Hans Klok, known throughout Europe and Asia as the fastest illusionist in the world has brought his show to the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
Hans Klok, the master magician,
appears and disappears into thin air.
The Beauty of Magic, as the show is titled, opens with dancers and imagery pulsating off custom-made circular video screens held by gigantic open hands on either side of the stage. After all, a show about illusion is all about the visuals, and since the theater is rather large, being able to witness the wizardry vis-à-vis video screens means you have a better chance of spotting the nuances, the slights of hand, or in this case, the magician’s uncanny ability to make people appear and disappear into and out of thin air.
Hans Klok, a native of Holland, is tall, slim, and every inch the showman. With his blond mane and the flashes of light that sparkle off his clothing, he could easily be a male model. To create a bond with the audience he explains that his interest in magic was ignited when his father gave him a magic set at age eight. In The Beauty of Magic Klok uses flashbacks featuring himself as a boy interacting with his father. These characters weave the various facets of the magician’s journey together, highlighting his father’s role in nurturing his interest and talent as a magician. At the end of the performance Klok dedicates the show to him.
The Beauty of Magic -
Pamela Anderson.
Loud music energizes the production, moving it forward, scene by scene, trick by trick. There are pyrotechnic feats, and tributes to Houdini and Blackstone. In most magic shows the magician pauses to savor the audiences’ applause. In Klok’s case the pace is so fast, the applause is often drowned out by the music. The first ah, ha moment occurs when a large cylinder was wheeled on stage and taken apart. Clearly, there is nothing inside. The master illusionist puts it back together and viola! A beautiful girl steps out.
There are many such vignettes, dazzling, jaw dropping, how-did-he-get-locked-up-and-change-places-with-his-assistant scenarios. There are plenty of lovely blondes and brunettes, but the audience is collectively wondering when Pamela Anderson will make her entrance.
About two-thirds of the way into the show the Bay Watch beauty appears. She’s funny. Yes, Pamela Anderson acquits herself well as Hans Klok’s assistant. He cuts her in half and levitates her about twelve feet off the ground. She shakes her more than ample breasts at a plexiglass chest and cha ching – suddenly it’s filled with money. Anderson appears to genuinely enjoy her role, even when floating high above terra firma. “Now my dream of becoming a Las Vegas showgirl has come true,” she tells everyone.
In Europe and Asia Hans Klok is a superstar. In America he’s in the process of establishing himself. At age ten he started practicing with a box of magic tricks and at fourteen he won the European Youth Magician Award. Then he took first prize at the Grand Prix of Netherlands, and at Germany’s Congress of Professional Magicians. The dye was cast. As his story unfolds, Klok grapples with a dark force from within – a metaphor for the dark side, temptation and death defying danger. One illusion leads to another, each more difficult and dramatic than the last.
Pamela Anderson reveals her own magic!
The dancers, both male and female are extremely talented and lend another important thread to the balance of the performance. They introduce the audience to Amsterdam, New York, Paris and India. Creative director Anthony van Laast who choreographed “Mama Mia” and assisted in developing Seigfried and Roy’s amazing magic show at the Las Vegas Mirage has put the elements together for The Beauty of Magic.
If you love magic you will find Hans Klok a serious illusionist. If you are looking for a show that incorporates variety with magic, this fits the bill. You must be eight years of age or older to see The Beauty of Magic at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino located at 3667 So. Las Vegas Boulevard. The show is dark Sunday through Wednesday. There will be two performances daily Thursday through Saturday – 7 pm and 10 pm. Ticket prices are: Level One - $113.40, Level Two - $71.40, and Level Three - $39.90. For this show I recommend going with levels one and two.
For reservations call: 866-678-2582 or in Las Vegas 702-987-2222.
—
Review by Linda Lane, Las Vegas Jetsetters Magazine Entertainment Editor. Photos courtesy of Panet Hollywood, Ethan Miller of Getty Images, and Tomas Muscionico.
