Steve Wyrick and His Magical $35 Million Nightclub, Ultra-Lounge and Theater

The dream began five years ago and magician Steve Wyrick has spent $35 million to pull it off. From humble beginnings downtown at Lady Luck in 1997, he's graduated to the world's first triple-threat nightclub, ultra-lounge and theater and the sprawling 33,000 square-foot, four-floor ultimate entertainment complex is closing in on its now planned mid-January opening. "We just had our final full rehearsal and we're ready to go with everything working well," said the illusionist. "But making a Lear Jet disappear or making a Donald Trump helicopter appear is a lot easier than constructing our building," he laughingly added. It's taken a year of actual construction in the Desert Passage's Miracle Mile at the new Planet Hollywood arising from the old Aladdin resort. From more than 1,000 potential candidates Steve has hired 274 employees for the 7-day-a-week operation, including the seven most gorgeous girls ever cast anywhere in the world for a magic show! In addition to the stage being used as a dance floor with a DJ, there will be aerial acts putting on a show above them!

Luxe Life got the sneak preview of the awesome undertaking in a walkabout tour with Steve playing tour guide. Here's our conversation:

Robin Leach: So Steve we have 33,000 square feet spread out over four floors?

Steve Wyrick: It all starts at the ground floor with the box office, the high-end snack bar and the gift shop and that turns into the regular ultra lounge. Then, atop that is the floor of the actual theater and then Fridays and Saturdays the entire thing becomes Triq Nightclub. At 8AM the box office opens, at 10AM the snack bar, the main bar, and the gift shop opens at 10. People will start arriving at 2 for our first show at 3. After ventriloquist Ronn Lucas we have the top singer of the Philippines, Martin Nievera at 5. I am doing the 7 and the 9PM shows and then the Broadway comedy hit 'Defending the Caveman' at 10:30. After all the shows, there is an LED wall on the back of the bar that changes it into Triq nightclub and ultra lounge. Everything that would be perceived as a snack bar becomes a full-blown bar. So, it doesn't look that way during the day, but it converts to a specialty shot bar at night. All of the gift shop pieces, they are removed and an architectural mesh wall actually closes off everything and more furniture is placed down here and the entire first floor become Triq lounge. Every single night of the week we are open from 10AM until people stop coming during the week. Sometimes I think on certain days it may wind down at 2 or 3AM. But, on a Friday or a Saturday, Triq can go as late as 8AM, which will be a real tight turn over from an 8AM close to the actual opening again for its daytime usage at 10AM. You have to be completely different in Vegas yet its hard to be different. But we think we've achieved it."

RL: So how much of your own warmth did you put into the design and how much did you input into the architecture?

SW: I have been doing this every single day for a year-and-a-half. I wouldn't say I'm the designer, but I was there every step of the way, I'm a detailed oriented individual since I was a kid so I needed to have a hand ion each step of the way.

RL: It is safe to say that there is nothing like this anywhere in the world. There is no magic theater with a nightclub underneath and then it converts to an ultra lounge. You could only do this in Vegas correct?

SW: I think so. It is a 20-year deal for me so we're looking forward to a really long run combining theatrical shows with an extraordinary nightclub to keep the gun going on through till dawn!

Vegas nightlife pioneer, Tony Verdugo who kicked off the entire after-hours concept eight years ago at the hit Drais nightclub will be running the Triq nightclub for Steve, and he promises complete emphasis on "taking care of local residents." There's even word he'll hand out "Too Hot To Pay" cards to the most beautiful girls in Vegas who will be "comped for life!!!"