, and no one could be
more disappointed than them that they could not attend."
About 250 performers from 25 local shows participated.
Sunday's show-stopping number, "Our Favorite Son," from the Will Rogers Follies, featured some of the Strip's legendary
names: Fluff LeCocque, longtime company manager of "Jubilee!"; choreographers Karen Denise and Mistenguett; and dancer Cinnamon
Steen.
"Ribbon of Life" fundraiser will honor Siegfried and Roy
It's no illusion: Golden Rainbow's 20th annual "Ribbon of Life" fundraiser will honor Siegfried and Roy for their "lifetime
commitment to HIV/AIDS awareness," Ribbon of Life spokesman Paul Spiers said Wednesday. "They were the first to say something
about HIV and AIDS when it was still being stigmatized," Spiers said.
The "Ribbon of Life" production, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the Jubilee Theatre, benefits Golden Rainbow, a
nonprofit organization that provides housing and financial assistance to those affected by HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada.
This weekend's production, the largest in the event's history, will include appearances by 28 Las Vegas shows and artists.
Call 384-2899 or go to www.Golden Rainbow.org for information.
This weekend's annual "Ribbon of Life" benefit for Golden Rainbow isn't retreating from the limelight just because it
happens to land amid the openings of the year's two biggest shows, "Love" and "Phantom -- The Las Vegas Spectacular."
The annual fundraiser to help those with AIDS marks a record participation of cast members or headliners from 28 shows.
The revue returns to Bally's, where it started 20 years ago as a response to "Jubilee!" cast members being stricken with AIDS.
The format remains mostly numbers from Broadway musicals re-created by Las Vegas performers. One notable exception this
year is a satire of the "G-Sting" scandal, set to songs from "Chicago" with new parody lyrics by Paul Speirs.
Speirs has been Golden Rainbow's publicist and spokesman for eight years, a volunteer position supported by his employer,
Steinbeck Communications. This year he was pulled from backstage into the limelight by local director-performer Doug Baker,
who talked him into playing Lance Malone as well.
If you go both Saturday and Sunday, you'll get two slightly different shows. Because of scheduling complications, Harrah's
Las Vegas headliner Clint Holmes will be there only on Saturday, while a tribute to Siegfried & Roy will happen only on
Sunday. Tickets are $50-$200 for shows starting at 1 p.m. both days in the Jubilee Theatre.
FRIDAY JUNE 2ND 2006: S&R WEBSITE UPDATED Siegfried & Roy accept their Ellis Island Medals of Honor recognizing
their remarkable commitment to entertainment and conservation. The ceremony, hosted by The National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations,
Inc. (NECO), was held Saturday, May 13, 2006 on Ellis Island.
WED MAY 31ST 2006
LUXE LIFE-STRIP SCRIBBLES
Hot on the heels of their award at the Statue of Liberty in New York, Siegfried & Roy
will now be honored this fall on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. Their star will be installed outside of the Mirage resort where they performed for years until the Oct. 3, 2003 show when Roy was severely injured
by his white tiger, Montecore. I'll join the illusionists this Friday on a highly emotional return to their former theater
for the opening preview night of the new Beatles 'LOVE' musical. ...
MAY 31ST LUXE LIFE - OUR BEATLES CELEBRATION CONTINUES A WORD ABOUT NEW THEATER:
scroll down past todays atricle! excerpt about new theater:
RL: Ironically, Siegfried and Roy will be here
opening night. I know because I had to swap my original tickets for them. But how dramatically has their old
theater changed for this new Beatles show?
SS: Completely changed. There is noting here that resembles
Siegfried and Roy. We took down everything so that we could actually start from scratch again. That is why it
took so long. The important thing was not to just create a showroom, it had to be a high-tech, state of the art showroom
and there is so much in the showroom that is not in the show itself. The lighting, the world's best sound system, and
the seats and so on. Everything is new and the most advancved in the world. There is not a bad seat in this theater.
But nothing exists from the old Siegfried & Roy production.
Roy Horn will make an emotional return to the scene of the October 2003 tiger attack.
A spokesman for Siegfried & Roy confirmed on Saturday that the iconic illusionists will be attending the June 30 premiere
of "Love," the Cirque du Soleil-Beatles show at The Mirage.
A complete makeover of the theater has rendered it unrecognizable from the days of Siegfried & Roy's 13-year run at
The Mirage.
"But I'm sure Siegfried & Roy left some magic in that theater," said Dave Kirvin, their spokesman.
He confirmed it will be Horn's first visit to the theater since Oct. 3, 2003, when Montecore, one of the show's white tigers,
turned on his master.
It figures to be a highly charged evening, with Siegfried & Roy re-entering their former theater and surviving Beatles
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr making a rare public appearance together.
Horn will have mixed feelings, Kirvin said.
"I imagine it will be emotional, but Siegfried and Roy have always known theaters are for performances. They've always
been fans of Cirque du Soleil and fans of The Beatles, so they're excited to see the show."
Today: May 26, 2006 at 7:18:3
PDT John Katsilometes on why Siegfried and Roy will soon be part of Walk of
Stars
I think it is written somewhere in the city annals that we cannot have a fully realized Las Vegas Walk of Stars without
the names Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn stamped in granite.
Details are still to be hammered out (so to speak), but the legendary illusionists will be honored this year on the Walk
of Stars, possibly by the summer and no later than this fall.
Also to be determined is a specific site for the duo's induction ceremony and where the star would be displayed (in all
likelihood at the Mirage, where they helped change the face of Las Vegas entertainment). A $15,000 endowment to the Walk of
Stars, which is required of all inductees, has been arranged on the duo's behalf.
For show business figures, the Walk of Stars' criteria requires "persons who have greatly contributed to the worldwide
prominence of Las Vegas." Siegfried and Roy, who performed about 5,800 shows together (mostly at the Mirage), rolling up $45
million per year in ticket sales at their peak, would seem to meet that requirement.
The pair's popular Mirage production was canceled following injuries suffered onstage by Horn after the white tiger Montecore
bit into his neck during a performance on Oct. 3, 2003. Since then he has made steady progress through grueling rehabilitation
and has been seen more frequently in public.
Horn was in strong voice and moved fairly easily with the aid of a cane (and assistance from Fischbacher) during an appearance
at Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas in March, where it was reported that his rehab regimen has included horseback riding. The two already
have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and were honored this month with an Ellis Island Medal of Honor for their commitment
to entertainment and conservation.
