Penn & Teller

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By Leila Navidi · April 8, 2009 · 4:33 p.m.

John Katsilometes talks entertainment and charity with Penn Jillette, who lives up to his role as the nonsilent member of Penn & Teller: Monday, April 16, 2007; Characteristically, the vocal half of Penn & Teller, who have been performing at the Rio for a little more than six years, was fast to share his opinions.

Columnist John Katsilometes: The opinionated license plates of Penn Jillette: Tuesday, January 3, 2006; By John Katsilometes; Jillette, who along with partner Teller, organized the third "Penn & Teller's 13 Bloody Days of Xmas" blood drive (which concluded Saturday), owns three Mini Coopers. All are his favorite color, bright pink, and each is fixed with a vanity plate: Jillette's other two plates read "GODLESS" and "NO GOD."

Columnist John Katsilometes: Getting to the pint at a blood-letting with Penn Jillette: Tuesday, December 20, 2005; By John Katsilometes; Penn Jillette knows how to generate positive news.

Playing the Fool: Vegas comics have turned pranks into an art form: Tuesday, April 1, 2003; By Kristen Peterson; Several years ago a group of colleagues at Bell Labs in New Jersey told their boss Arno Penzias a 1978 Nobel Prize in physics honoree that they were working on a highly advanced voice recognition system.

Penn and Teller at home in cynic city: Friday, February 7, 2003; Frazier Moore; NEW YORK -- For their new Showtime series, Penn and Teller chose a title that proclaimed their skepticism for such things as weight-loss products, feng shui and creationism; for end-of-the-world forecasts and the purity claims by bottled-water marketers; for ESP, sex aids and "second-hand smoke."

'Penn & Teller' the talk of the town -- literally: Friday, October 4, 2002; How can anyone complain about a "Penn & Teller" performance?

Penn's State: Friday, August 3, 2001; Kimberley McGee; Don't let Penn Jillette fool you.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Penn & Teller settle in for longer run at Rio: Friday, July 20, 2001; Joe Delaney; Penn & Teller are settling into the Rio's Samba Theatre for longer and longer periods ... This engagement continues through Aug. 19 ... Just as Siegfried & Roy, Lance Burton and David Copperfield differ in presentation from each other as practitioners of magic and the illusionary arts, a Penn & Teller performance is another entertainment experience entirely.

Magician writes an ode to his artistic parents: Friday, December 22, 2000; By Jerry Fink; What: Booksigning of "When I'm Dead All this Will Be Yours" by Teller

Penn Jillette makes Peppermill booth re-appear: Thursday, May 11, 2000; Kimberley McGee; When Penn Jillette, the deadpan vocal half of the comedy/magic team of Penn & Teller, designed his Las Vegas home six years ago he had a booth from the Peppermill Inn measured and built into his kitchen nook -- replicated down to the little glass sugar jars and wooden salt-and-pepper shakers that sit on the tables.

Q&A: Show & Teller: Sunday, April 9, 2000; By Jerry Fink; Penn & Teller have been performing their edgy routines (which sometimes include maggots and cockroaches) for more than 25 years, on the streets in the early years and now for audiences around the world.

Teller-led watchdog group to keep people informed via Internet: Tuesday, August 4, 1998; Adrienne Packer; They may live in rural Clark County with unpaved roads, abandoned cars and horse stables, but residents in the southwest are far from back-country folks when it comes to government watchdogging.

'Sin'-sational!: Friday, July 31, 1998; Scott Dickensheets; It's big! That's the first thing they want you to notice about "Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular," debuting Aug. 10 on the fx network: Compared to the smallish desk-and-chair principalities of Letterman, Leno and similar heirs of the variety show tradition, Penn & Teller are tapin' large.

Penn & Teller delightful dose of disrespect: Friday, August 1, 1997; Joe Delaney; P&T's current Bally's program starts with "Stackers," the world's largest card trick with fork lifts and 52 cards weighing 27 pounds each. Next, little Andrew from the audience assisted the duo with restoration of polyester. "Looks Simple" reveals legerdemain as practiced by Teller, described by Penn, the big guy who does all the talking, quite funny. Teller, the little feller, takes the brunt of most of the near-mayhem that occurs.

Columnist Joe Delaney: This time Teller talks: Friday, July 18, 1997; Joe Delaney; Penn Jillette is both large and loud. ... Teller goes by his last name only. ... He is diminutive, quiet, yet quite eloquent offstage. ... Jillette was an unemployed clown-school graduate while Teller was a professor who taught Latin and, as a hobby, tinkered in magic.

Penn & Teller

Occupation: Comedy magic duo
Venue: Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino since 2001.
Official Web page: www.pennandteller.com
Penn Jillette's Twitter page: twitter.com/pennjillette
Years performing: 1975 to present.
Birthdays:Penn Francis Jillette was born March 5, 1955, in Greenfield, Mass. Raymond Joseph Teller was born Feb. 14, 1948 in Philadelphia, Penn.
Early career: Performed as part of a three-man act, with Weir Chrisimer, "Asparagus Valley Cultural Society," doing shows in Amherst, Mass., and San Francisco. Teller used his skills as a magician and mime and Penn used his clowning and juggling skills to create their act.
Breakthrough: After performing on the streets and small clubs, the pair teamed up in 1981 as Penn & Teller. The 6-foot-7 Penn is the vocal half of the duo, while the 5-foot-9 Teller keeps silent during their act. They became acclaimed for their off-Broadway show and in 1985, they won an Emmy for their PBS special, "Penn & Teller Go Public.
Tickets: Vegas.com.

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Updated May 20, 2009 (12:12 p.m.)

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Penn & Teller

Penn & Teller