Gambling Directory

RIO SIGNS TWO-YEAR DEAL WITH PENN & TELLER

02/07/2002

July 02, 2002
LAS VEGAS, NEV. - Penn & Teller, named "Magicians of the Year" two years in a row, recently signed a long term agreement to perform at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. The contract, effective in September, 2002, will keep the performers at the Rio's 1,500-seat Samba Theater through September, 2004.

"We're pleased to have a new deal with Penn & Teller," said Tom Jenkin, senior vice president and general manager for the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and Harrah's Las Vegas Casino & Hotel. "Magic shows have always been a tradition in Las Vegas … but this show takes magic to a new realm, offering something you just won't see anywhere else.

"Their unconventional combination of magic and comedy makes it a perfect match for the Rio," Jenkin said.

Penn Jillette was equally pleased to finalize the new contract: "We thought we bought a time share in Brazil, but this is even better," he said.

If one word describes Penn & Teller, it is, without a doubt, "cool." The pair has an uncanny ability to capture the collective imagination through comedy, magic and amazing stage presence.

Penn Jillette and the single-named Teller are consummate tricksters, who also happen to be the world's biggest skeptics. Their trickery not only possesses an entrancing magical element, but also offers audiences an intriguing intellectual challenge.

Together since 1975, their award-winning theater show has been a long running hit on and off-Broadway and continues to sell out theaters across America.

After playing small clubs, theaters and the Renaissance Fair circuit, Penn & Teller's unconventional combination of magic and comedy gained national attention when their stage show opened off-Broadway in 1985, leading to appearances on "Late Night with David Letterman," "Saturday Night Live," and "Miami Vice." In 1987 their stage show moved to Broadway, the first of two successful runs.

Favorite guests on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "The Late Show with David Letterman," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and the "Hollywood Squares," Penn & Teller also have numerous television credits, including "The Drew Carey Show," "Friends," "Dharma & Greg," "The Simpsons," and their own Emmy-winning specials.

The duo serve as Visiting Scholars at MIT, which is the highest honor bestowed by the school and have lectured at the Smithsonian Institution and Oxford University. Penn & Teller were named two of the funniest people alive in Entertainment Weekly's "50 Greatest Comedians Today" Issue.

Penn & Teller perform nightly at 8:30 p.m. (dark Tuesday). Tickets are $55 (includes tax) and available at the Rio Box Office.

For room reservations, call (800) PLAYRIO, or visit our website at www.playrio.com.

The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is owned and operated by Harrah's Entertainment, Inc . Founded more than 60 years ago, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the most geographically diversified casino company in the United States, operating 25 casinos under the Harrah's, Showboat, Rio and Harveys brand names. With a combined database of more than 24 million players, Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its target customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

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