Piff the Magic Dragon and Mr. Piffles.
Monday, Oct. 29, 2018 | 2 a.m.
A year ago, comic magician Piff the Magic Dragon — a favorite from “America’s Got Talent” and “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” — solidified his presence in Las Vegas by moving to five shows a week at the Flamingo and cutting back on his busy touring schedule to spend more time on the Strip. The results include breaking all box office records at the Bugsy’s Cabaret space over the summer and accelerating his schedule.
Piff and his magic performing chihuahua Mr. Piffles now hit the stage nightly except for specific dark dates and the show was just extended at the Flamingo through the end of 2019.
“Being able to perform every night has made the show a lot better. Being able to stay in one place allows us to work on the tricks more than if we have to tour every single night,” says Piff, whose human name is John van der Put. “Also being able to be around people like Penn and Teller, David Copperfield and Mac King has also really been great, to get advice from those people and really be able to up our game.”
Staying steady in Las Vegas is all about that elevation of production.
“Obviously we want to maintain the quality of the show and that sometimes means trying not to put new tricks in until they are really ready,” he says. “That can slow down the pace [of making changes] a bit but it also gives us a much better way to work the material in.”
Originally hailing from London, Piff still hits the road as much as he can, sometimes three or four times a month and somehow finds the time for the Piff Pod, a weekly podcast that goes behind the scenes of his magical dragon life including interviews with fellow performers and tales from his tours.
“It’s a lot of fun to do, just a way to keep in touch with fans and supporters and people who come to the show,” he says. “Every week there’s some kind of crazy incident and good to document them all.”
Next up is a lot more TV. Piff is completing production on his own comedy special that should be released in early 2019 and he’s also been working on an upcoming “AGT” champions special and a new show with Penn Jillette.
Piff the Magic Dragon performs at 8 p.m. nightly at Bugsy’s Cabaret at the Flamingo (3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-733-3111) and more info can be found at caesars.com.