An animal protection organization has filed a federal lawsuit that accuses the U.S. Department of Agriculture of improperly
withholding records related to its investigation of a tiger attack that seriously injured illusionist Roy Horn.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed the complaint Wednesday in Washington. It challenges the USDA's "policy
and practice" of withholding affidavits of employees and witnesses prepared during investigations of alleged violations of
the Animal Welfare Act and other laws.
According to the lawsuit, the USDA has withheld the affidavits on the grounds that disclosure of such information would
violate the personal privacy of the witnesses.
Horn was performing in the "Siegfried & Roy" show at The Mirage in October 2003 when he was mauled by a white tiger.
The attack left Horn partially paralyzed and ended the long-running production.
The USDA investigated the incident but was unable to determine what had caused it.
According to the lawsuit, PETA filed a Freedom of Information Act request in June for the USDA's final report. The agency
disclosed its report in part, according to the lawsuit, but withheld several supporting affidavits.
"In particular, the USDA withheld, in their entirety, the affidavits of the deputy administrator of the USDA's Animal Care
Division, the Animal Care Division's veterinarian, and a member of the audience who witnessed the attack on Mr. Horn," the
lawsuit alleges.
In September, the animal group appealed the USDA's partial denial of its request for the report. The group argued that
withholding the affidavits was not necessary to protect the potential privacy interests of USDA employees or other witnesses,
"since any personal privacy information about the affiants could simply be redacted."
"In addition, PETA explained that the witness affidavits could not be withheld on the ground that they divulged private
information about 'Siegfried & Roy,' since corporations do not have privacy interests protected by the FOIA," according
to the lawsuit. "In any case, PETA contended that the public interest in the use and treatment of exotic animals for entertainment
purposes far outweighed any potential privacy concerns that might be jeopardized by releasing the non-personal factual information
in the withheld affidavits."
According to the lawsuit, the USDA has responded to requests for information regarding three other investigations by withholding
affidavits.
The lawsuit accuses the USDA of violating the Freedom of Information Act and the Administrative Procedures Act. It seeks
a court order requiring the agency to make the requested records immediately available to PETA.
Ellis Island Medal Of Honors Ceremony 5-13-06: NYC
Ellis Island Medal Of Honors Ceremony 5-13-06: NYC
Ellis Island Medal Of Honors Ceremony 5-13-06: NYC
Ellis Island Medal Of Honors Ceremony 5-13-06: NYC
Ellis Island Medal Of Honors Ceremony 5-13-06: NYC
Ellis Island Medal Of Honors Ceremony 5-13-06: NYC
May 2006 - A STROLL IN CENTRAL PARK - NYC
FRIDAY MAY 12TH 2006 FROM NORM'S COLUMN IN RJ:
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Illusionists Siegfried & Roy will be awarded Ellis Island Medals of Honor on Saturday for their entertainment
and conservation efforts. They will attend the ceremony, hosted by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, at Ellis
Island, which is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and includes a museum dedicated to the history of immigration.
...
LAS VEGAS Former NFL kicker
pleads guilty to shooting Siegfried & Roy house
May 11, 2006 03:11 PM EDT
A former kicker for the Oakland Raiders who wound up last year in a Nevada mental hospital pleaded guilty Thursday to shooting
at the home of entertainers Siegfried and Roy in 2004.
34-year-old Cole Ford's felony plea deal calls for him to continue mental health treatment at a center near his family's
home in Tucson, Arizona.
Formal sentencing's set for June 29th. His mother, who says she hadn't seen Ford since 1999 -- calls the arrangement a
nice Mother's Day present and a nice birthday present. She turns 61 on Monday.
The same judge who deemed Ford incompetent for trial last year and sent him to a Nevada psychiatric hospital declared him
competent Thursday -- and accepted his guilty plea.
Several felony charges including assault with a deadly weapon were dismissed.
No one was hurt in the September 2004 shooting at the Las Vegas compound of Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn.
Ford kicked for the Raiders for three seasons, but was cut after missing several crucial kicks in 1997.
His family says he became reclusive before they lost contact with him in 1999.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
The former kicker for the Oakland Raiders, who stands charged with shooting a gun at the home of Siegfried & Roy in
2004, appeared in court Tuesday, cleanshaven and with his hair closely cropped. In prior court appearances, Ford was wild-eyed,
and his hair and beard were long and unkempt.
Ford is in the midst of a recovery from paranoid schizophrenia thanks to a regimen of anti-psychotic medications given
to him at a state facility, said Ford's defense attorney, Assistant Public Defender Daren Richards.
"Look at him!" Richards said. "I didn't cut his hair and clean him up. That's all him. He's a totally different person.
"It shows that in most cases, schizophrenia can be treated."
Clark County prosecutor Frank Coumou confirmed late Tuesday that prosecutors are working on a plea agreement for Ford.
It is expected to allow Ford to avoid jail time if he pleads guilty and complies with all of the terms of his probation, Coumou
said.
He said he wants to make sure that if Ford is granted probation, he will be monitored closely and will have to continue
to take his medication.
Ford had played for the University of Southern California football team and then for the Raiders. In his first year in
the National Football League, he made eight of nine field goal attempts.
The following year, he made 77 percent of his field goals but missed a crucial kick in Tampa Bay as the Raiders were trying
to make the playoffs.
In 1997, his performance on the football field turned poor, and he made only 59 percent of his kicks. He was cut the following
year, and Ford's relatives started noticing changes.
"After Cole's release from the Oakland Raiders Football team, he became more and more reclusive and started showing signs
of schizophrenic behavior," according to a statement from Ford's family. "From 1997 to 1999 our family had very little contact
with him. After 1999, Cole disappeared from our lives despite many efforts and attempts to contact or find him."
He ended up living out of a van in Las Vegas. In 2004, authorities said he fired a shotgun at the home of longtime Strip
headliners Siegfried & Roy. A witness told police that the gunman yelled that the entertainers should get out of the country.
In a psychiatric examination after his arrest, Ford said he believed in a global conspiracy involving his father, Siegfried
& Roy, and the spread of disease, according to a psychiatric evaluation report.
