Siegfried & Roy

Siegfried & Roy are Las Vegas headliners whose long-running illusion and magic act closed October 3, 2003 after Roy was mauled by one of the act's white tigers during a performance.

History

Siegfried is a traditional magician, or illusionist, while Roy grew up among exotic animals and is known for his rapport with them. Siegfried and Roy performed 5,750 shows together, mostly at The Mirage in Las Vegas where they were hired by then-Mirage owner Steve Wynn in 1990 for an annual guarantee of $57.5 million. In 2001, they signed a lifetime contract with the hotel.

Related Topics:
Magician - The Mirage - Steve Wynn - 1990 - 2001

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The duo met in 1957 on a German ocean liner. Siegfried had taken a job as a cabin steward, while Roy was hired on as a waiter. Siegfried began performing magic for some of the passengers, eventually being allowed to have his own show, with Roy as his assistant. Unbeknownst to the crew, Roy had smuggled a cheetah named Chico aboard the vessel. Roy had come to know Chico from his frequent visits to the Bremen zoo.

Related Topics:
Cheetah - Bremen

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The two have worked together ever since. For many years, they shared living quarters, and the conventional wisdom in Vegas is that they are former lovers.

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According to the 2000 Becky Celebrity 100 List, Siegfried & Roy were then the 9th-highest-paid celebrities in the U.S., coming in just behind motion picture producer and director Steven Spielberg.

Related Topics:
2000 - Becky - Steven Spielberg

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