Siegfried and Roy assets

Short introduction

Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn better known as “Siegfried and Roy” are two magicians of German origin who conquered the world with their performances. Her white tiger show at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas was one of the city’s biggest draws for over ten years, contributing to its boom.

In 2002 – a year before the show was canceled due to an accident – the two wizards earned around $ 52 million a year.

Early life

Siegfried Fischbacher comes from Rosenheim, where he still has a family. He started magic at the age of eight. One motivation was to cheer up his father, who had returned home with severe trauma from Soviet captivity.

After graduating from school, Siegfried initially trained as a weaver. Then he was drawn to Lake Garda, where he worked as a waiter. He used the opportunity to demonstrate the first magic tricks in front of the guests.

In 1959 Siegfried hired on the cruise ship TS Bremen, where he also worked as a waiter and magician.

Only so much is known about Roy’s youth that he attended elementary school in Blexen and that his father was also an alcoholic. He ended his school career at the age of 13 and hired as a page at TS Bremen.

Career

After Siegfried and Roy met at TS Bremen in 1960, they soon appeared together in front of the passengers. A special feature of their show were the performances of the cheetah “Chico”, which the two took on board despite the captain’s initial concerns.

The shows at TS Bremen were so successful that the first stage appearances soon followed. In 1963 they made guest appearances at the famous Hansa Variety Theater. In 1964 they were shown in the Bremen Astoria Theater. Due to the great success, they ended their engagement at TS Bremen this year and started a major European tour.

The highlight of the tour was a performance in Monte Carlo, where they caused enthusiasm with Princess Gracia Patricia – alias Grace Kelly. The appearance attracted international attention.

Siegfried and Roy first appeared in Las Vegas in 1966. The show at the “Tropicana” was so popular that the influential casino owner Frank Rosenthal helped them get involved in the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas in 1970.

There the two shone for two years in the show “Lido de Paris”, which earned them the “Best Show of the Year” award. After a short guest appearance at the “Americana” in Puerto Rico, they returned to Las Vegas in 1974, where they caused a sensation in the “Hallelujah Hollywood” show at the MGM Grand Hotel.

From 1978 to 1981 Siegfried and Roy were again part of the “Lido de Paris” show at the Stardust Hotel, albeit on better terms. This time the show was advertised with its name on the billboard. She also made her contract among the highest paid magicians in Las Vegas history.

From 1981 to 1988, Siegfried and Roy performed for the first time in their own show at the “New Frontier” hotel in Las Vegas. Until then, they offered the audience unique magic tricks under the title “Beyond Belief”.

In 1988/89, they prepared a new show for the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, for which they earned a record $ 57.5 million a year.

The show ran until the accident in 2003 when Roy was bitten by a tiger during the performance. The serious injuries Roy sustained ended the career of the legendary magician duo.

Career highlights

Regardless of the record number, the show at the Mirage Hotel is also the artistic highlight of Siegfried and Roy’s development. Many of the breathtaking tricks were only made possible by the fact that the theater was built especially for the show of the two. The production cost was $ 50 million and the annual cost was $ 25 million. The soundtrack of the show was composed by Michael Jackson. The hallmark of the show were 27 white tigers, who were on stage with Siegfried and Roy.

Famous quotes

“The reports of my death were totally exaggerated at the time. I think I still look pretty damn good as a corpse. ” (Roy on fake death news after the tiger incident)

“If a tiger attacks you, you’re done. Then you’re dead. ” (Roy regarding the “accident”)

Amazing facts

In addition to the Mirage Hotel, there is still the “Secret Garden” opened by Siegried and Roy, a large outdoor enclosure in which white tigers can be admired

The white tiger “Mantacore” involved in the “accident” died in 2014 of natural causes. Roy was not considered to be put to sleep simply because the accident was preceded by a stroke. The tiger sensed this and grabbed his neck to bring him to safety