"While watching Siegfried and Roy, he had a sudden realization that what was wrong with the world was linked to the illusionists'
treatment, dominance and unhealthy intimacy he saw them having with their animals," psychiatrist Norton Roitman wrote in the
report. "He saw their illusions as their power to distort and change reality. He felt they threatened (the) world, and he
began trying to figure out how he could stop them."
District Judge Jackie Glass deemed Ford incompetent to stand trial, and he was sent to Lakes Crossing, a state facility
for the mentally ill charged with a crime.
He was given psychotropic medications and eventually deemed competent to stand trial.
The prospect of Ford pursuing a not guilty by reason of insanity defense has been a possibility. Defense attorneys would
have to show Ford could not distinguish that what he was doing was wrong at the time of the crime.
"Any involvement he had in this was clearly due to his mental illness," Richards said.
In court Tuesday, Ford appeared calm and lucid.
District Judge Jackie Glass, who has since deemed Ford competent, complimented the defendant on his turnaround.
"You look great," Glass said. "Keep up the good work."
Siegfried & Roy are proud supporters of the 16th Annual Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department K-9 Trials to be
held October 15, 2006.
Dear Friends,
We don’t usually approach our friends requesting their help, but Siegfried & I feel that
is time to reflect on the contributions made by a unique organization in our City and we are hoping you will join in. Their
continuous efforts to keep us all protected need our recognition and support.
Friends for Las Vegas Police K-9s is
a nonprofit organization that raises funds to help the remarkable canines that keep our streets and homes safe from harm.
These Animals are invaluable teammates, true heroes, endangering their lives just as their partners do. They are fiercely
loyal, showing utmost strength and courage and are instrumental in protecting all of us….not only here at home, but
anywhere duty calls.
K9 Units from all over the Country, including our Team, responded to the tragedies in New York
City following September 11, and the devastation along the Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.
On
Sunday, October 15, 2006, Friends for Las Vegas Police K-9s will present the 16th Annual K-9 Trials at the Orleans
Arena. We’re asking for your support of this very important fund-raising event. We need your help this year more than
ever, as the Las Vegas K-9 unit’s involvement becomes greater as our community grows, which causes their available resources
to dwindle. Very minimal funding is available for our Unit, and You can truly make a difference. Your donation will assist
with providing proper veterinary care, appropriate equipment to protect them on the job, and a comfortable home for the duration
of their lives, even after retirement.
We hope you will consider supporting the 16th Annual K-9 Trials. Enclosed is
an advertising and sponsorship sheet that outlines how you can assist. Your donation stays in Las Vegas and supports the Friends
for Las Vegas Police K-9s……the unit’s continued success relies on your support and generosity.
No
matter what you decide we understand, and are forever grateful for your consideration.
If you would like to support
the 16th Annual Las Vegas Metro K-9 Trials click here.
Funny Gal My favorite funny girl Rita Rudner is moving
to Harrah's in October after her 5-year-run at NYNY ends in June when her theater will be turned into the Crobar nightclub.
She'll use the summer break from performing to promote her new book "Turning Tables" being published on August 29 -- certain
for success since that's my lucky birthday date! Along with Phyllis Maguire, she hosted "The Vegas Dozen"
awards charity at Saks Fifth Avenue to raise funds for the Nevada Cancer Institute in salute to a dynamic dozen community
leaders who included moguls Steve Wynn,Tom Breitling and Danny Greenspun
plus entertainers Siegfried Fishbacher and Roy Horn - making another memorable appearance
out of his wheelchair.
She told me, "I call them the dirty dozen, but I don't think they will like that because they are twelve men who have
given loads to the community and they are very generous, and very successful and I am going to try to be funny and not have
them hate me, because you know funny is hard if you are going to be nice. I will tread a thin line and I am in a department
store, which makes me happy."
"Vegas has become a very philanthropic town and this is to benefit the cancer institute and I think
the money was raised in a very short amount of time. They said we are going to build a cancer institute and you think yeah
thatis a good idea, well three and a half years later it is opened. We have a first class, first-rate cancer institute
with all the latest in medicine and technologies and the greatest doctors. So, these are twelve men who greatly helped to
contribute to that."
I asked if she was looking forward to her new home at Harrah's? Every other sentence is an ad-lib
joke with Rita, but she commented, "I loved working at NYNY, but I know I will love working at Harrah's because that puts
me even closer to the Forum Shops. I was having difficulty getting from the mall to work and now it is right across the street.
I'm a shop-a-holic but I have a friend who is down to twice a week but she has to wear this patch."
"I am at New York New York till June 10 then I have a few projects that I have going on. My book
Turning the Tables is coming out -- about a relationship that goes horribly wrong in Vegas and a woman who eventually gets
even. Don't worry Robin, it's just fiction. I know so much about the goings on in Vegas that we created a fun casino called
Heaven and kind of made Vegas a bit sillier than it really is, and we satirized Vegas and depicted a relationship with a magician
that goes horribly wrong. It's actually a new theme hotel to cost $72 billion dollars and I am going to have it ready by tomorrow."
THE R-J GOES TO A PARTY: Nevada Cancer Institute benefit honors 'Men
We Love'
Roy Horn, from left, Janie Gale and Siegfried Fischbacher greet arriving guests to the Nevada Cancer Institute benefit
April 6 at Saks Fifth Avenue in the Fashion Show mall. Photos by Marian Umhoefer.br>
Susan Fine, from left, Elaine Newton, Susan Molasky and Elaine Wynn visit during the Nevada Cancer Institute party.
Garry Goett, standing from left, James Hammer, Roy Horn and Siegfried Fischbacher and, seated from left, Somer Hollingsworth
and Tom Breitling make up half of the Vegas Dozen 2006: The Men We Love and Why We Love Them honorees at the party at Saks.
John Martinez, from left, Larry Chumley, Frank Insera, Scott Sherrell and Steven Buffone arrive at the Rio Saturday
for the 15th annual Chefs For Kids dinner and auction.
Master Chef Gustav Mauler, from left, Bishop Joseph A. Pepe of the Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas, and Denise Mauler
attend the Chefs For Kids benefit Saturday at the Rio.
Saks Fifth Avenue in the Fashion Show mall celebrated its Vegas Dozen 2006: The Men We Love and Why We Love Them at a posh
reception April 6 in the store to benefit the Nevada Cancer Institute.
