By Erica Hoffman
Penn and Teller are set to bring their fresh, weird and wonderful magic act to the Hard Rock, and Atlantic City is buzzing with anticipation!
For over four decades, Penn Jillette and Raymond Teller, better known as “Penn and Teller,” have been an integral part of Atlantic City’s magic scene, delighting long-time fans and first-timers with their unique and edgy performances.
Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Penn Jillette, the chattier of the two, from his home in Las Vegas as he prepared for their upcoming Atlantic City dates. He found time for our interview between recording his podcast sessions, giving other “less fun” interviews (his words), and as he and Teller prepped for their Las Vegas show, the longest-running resident show in that city.
When asked about the ups and downs of playing to a specific demographic, Penn, as he does, had some strong opinions about it. “Comedians and other acts all used to talk about regional differences. Now, the country has become much more homogenized. Something I used to talk to George Carlin about all the time was when we played in a town like Atlantic City or Las Vegas, where people had their tickets for weeks, if not months, which was a good show. Still, those are towns where people know us.”
When asked about the differences between playing Atlantic City or Las Vegas compared to the rest of the world, Jillette explained. “The truest best feeling while performing is when we go on stage to small applause and have to, for lack of a better word, get the audience to relax in their seats after the first few bits we do on stage. When you see the audience get comfortable in their seats, that really gets us going. I know we’ve got them.” Penn went on. “As great as it is to walk out to a room full of applause just for showing up, It doesn’t feel nearly as good as gaining respect from an audience that didn’t know how or what they would be getting themselves into the shows.”
On the topic of keeping their material fresh, Jillette said, “As we’ve aged a bit in our tricks, we’ve definitely gotten more reckless. Lately, we’ve written some of the weirdest stuff we’ve ever written, and the audience is staying with us, and that’s a really wonderful thing. People tend to underestimate the audiences in Vegas, and especially in Atlantic City, which is rude and unfair. We find the weirdest and smartest stuff to give Atlantic City. They just like us. And I wish other people wouldn’t do their most hack stuff in Atlantic City because the city deserves better.”
We all have the exclusive opportunity to witness their mesmerizing routine, in person, on Thursday, May 16, and Friday, May 17, at Sound Waves at The Hard Rock Casino and Resort.
Erica Hoffman was born in Atlantic City and is proud to be writing for Shore Local. She lives in South Jersey and enjoys finding and sharing the lighter side of life.
