Penn & Teller on Broadway

It's the oldest trick in the book, and perhaps the most cliché. But as illusionists Penn Jillette and Teller point out near the start of their masterful new Broadway engagement, few people have ever actually seen it live. And when they do it, when they perform the simple sleight of hand known as pulling a rabbit out of a hat, the amount of pleasure each person in the audience derives could fill up to the catwalk of the cavernous Marquis Theatre, where the legendary magicians have set up their tent for the next six weeks.

As far as performers go, Penn & Teller are the very tops. Few people could fill a 1,500-seat Las Vegas auditorium night after night, year after year, for more than two decades they way they do. Fewer could receive one — let alone eight — "Las Vegas Magicians of the Year" titles. Fewer still could blend illusion and stand-up and political proselytizing with the deftness Penn & Teller display. And they do it with such graciousness and ease that everyone feels included. Whether seated in the front row of the orchestra or the last row of the mezzanine, every spectator will experience, numerous times over the course of the evening, the feeling that it's a show being performed for one.

It could be. We're as much a part of the event as they are. Equal opportunity is given to audience participation (at least for those seated within easy access to the stage). Before the show even begins, guests are invited to step up and have a stroll around the stage as Penn jams on the bass with his longtime pianist, Mike Jones.

Over the course of the 90-minute production, there are many chances for lucky spectators to get called upon to make their "Broadway debuts." The gigantic Penn will ask someone to pick a joke that he will then read from that person's mind. The elfin Teller might choose another to inspect his mouth after he appears to swallow dozens of sewing needles. They truly do play intimately to the audience.

Perhaps the most impressive part of their show isn't how they appear to saw beautiful showgirl Georgie Bernasek in half with an industrial grade meat-slicer, or how they make a cow costumed like an elephant disappear. No, what sets Penn & Teller apart from other magic acts is the respect they have for each other, the audience, and the "covert activities" themselves. It's evident in the way they treat viewers and even more so in how they debunk the stunts they perform. Penn & Teller are known for revealing how it's done, but in a way that makes us think rather than ruin it. They treat us like smart people. Perhaps that's the key to their 40 years of ongoing success. That and the fact that they're just really damn good at what they do.

The tricks are simple. Several are achieved with sleight of hand, at which Teller is an incomparable genius. Others are simply memorized patterns (like a death-defying nail gun stunt that makes us squirm even as the eternally friendly Penn walks us through it). In the hands of director John Rando, there are no dull moments in the show, which is a magic trick in itself. Even with flashy sets (by Daniel Conway) and lighting (by Jeff Croiter) that fill the theater, the creative elements emphasize the production's parlor magic feel.

For those desiring an actual one-on-one, head out into the lobby after the show, where Penn & Teller take photos and sign autographs for anyone willing to stick around. From pre-show to post, these headliners certainly know their fans and how to please them.