The third annual Vegas Dozen Award recognizes men from various backgrounds and professions who exemplify personal and professional
commitment.
Guests socialized on the store's second floor where Wild Truffles caterers set up cooking stations offering an extensive
buffet.
Mari Landers, vice president and general manager of Saks, introduced Shelley Gitomer, vice president for development for
Nevada Cancer Institute, to talk about the progress the institute has achieved.
Comedian Rita Rudner opened the award ceremony with a comical routine on shopping.
Entertainer Phyllis McGuire served as mistress of ceremonies and presented awards to: Tom Breitling, president and chief
executive officer, Breitling Ventures; Garry Goett, president, Olympia Land Group; Danny Greenspun, chairman, Greenspun Media
Group; James Hammer, president, Westar; Somer Hollingsworth, president and chief executive officer, Nevada Development Authority;
Ed Quirk of Greenberg Traurig law firm; Frank Schreck of Schreck Brignone law firm; Don Snyder, chairman of the board, Smith
Center of the Performing Arts; Terry Wright, chairman of the board, Nevada Title Co.; Steve Wynn, chairman of the board and
chief executive officer, Wynn Las Vegas; and entertainers Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn.
The honorees' wardrobe was provided by Armani, Boss/Hugo Boss, Canali and Ermenegildo Zegna.
Inaugural event: Author Toni Morrison was the guest of honor and keynote speaker as the new Black Mountain Institute
had its first fundraising dinner April 6 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
The institute will be based at UNLV and contain two centers: the Forum on Contemporary Cultures and the North American
Network of Cities of Asylum.
More than 160 guests attended the gala dinner where UNLV President Carol Harter, who will head up the Black Mountain Institute
after she leaves the presidency this summer, welcomed Morrison and other world-renowned authors including Russell Banks, Wole
Soyinka, Michael Ondaatje, Caryl "Caz" Phillips, and UNLV's Richard Wiley, David Hickey and Douglas Unger.
The dinner menu was created by Harter's special events manager, Tori Klein, and her husband, executive chef Eric Klein
of SW. Wines were paired for each course by SW sommelier Patrick Pretz and donated by DeLuca Liquors.
Among the guests were Chancellor Jim Rogers and Beverly Rogers, Nancy and Kell Houssels, Carolyn Sparks, Rose McKinney-James,
Bernice Fisher, Kay White, Mary Ann Kummer, Paula Francis, Lynn Wiesner, C.J. and Jim Bradham, Jeanne Greenawalt and Irwin
Kishner.
Other guests included UNLV vice presidents Rebecca Mills and Juanita Fain, Provost Ray Alden, university Regents Linda
Howard and James Dean Leavitt, County Manager Thom Reilly and former state Sen. Joe Neal.
Following dinner, guests were escorted to Artemus Ham Hall for the talk by Morrison, winner of the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes,
which was attended by nearly 1,500.
Promoting nutrition: Chefs For Kids had its 15th annual dinner and auction Saturday at the Rio.
The program is a cooperative venture of the American Culinary Federation Chefs of Las Vegas and the University of Nevada
Cooperative Extension working to eliminate malnutrition and hunger through education and awareness.
A gourmet dinner created by Rio executive chef Pete Ghione and Rio executive banquet chef Adam Brown was served to 624
guests.
Master of ceremonies was KLAS-TV, Channel 8, news anchor Dave Courvoisier. Speakers included Buzz Thurber, president of
Chefs For Kids; chef Kitty Sanderson, dinner chair; and Mike Howell, southern director of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
The dinner's honorary chair, former Sen. Richard Bryan, and Bonnie Bryan introduced me as the event's honoree for my work
with the group.
Auctioneer Christian Kolberg conducted a live auction for 17 dinner packages prepared by the city's leading chefs that
raised $100,100.
Siegfried and Roy paid a visit to City Hall on Monday, April 3, 2006. The legendary duo handed a large check of $20,000
to Sheriff Bill Young. Their generous donation is benefiting the Injured Police Officers Fund (IPOF), a nonprofit organization
created to help officers and their families who have been seriously injured or killed in the line of duty.
S&R Part Of Tonight's Nevada Cancer Institute's - The Vegas Dozen
Saks Fifth Avenue honors "The Vegas Dozen" tonight, with proceeds going to the Nevada Cancer Institute.
The dynamic dozen: Tom Breitling, Garry Goett, Danny Greenspun, Jim Hammer, Somer Hollingsworth, Ted Quirk, Frank Schreck,
Siegfried Fischbacher, Roy Horn, Don Snyder, Terry Wright and Steve Wynn. http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-06-Thu-2006/news/6733063.html
__________________
Siegfried & Harvey Fierstein
After seeing a performance of "Hairspray" at the Luxor, Siegfried met up and visited with good friend and star of the show,
Harvey Fierstein.
Siegfried Fischbacher, backstage chatting with Harvey Fierstein after Friday's performance of "Hairspray"
(Luxor) and dining at the Hofbrauhaus on Saturday with German folk singer Heino, who was celebrating his 27th wedding
anniversary with his wife, Hannelore.
He's not only walking, but he's returned to horseback riding as part of his physical therapy.
startclickprintexclude
endclickprintexclude
"He rides weekly now, and it's like he never left. It's so liberating," said close friend and riding partner Lynette
Chappell, a longtime member of the Siegfried & Roy cast. She played the Evil Queen.
Horn had not ridden since being injured by a tiger on Oct. 3, 2003, his 59th birthday, during the magic team's show at
The Mirage.
For years, Roy opened the show by riding Grandisimo, a Lippizaner, or Favorito, an Andalusian, on stage. Siegfried then
got in the act by making both disappear.
Siegfried & Roy-
I once gave you a greeting card for one of your birthdays or some
holiday or a thank you card, I can't remember what the occasion was,
but I remember writing on it, "It's nice to be important, but it's
more important to be nice". Because you two have earned such fame
and fortune, including the love and respect of your fans and
friends, it's very hard to get close to you guys. But somehow,
Juergen managed to do that. He had such a great love for you that he
always thought of you as friends, even before he met you. He was a
great artist and so are you two, but he didn't have all that you two
had. Regardless, you embraced him and gave him your love and
support. You signed his memorial photo, "Juergen, thank you for the
true friendship". You got that right! On behalf of Juergen, I want
to thank you for the true friendship, which you have proven time and
time again. I'm just sorry that all the"interference" prevented you
all from being able to spend more time together.
