Singing musician discovered by Siegfried and Roy

In a neat turnaround, Las Vegas magicians Siegfried and Roy are sponsoring Darren Romeo, "The Voice of Magic," through Feb. 27 at the Eldorado Showroom.

Romeo fills up empty moments present in most magic acts with a very pleasant singing voice that keep things moving nicely.

His magical illusions are a switch from the usual swords-through-the-box-through-the body routines. Instead of swords, he stretches a young assistant to a 10-foot length in the box. Naturally, she's unharmed.

Romeo was voted 2002 Entertainer of the Year, 2004 Show of the Year and 2004 Magician of the Year by the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Says Roy of the legendary duo, "Darren doesn't need tigers. The tigers are his voice."

Siegfried and Roy discovered Romeo during his show at the Las Vegas Flamingo Hilton and soon after appointed him their only protégé. The duo, currently out of business after a mauling by one of the tigers in their Vegas animal magic act, guided Romeo in the creation of an original show reflecting his skills as a magician, singer and entertainer.

Romeo offers lots of new tricks, and if you want to figure them out, remember to watch what happens before the surprise.

That's when the switches are made. One of his neater tricks is bringing up an older woman from the audience, singing to her and making a paper white rose in his hand.

He holds it out to her, and it becomes a lovely red rose.

And the cannon act ... well, he doesn't shoot a female assistant out of the thing, but the result is a pleasant surprise.

Romeo's voice is warm and smooth, as is the entire show. Siegfried and Roy sure know how to pick 'em.

Tickets start at $25.95. Call the Eldorado at (800) 648-5966 or 786-5700. At the Eldorado, tickets are at the Showroom Box Office.

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Something new in the area is a dinner show at Sharkey's Casino in Gardnerville Friday, Saturday and Jan. 28-29. The Carson Valley Community Theatre presents "Moonlight Mayhem: A Show to Die For" at 6:30 p.m. Fridays and 6:30 and 10 p.m. Saturdays.

For tickets, call 782-3133. Staff member Dan Goldberg called to report there will be free drinks at the 10 p.m. performance Saturday night.

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A tip of the hat to Dayton community member Laura Tennant. There'll be a potluck dinner for her at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Dayton Community Center on Pike Street. Let them know you're coming by calling 246-5051 or 246-6227.

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Don't miss Harvey Reid Jan. 27 at the Brewery Arts Center Performance Hall. He plucks a mean banjo and a muscular guitar with original songs and old favorites.

If you haven't been to the converted church, it's a nice venue with murals on the ceiling and pews (with cushions) for seats. Eventually, the hall is going to be upgraded for better viewing, but it's quite comfy right now.

Contact reporter Sam Bauman at sbauman@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1236.