Posted on 01/21/2003 1:58:23 PM PST by weegee
A sacrilegious stunt by Penn & Teller that offended some at a major magicians convention was defended Thursday by fellow local headliners.
A group walked out of a roast of Amazing Johnathan on Monday after Teller, dressed as Christ on a full-sized cross, entered the room on a cart. A midget dressed as an angel performed a simulated sex act on the near-naked Teller.
Penn Jillette, in a Roman gladiator costume, unveiled the scene by pulling away a "Shroud of Turin" that covered the cross.
Rick Neiswonger, a longtime magician and local marketing executive, said "the majority" of the 400 who attended the roast were offended.
"They (organizers) warned everybody that something offensive was going to happen, but my God, where do you draw the line? I've seen Friar's Club ... Sam Kinison and Andrew Dice Clay, but this was beyond bad taste."
The roast was part of the four-day World Magic Seminar at the Riviera.
Monte Carlo headliner Lance Burton, a roaster, addressed the controversy during the awards luncheon finale Wednesday that drew about 1,000.
Reached Thursday, Burton said, "I told them, `You were warned ahead of time.' It was a roast; it was held late at night (midnight). I absolutely, positively did not apologize.
"I said Penn & Teller, Siegfried & Roy, Mac King, Amazing Johnathan and I all have different styles. That's good; that's what makes it an art form."
He added, "Penn & Teller are my dear friends and I would take a bullet for them, and you can write that," said Burton.
Amazing Johnathan said he was aware that a number of "gospel magicians" walked out and raised cane.
"This was performance art," said Johnathan, who moves to a new, open-ended run at the Flamingo on Saturday. "I know that Penn is a practicing atheist, and I agree with him that Christianity can be dangerous. Look at the Trade Center. That was done in the name of religion."
Penn & Teller declined comment
Fools.
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