And last, but not least, are all the rest of you who have held out
your hand and heart in one way or another to help me through the
darkest time in my life. Juergen was my everything, my only source
of giving and receiving love, and now I have to learn more about
friendship, because it is new to me to have so much love from other
people embracing me. I must learn how to give back all the love that
has been given to me in the last couple of months by people that I
didn't know had it in them, for me. Thank you all, I feel loved, and
love is all I need.
With deepest gratitude, Wendy Aldag
*editted for length: for rest of post please go to:
http://www.aldagonline.com/home/modules.php?
name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=224&sid=3469630f43dcd4c9877b516fdc62920e
John Katsilometes catches up with Siegfried and Roy
John Katsilometes catches up with Siegfried and Roy during the first wineNart exhibit
at Hofbrauhaus
Roy Horn looks good enough to go horseback riding.
No supposition there: He actually did ride a horse a few days ago, so reported Siegfried and Roy's longtime events
coordinator and confidant Lynette Chappell during an appearance by the legendary illusionist team Sunday at Hofbrauhaus
Las Vegas. S&R were on hand to show support of their late friend, German abstract artist Jurgen Aldag, whose celebrity-inspired
work was displayed at the first wineNart Sunday Festival. Similar events are planned through December at Hofbrauhaus, Paradise
Road and Harmon Avenue.
Las Vegas artists in attendance Sunday, showing and selling their work, were Dray, Jennifer Main, Tom D. Giacco, Allen
Dewey and Leslie Rowland. Aldag's widow, Wendy Aldag, and recently retired German honorary counsel to Las
Vegas Sigrid Sommer were also part of the ceremony.
The turnout was strong - there's nothing like the fine wines of E&J Gallo Winery, the raucous German-pub atmosphere
of Hofbrauhaus, a variety of artwork and bulky steins frothy with beer to attract a crowd. Siegfried and Roy provided their
power of celebrity, with Roy showing that he's made steady progress in his rehabilitation from the injuries that ended the
duo's show at the Mirage on Oct. 3, 2003.
Holding a cane with his right hand and with Siegfried gripping his left biceps, Roy moved deliberately through a throng
of well-wishers, nodding and saluting, and later took the microphone to joke, "My name is Roy." On cue, Siegfried responded,
"And I am Siegfried."
Roy added, "Thank you for all these years. Las Vegas is our home away from home - a great place for Germans!" And finally,
in what has become his mantra, "The magic is back!" Then, grinning, he said, "But enough talk. Let's eat!"
Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 4:11 pm Post subject: HOFBRAUHAUS
LAS VEGAS PHOTO GALLERY
The 2006 HOFBRÄUHAUS LAS VEGAS Tribute to Juergen Aldag was everything this writer thought
it would be and more! Great people, atmosphere, talent, beer, food, and tribute all around. I'm sure Juergen loved it too.
There is a photo gallery available which you can view by clicking HERE. In the future this may be updated with more details, photos and videos as they become available.
KHAYELITSHA, South Africa ? Life is hard for the 750,000 or so people crammed into this shantytown, one of South Africa's largest and toughest. In
the last census, in 2001, 6 in 10 adults here said they had no steady income. What little money they have tends to vanish
quickly, spent on essentials or stolen in the break-ins and robberies that are endemic here.
Young people from townships and squatter camps like Langa and Khayelitsha are among the students who learn
tricks of the trade at the College of Magic in Cape Town. More Photos >
The way Phumile Dyasi makes money vanish is rather less common.
"I want to show you this coin," he said one recent afternoon, standing in the tiny parlor of his family's plank-and-tar
paper shack. He held out a copper disc. "Now, blow on it," he said. A visitor obliged, and the coin disappeared. Only Phumile's
sly grin remained.
For six years, 16-year-old Phumile has studied prestidigitation at College of Magic in Cape Town, a sort of kindergarten-to-baccalaureate
institution for aspiring conjurers. Making coins disappear is the least of the tricks he has picked up.
From a shy 10-year-old who knew only Xhosa, South Africa's principal indigenous tongue, Phumile has grown to speak fluent
English and handle audiences with aplomb. In 2004, he was chosen the best young magician in Western Cape Province. In March
2005, he was in Las Vegas, honing his skills with some of the world's top magicians. He hopes to make entertainment a lifelong
career.
"When he performs, he's shocking," said Guy van der Walt, a onetime College of Magic student who now helps pay Phumile's
tuition. "A lot of being a success in life, in many ways, is being able to have that self-confidence and that attitude. It's
something that, every time he performs, he develops more and more."
The College of Magic will teach anyone the art of illusion ? and indeed, it has about 90 paying customers this year. But
the school's heart lies with impoverished children from townships and squatter camps like Langa and Khayelitsha, for whom
a trip to its Victorian headquarters, with its performance stage and blood-red walls plastered with magic-show posters, is
every week's highlight.
About 60 such young people are students this year. Their fees are wholly or partly paid by donors like Mr. van der Walt,
now a 25-year-old animator for a London advertising agency, or by corporate sponsors.
"We have a special focus on disadvantaged communities," said David Gore, the college's 45-year-old director and founder.
"We've never turned a student away. If young people wanted to study and were enthusiastic enough, we'd find a way to educate
them."
Mr. Gore started the college in 1980, at age 19, while performing magic at children's parties to pay his university tuition.
Although it was technically illegal under South Africa's apartheid laws at the time, the college's first class of 34 students
was multiracial ? something Mr. Gore calls an eye-opener for blacks and whites who had never before worked together.
Magic, he says, has proved a leveler of the racial playing field because its skills are not just unrelated to skin color,
but are displayed onstage, where neither success nor failure can be explained away.
Mr. Gore entered law school and was drafted into the military. But by the time his hitch ended in 1985, he had decided
that his career lay in magic, not the courts. The school began to expand its work with disadvantaged children, helped by corporate
grants and, later, by the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund.
The rationale was that magic would inspire young people who could use a push on the road to a better life. "We were seeing
at the time the incredible benefits of magic training," he said. "We weren't just teaching tricks. The kids were developing
a myriad of life skills."
