TO LOOK AT Nathan Burton, you would not think he's a magician. In fact, he comes across more of a comedian than one who performs magic tricks. Yet, he is in a class of performers that have found a niche here in Las Vegas. Among them: David Copperfield, Hans Klok, Lance Burton—no relation, Amazing Jonathan, and even Penn and Teller. All have dazzled audiences with the slight of their hand, disappearing acts, and mind games that leave you wondering…how did they do that! But what is it that sets Nathan Burton apart from the others? "I'm the boy next door," says Nathan. "I'm the one with lots of toys, showgirls and of course comedy thrown in."
It's the element of the showgirls that makes Nathan's show different from all the rest. At one point during a special performance at what's now the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood, he had 198 showgirls, over seven days, move in and out of a small box that he was in. "Most people came by to see the showgirls, not me!" he jokes! The guys who came by said, "You're the man!" But staying in the box for that long was a brutal experience. He says that most of the energy he exerted was standing up. He slept three or four hours a night, with a webcam overhead, so that the audience could watch his every move 24/7. At the end of the seven days, paramedics came in to treat him for dehydration. He says it was the most amazing people watching he has ever done. Not to mention that they raised money for Child Haven, a local charity here in Las Vegas.
Recently, Nathan took on another daunting task. He was frozen in a block of ice. It was a grand opening promotional stunt for the Miracle Mile Shops. A huge "M" was formed in a block ice sculpture outside the Miracle Mile shops with Nathan in the center. Showgirls took part in the act. The goal: to stay inside the block of ice for 24 hours. With blowing winds, which made it unbearably cold, Nathan gave up after four hours. He was afraid the ice would topple over. No regrets he says. He's just moving on to his next magic trick!
Being the Vegas Insider, I needed to get the inside scoop on something that no one knows about Nathan Burton. He began to tell me this story: "One question I asked all the showgirls when we were in the box for four days…where is the most unusual place they had sex? One response was the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland!" The Vegas Insider had to repeat the question once again reminding Nathan that the question was specifically about something in his life! His response: "For me…it was in my dressing room!"
I also tried to get Nathan to tell me the secret to his magic tricks. His response: "Can you keep a secret…well so can I!"
