Siegfried & Roy

Siegfried & Roy

• Occupation: Illusionists
• Venue: The Mirage Hotel, 1972-2003
• Official Web page: www.siegfriedandroy.com
• Years performing: 1959 to present.
• Birthdays: Siegfried Fischbacher was born June 13, 1939, in Rosenheim, Germany. Roy Horn was born Oct. 3, 1944, in Nordenham, Germany. Both are now naturalized U.S. citizens.
• Early career: They met on a German ocean liner, where Siegfied, then a cabin steward, performed tricks for the passengers. Roy, a waiter, joined the act as his assistanct and they added Chico, a cheetah, to the act.
• Breakthrough: They developed their show in Europe and debuted in 1967 at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. They returned to Las Vegas with Sahra, the Siberian tiger, as part of their act. In 1972, they received Las Vegas Entertainment Award for Best Show Act of the year.
• Mid-career: They were name Magicians of the Year by the American Academy of Magical Arts in 1976. They received marquee billing in 1978 at the Stardust. In 1990, they opened at the Mirage and celebrated their 15,000th performance in 1996. In 2000, they were honored as Magicians of the Century.
• Roy's accident: On Oct. 3, 2003, Roy was bitten on the neck and injured severely by a tiger named Montecore. He was in critical condition for several weeks. The accident ended the duo's show and Roy spent years in rehabilitation. But they returned for one final show on March 1, 2009, and included Montecore in the act.