That, of course, is the mantra of every group looking for charitable support. Yet it may not be so far-fetched: among other
things, its proponents say, magic teaches patience, discipline and communication skills. Much of magic's appeal, from membership
in a select society to the rapt attention of crowds, is a tonic for young people with little acquaintance with success.
"They'll start off with little tricks, by rote, showing them to the class over and over," Mr. Gore said. "And then they'll
have that true moment, the one when they really do fool their mom and dad. They know it ? that they can do it ? and it really
builds their self-esteem."
The classes are taught by volunteers ? mostly graduates of the college, but also schoolteachers, entertainers and others.
Three years of Saturday-morning courses earn a junior diploma, though would-be entertainers can add classes in juggling, miming
and other skills. Another three years of school, with a full-time schedule, concludes with a senior diploma and the status
of an accomplished magician.
Advocates say the sheer length of that program, as opposed to the transient nature of many do-good efforts, only reinforces
its benefits. Some of those benefits are two-edged. Young magicians can literally become neighborhood role models, but they
can also become targets.
A skilled student can earn as much as $85 for a shopping-center magic performance. One student who spent his earnings on
clothes "had everything stolen from him," Mr. Gore said. "He ran home in his underpants." Three students have been stabbed
in robberies, one fatally.
For others, however, the program is a savior. Phumile's sponsor, Mr. van der Walt, said that he grew up in privilege but
had a deeply troubled youth. The college "gave me an amazing, amazing amount of confidence, and put me on the right track,"
he said. "It was my saving grace ? it sounds corny, but it really was."
For a few, the college proves a gateway into an otherwise unattainable world.
Phumile, who lives near Khayelitsha's main shopping district, has one of the area's more fortunate families; his father,
a hauler, owns a car. Yet he shares one of the two bedrooms, barely big enough for a handmade bunk bed, with his sister and
two brothers, and the house has neither running water nor indoor plumbing.
This year, Phumile failed to place in a national magic competition in Johannesburg. But one of the lessons he has learned
is how to rebound from failure. He will be back next year, he said.
"I like the definition of magic," Phumile said. "It is to make the impossible to be possible."
A construction project at a local animal shelter has killed dozens of cats. Leaders of the Lied Animal Foundation
say a combination of fumes and dust made the cats sick.
The construction company is taking responsibility for the deaths. This all happened back in February during the last phase
of a multi million dollar renovation project. Lied says there was an overnight project going on in the cat adoption area.
Tradewinds Construction was putting a polyurea sealant on the floor and doing some other work nearby. The next morning several
cats were dead and others became sick.
They believe the dust from the project and the fumes caused the cats to get sick. Almost 40 cats were affected; some had
to be put down. A spokesperson for the Foundation says it was their expectation that the construction company would hang plastic
sheets to seal the cats off and that other measures should've been taken.
They say Tradewinds Construction was very apologetic and tried to make amends. The Foundation is calling this a perfect
storm, the circumstances were very unusual and don't anticipate it happening again. Shelter leaders say the three dozen cats
involved were unclaimed or stray. They say about 20 of them would've been available for adoption.
After walking on stage with a cane during an awards presentation Wednesday at the
World Magic Seminar at The Orleans, he told the fellow magicians he had made a New Year's resolution.
With that, he
tossed aside his cane, took several unassisted steps and announced, "The magic is back."
Horn couldn't think of a
better place to demonstrate his ongoing progress than a room full of his fellow magicians, said Dave Kirvin, a spokesman for
Horn and Siegfried Fischbacher.
Elton John, dedicating "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" during Saturday's show at Caesars Palace to Siegfried Fischbacher
and Roy Horn, who were in the audience with Lynette Chappell and Darren Romeo. Norm Clarke, Las Vegas Review-Journal -
February 20, 2006
College Of Magic's Wade & Stuart w/ S&R WMS 2006
PROJECT: VEGAS 2006
[22 February 2006] - Stuart Lightbody & Wade Petersen did
the College of Magic proud this week as they held up high the South African flag at the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas ...
amazing audiences with their special brand of SA conjuring.
Wade was a special guest artist on the Close-up gala show
- while Stuart Lightbody impressed all in the Adult Close-up contest.
Thanks to the phenomenal support of the Siegfried
& Roy North American Fan Club - these two young performers were given the chance of a lifetime in participating in what
was undoubtedly one of the most special World Magic Seminars of recent years. Siegfried & Roy took to the stage amongst
thunderous applause as Roy defiantly announced that 'The magic is back' - tossing his cane aside and walking unassisted !
He
truly is an inspiration to us all ...
In front of the 1000+ delegates from across the globe, Roy specially thanked
Carole Marcil and her members of the North American Fan Club for all that they were doing for the College of Magic ... a touching
moment indeed ...
To the Siegfried & Roy North American Fan Club - we thank you. Words don't do justice for all
that you've done ...
(posted with permission)
"LISTEN Mister!"
Feb. 11th 2006 KMA Gala
February 11, 2006 Keep Memory Alive Gala
February 11, 2006 Keep Memory Alive Gala
Keep Memory Aliva Gala Feb 11th 2006 - Roy & Maria
Sigi & Steve Wynn - Feb 11 2006 KMA Gala
FEBRUARY 13TH 2006: Keep Memory Alive raises record funds -- Roy walks alone! -- But the biggest miracle of the night was in a very private moment I shared between Maria Shriver and illusionist
Roy Horn (left) who "literally died 3 times on the operating table" after he was badly mauled live on his Mirage showroom
stage by a tiger back in October 2003. Maria told me they'd been friends for 30 years; her very first interview was with the
magicians, as was her last before "I lost my job at NBC when Arnold became Governor." Roy bravely told Maria: "I want to show
you real magic." And with that he pushed away his wheelchair, threw down his caneand walked determinedly around their dinner
table. It was the very first time since the accident I'd seen him walk without the walking stick, a very quiet moving and
memorable moment on his long recovery road. Then he vowed, "We will perform again together. That's the next goal."
I don't want to start rumors, but I will tell you that Siegfried and Roy were in long animated discussions with hotel mogul
Steve Wynn (still in a leg brace and on crutches himself from his recent ski accident). No one would be surprised if Siegfried
& Roy teamed with Wynn (at right with Sig) again - even if only for the biggest one-night live world-telecast magic show
in history -- because he's the mogul who first gave them their own showroom in 1990. If Roy says it, believe me, he will make
it happen.
Sigi-Man About Town @ Disney's HighSchoolMusical Screening
Sigi & Kenny Ortega @ HighSchoolMusical Screening
February 14, 2006 THE INSIDER - Roy Horn Walks
Stroke victim ROY HORN has made a miraculous recovery
since his tragic accident over two years ago, and proves it by walking and talking tonight with our own PAT O'BRIEN.
"It's
nothing," Roy jokes modestly as he walks with a cane across the room to greet Pat. "You have seen nothing yet. By next year,
I'm going to walk without anything."
Just months ago, Roy was confined to a wheelchair and barely able to speak following
a stroke and a mauling by one of his beloved tigers.
But this was a happier occasion. The stage performer and his
longtime partner, SIEGFRIED FISCHBACHER, were enjoying a rare night out. They joined a star-studded group of luminaries including
good friends Gov. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER and wife MARIA SHRIVER in Las Vegas at the 10th Annual "Keep Memory Alive" Foundation
charity gala to benefit the LOU RUVO Alzheimer's Center.
Roy has been diligently recuperating at his home in Nevada
and attending grueling physical rehabilitation sessions. Despite the intense routines, he remains optimistic as always, and
continues to joke about his progress.
"I go every day, seven days a week, to rehab," he says. "They are slave drivers
over there. You'd think they are the KGB from Russia."
He and Siegfried both credit his incredible recovery not only
to his trainers but to his devoted fans, who send him letters and cards, and his trained animals, whom he insists on visiting
at his Secret Garden.
"I had such a longing to see them again -- to see my animals," Roy said.
Roy has always
maintained that his tiger MONTECORE sensed he was in danger onstage and was pulling him to safety that tragic October night,
rather than attacking him, as some have said. The injuries cost him the use of his left arm and hand and much of his left
leg, but not his spirit.
"Well, I cannot disappoint my fans ever, and I like to show them if I can do it, you can
do it. There's always hope. You must never give up."
For the latest on Roy's recovery, keep watching "The Insider."
http://insider.tv.yahoo.com/celeb/3732/
FEBRUARY 13TH 2006:
Roy Horn: 'The Magic Is Back'
February 13, 2006
Walking without a cane, ROY HORN is continuing his amazing
recovery two years after he was almost killed during a performance in Las Vegas. ET caught up with the famed illusionist over
the weekend to find out about his plans to return to the stage.
"My fans all over the world have so much expectation
and they're all praying," he says. "I want to show them every prayer has worked."
Roy was in Las Vegas with his partner
of 35 years, SIEGFRIED FISCHBACHER, for the 10th Annual "Keep Memory Alive" foundation charity gala to benefit the LOU RUVO
Alzheimer's Center. He says the support of his fans has been crucial to his return to health.
"I cannot disappoint
my fans," Roy says. "I have to show ... if you want to do it badly enough, you can."
But Roy's journey is far from
over. Every day, he endures three hours of grueling physical therapy but says visiting his beloved animals is the best medicine.
"I go into my secret garden twice a week," he says. "I go and see the animals -- that is really what determined me
to get out of the house and work again."
And he says finding a way to get -- and stay -- motivated is key. "You need
determination and a goal," he says. "If you believe in something strong ... you're going to achieve it."
For more
on Roy Horn's recovery, watch tonight's ET!
http://et.tv.yahoo.com/celebrities/13904/
FEBRUARY 13TH 2006 SIGHTINGS: Roy Horn, standing at his table to salute California first lady Maria Shriver, a
co-honoree with Gehry at the Alzheimer's event
RECORD HAUL
Organizers of the Alzheimer's "Keep Memory Alive"
gala are claiming a U.S. fundraising record after reaping $18 million Saturday for a new Alzheimer's center.
The outpouring
of donations bettered the previous one-night fundraising total of $14 million set last year in Naples, Fla., at the Robin
Hood Foundation national dinner.
The $18 million more than tripled last year's total of $5 million and will go toward
building the $50 million Frank Gehry-designed Lou Ruvo Alzheimer's Institute.
Host and auctioneer Robin Leach said
it might be a world record for a single-day fundraiser. A six-day cruise for 110 people on the Seadream yacht was sold twice
at $750,000 each; two Gehry-designed dog kennels brought $350,000 each.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzen- egger, center, and his wife, Maria Shriver, are shown the model for the Lou Ruvo
Alzheimer's Institute by Larry Ruvo, founder of the institute, during a fundraiser Saturday at the MGM Grand. Shriver was
an honoree at the event, along with project architect Frank Gehry. Photo by K.M. Cannon.
Last word from our dashin duo...there was word that Roy shocked EVERYONE and walked totally UNASSISTED...this was to
have happened on January 6th-ish.
Less than 2 weeks till the WORLD MAGIC SEMINAR...
Wonder what they have planned...............
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH 2005
S&R KICK OFF OCTOBERFEST AT HOFBRAHAUS
OCTOBER 02, 2005
ROY HORN MAKING STRIDES By John Katsilometes(c)2005 LV SUN
In an exclusive interview with the Sun, the illusionist talks about his slow, painful road to recovery and the people he's
met on that journey line.
He can walk, unaided, short distances. He can move more easily with the help of a cane and he can talk. In fact, his voice
fairly booms when he wants it to.
The grip of his right hand is noticeably firm -- as if to send a message. And if that is not clear enough, he speaks that
message himself: "The magic is back."
So says Roy Horn, half of the legendary team of "Siegfried & Roy," who can be allowed to define that term. But today it's
a different brand of magic, no longer creating illusions or making an elephant disappear. It's not working in concert with
a 400-pound wild animal, or leading a showroom of fans into a world of fantasy.
It's walking from here to there. It's working out at a rehab facility for three hours a day, seven days a week. It's managing
unrelenting pain, having recently "cleansed" your body of painkillers. It's inspiring others while motivating yourself. It's
living a life of quality after narrowly escaping death.
In an exclusive interview with the Las Vegas Sun on Thursday at the Spanish Trails home of his longtime partner, Siegfried
Fischbacher, Horn discussed his recovery from the incident that nearly killed him. On Oct. 3, 2003, Horn was seriously injured
after being bitten on the neck and head by the white tiger Montecore and dragged from the stage during a performance at the
Mirage.
Monday is both the anniversary of the incident and Horn's 61st birthday. By all accounts he has worked diligently to reach
his current level of health. The results are apparent.
For Thursday's interview he walked on his own for 30 feet to get into position for photographs. More frequently he moved with
a cane, and was occasionally steadied by the duo's longtime manager, Bernie Yuman, and Siegfried & Roy Enterprises coordinator
Lynette Chappell.
But the signs of the incident are still present. A thin white scar cuts across the right side of Horn's neck, vanishing under
his shirt collar. His left side is still partially paralyzed and his walk, while improving, is still a slow shuffle.
But Horn is quick to respond; when asked how he was feeling he shot back, "Splendid!" When asked if he planned on returning
to show business in a full-time capacity, his jaw tightened as he said, "I never left -- I never left."
It was in conversation that Horn appeared most comfortable. He spoke willingly, if haltingly, of his most recent health episode,
which was to rid his system of painkillers on a visit to the Leonardis Clinic in the southern German city of Bad Heilbrunn.
Initial reports in June were that Horn was entering the facility to undergo stem-cell treatment. The German newspaper Bild
(the nation's largest) reported that he was undergoing experimental treatment by a doctor who uses stem cells from pig embryos
to stimulate and repair damaged nerve cells.
"The reason I went to Germany was because I was getting too much pain medication here and I needed to totally cleanse my body,"
he said. "(It is) almost like when you are going into rehab for drugs. So they totally cleansed me. (Now) I am totally perfect.
I'm clean. I could do the show again tomorrow, that's how good I feel."
Managing that pain, which Horn says travels throughout his body, is not easy.
"I meditate a lot, but I am constantly in pain," he said. "I'm trying to live with this. You just have to accept it."
Horn said that he might soon return to Germany for rehabilitation treatment for his injuries, although the specialist who
was treating him, Dr. Albert Scheller, died on Aug. 29 at the Mirage of heart disease.
"I was very saddened by it, deeply saddened," Horn said of Scheller's death. "But the clinic is still there. It's still in
Germany. I plan to maybe go back this fall."
Horn described his rehabilitation schedule, which would be a demanding regimen even for a fully healthy individual. Much of
his workout time is spent at the Nevada Community Enrichment Program facility on the Community College of Southern Nevada
campus on West Charleston Boulevard.
It is in the 32,000-square-foot facility where Horn does his most intensive work. The nonprofit program, which employs 15
full-time licensed health care professionals, specializes in treating patients who have suffered strokes or brain injuries.
A continued rehabilitation program is crucial to their recovery, and Horn says he considers that work his new career.
"I walk every night, a quarter of a mile. Every night," he said. "I walk every day for three hours in the rehab. I walk three
miles on the treadmill, when I am in therapy. Seven days a week for three hours, is what I do."
While performing with Fischbacher, Horn worked regularly for nearly 40 years, often for 48 weeks per year. But today he says
he's working harder than ever.
"Yes. I am stubborn. I am German," he says with a laugh. "I work harder now. I have a goal."
Which is to be able to walk without assistance.
"It will be soon," he said. "I will surprise everybody when I do it. I like surprises."
To ward off depression and to lift his spirits, Horn finds solace in his animals, from Siegfried, and from motivating others.
"I get comfort from my animals. I go to the Secret Garden once a week and visit all my animals, at the Mirage," he said. "It
is a comfort zone."
That group of animals includes Montecore, who lives at the Secret Garden. As Yuman noted, Horn regularly visits all the animals
--including Montecore -- and "six or eight" weeks ago Siegfried and Roy posed with three of their tigers for a photo to be
published in an upcoming edition of Vogue. Montecore is one of those tigers.
Fischbacher is a regular at Horn's rehab sessions.
"He is very understanding of my condition," Horn said. "He helps me every day to do my exercises. He comes to the rehab every
day to check on me ... Siegfried told me once, 'The one who is a hero is the one who can hang on just one minute longer.'
"
Today, Horn says he gets as much fulfillment from helping improve a single life as he does entertaining a showroom of fans
at the Mirage.
"Each one, by itself, is stimulating," he said.
The duo's fans remain important to Horn, who is still recognized even while wearing a hat and sunglasses in the most remote
outposts of Germany.
"We need our fans. They are the ones who put us here, every one of them," Horn said.
During rehab Horn has learned he can touch lives on a one-on-one basis, too. He speaks of a teenage boy at Craig Hospital
in Englewood, Colo., who was injured in a rodeo accident. (On the advice of Christopher Reeve, Horn was admitted to the renowned
spinal-cord and brain-trauma treatment hospital in August 2004.)
"I met many young people, particularly a young man who was kicked by a horse in the head. He didn't speak anymore, wouldn't
play, wouldn't do anything anymore. He was only in a wheelchair," Horn said. "So I came in and spent a lot of time with him.
Later on I went sailing with him, and it was a wonderful experience. After that he started to speak again and was part of
life again."
At the Nevada Community Enrichment Program facility Horn is known to give Ricola herbal tablets to fellow patients ("I should
have stock in Ricola," he jokes). One of those patients is 15-year-old Tyler Pinegar. In July 2003 Pinegar was nearly killed
when he slipped and fell off a cliff while camping with a Boy Scout troop at Lake Arrowhead, Calif.
"He was very bad about doing his homework -- after the accident he did not want to do anything anymore," Horn said. "But his
father said after he met me, he was given so much power and is feeling totally different. He saw me walking and wanted to
do the same."
At that story, Horn paused and recalled the night he nearly died.
"In all reality I died two times," Horn said, reprising a story he told Maria Shriver in September 2004 during an NBC special.
"But I came back. I am too strong, like a good cat -- but I only have seven lives left (laughs) ... After I died the second
time, I saw bright lights. I saw my mom sitting on the end of the roadway. I saw all my animals before me. I saw my brother
who had passed on many years ago. He was sitting right next to my mom. So you do see everybody once again; it's like a greeting
room.
"I walked past everybody ... I turned around and went back to my body, and I opened my eyes and saw a doctor with a scalpel
standing over me and cutting me up."
As Horn reasons, "They were not ready for me. They were not ready for me to do the show upstairs. Not yet."
................
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BERNIE!!!! 
She told me, "I call them the dirty dozen, but I don't think they will 
