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Siegfried & Roy

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Siegfried & Roy
Roy Horn (left) and Siegfried Fischbacher (right) with their white lion
Nationality
Other namesMasters of the Impossible
SARMOTI[3]
Occupation(s)Magicians
Entertainers
Performers
Known forStage acts involving big cats
Siegfried Fischbacher
Born(1939-06-13)June 13, 1939
Rosenheim, Gau Munich-Upper Bavaria, Germany
DiedJanuary 13, 2021(2021-01-13) (aged 81)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Roy Horn
Birth nameUwe Ludwig Horn
Born(1944-10-03)October 3, 1944
Nordenham, Gau Weser-Ems, Germany
DiedMay 8, 2020(2020-05-08) (aged 75)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

Siegfried Fischbacher (June 13, 1939 – January 13, 2021) and Roy Horn (born Uwe Ludwig Horn; October 3, 1944 – May 8, 2020) were German-American entertainers who performed an animal-based magic show together as Siegfried & Roy. The duo, who were also romantically involved, were best known for their flamboyant, Liberace-style costumes and use of white lions and white tigers in their acts; Siegfried was the magician; Roy the animal trainer.[4]

The pair met on a cruise ship in 1959 and began to perform together on ships and in European clubs and theaters. In 1967, they were invited to begin performing in Las Vegas, Nevada. Starting in 1990, they headlined a show at The Mirage casino resort. By 1999, the show had grossed $500 million and they were the highest-paid entertainers in Las Vegas.[4] After 5,750 performances,[5] their performing career came to an end in 2003 when Horn was critically injured by a tiger during a performance.[6][7] Ray Horn died in 2020 from COVID-19 and Siegfried Fischbacher died in 2021 from pancreatic cancer.

Early lives

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Fischbacher and Horn were born and raised in Germany but underwent naturalization to become citizens of the United States in 1988.[2]

Siegfried

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Siegfried was born Siegfried Fischbacher in Rosenheim in the Free State of Bavaria of Nazi Germany on June 13, 1939 to Martin and Maria Fischbacher.[8] His mother was a housewife and his father was a professional painter who, during World War II, ended up as a prisoner of war in the Soviet Union. Both Siegfried and Roy's fathers were described as a "violent, rage-filled alcoholics, scarred by years of fighting as Nazi soldiers"; the duo says the war changed their fathers, who resorted to alcohol to cope with what they had seen and done.[5][6] Fischbacher coped with his absent father by resorting to magic; he purchased a book about magic tricks and began to practice illusions, first with his family, at age 8.[5] He completed an apprenticeship as a carpet weaver after elementary school.[9] He moved to Italy in 1956, where he worked at as a dishwasher, bartender, and waiter at a hotel on Lake Garda where he also entertained guests and collegues with his magic tricks.[9][10]

Roy

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Roy Horn was born on October 3, 1944 as Uwe Ludwig Horn, the youngest of four sons of Johanna Horn, in Nordenham in the Free State of Oldenburg of Nazi Germany[11] in the midst of bomb attacks.[12] His father, a Nazi soldier, became an alcoholic after the war and his mother left her husband and married a construction worker.[9] Horn had three brothers: Manfred, Alfred, and Werner.[9] His stepfather also became an alcoholic due to the effects of the war, was unable to work, and the family became dysfunctional as his mother took work in a factory.[9] Horn became interested in animals at a very young age[11] and cared for his childhood dog named Hexe (meaning witch); Horn once fell into a swamp and his life was saved by the dog.[9] A family friend was the founder of Bremen Zoo, which gave Horn access to exotic animals from the age of 10.[10]: 25–31  Horn dropped out of school at age 13.[11] He Americanized his legal name to his nickname, Roy, when he was naturalized in 1988.[13]

Career

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In 1959, the duo met on board the cruise ship TS Bremen where Horn, then a teenager, was a waiter/bellboy after fleeing his family and Fischbacher was performing in a small magic show under the stage name Delmare.[10][11][6][3] Fischbacher asked Horn to assist him during a performance on board.[10]: 33  The two were fired from the TS Bremen for smuggling a live cheetah onto the ship in a laundry bag.[5] They were then scouted by a cruise line based in New York and began performing together as a duo.

In 1964, the owner of the Astoria Theatre in Bremen saw Fischbacher and Horn's act aboard a Caribbean cruise ship and recruited the duo to perform at her nightclub.[14] This launched a career for the pair on the European nightclub circuit, including in Monte Carlo, and they began to perform with tigers.[5]

They were discovered performing in Paris by promoter Tony Azzie, who asked them to perform in Las Vegas in 1967, where they debuted at the Folies Bergere at The Tropicana Hotel Las Vegas.[3] The duo were originally placed 14th on a long bill, but by 1978, they had become the grand finale. That year, Frank Rosenthal brought the show to the Stardust Resort and Casino, where the duo was featured on the marquee.[3]

In 1981, Kenneth Feld of Irvin & Kenneth Feld Productions started the Beyond Belief variety show with the duo at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino.[7] A revamped version of the show was taken on a world tour in the third quarter of 1988.[15]

In 1990, Fischbacher and Horn moved their show to The Mirage, a newly opened casino and resort in Las Vegas, where they performed until 2003.[3]

By 1999, the show had grossed $500 million and they were the highest-paid entertainers in Las Vegas.[4]

2003 tiger incident

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During a show at the Mirage on October 3, 2003, on his 59th birthday, Horn was attacked by a seven-year-old white tiger named Mantacore (the tiger's name having been frequently misspelled as "Montecore" in media reports).[16] As part of the act, but veering off-script, Horn held the microphone to Mantacore's mouth and told him to say "hello" to the audience. Mantacore responded by biting Horn's sleeve. Horn tapped the tiger on the nose with the microphone saying "no, no", and the tiger eventually released the grip, but remained fixed on Horn despite a standby trainer's attempts to distract it with cubes of meat. Then as Horn retreated, the tiger leapt at him, swinging at his legs and knocking him off his feet.[16] As trainers rushed to the stage to assist, Mantacore bit into Horn's neck and dragged him offstage. Horn was finally released after trainers sprayed the tiger with CO2 from fire extinguishers and jammed their index fingers into the tiger's mouth.[16] Horn survived, but the attack severed his spine, resulting in massive blood loss and severely injuring other parts of his body. It left him with permanent impairment to his motor and verbal abilities. He was partially paralyzed on the left side of his body.[6] He also had a stroke either before or after Mantacore dragged him offstage.[16][17][18][19] While en route to the hospital, Horn stated, "Mantacore is a great cat. Make sure no harm comes to Mantacore".[20]

In September 2004, Horn stated that Mantacore saved his life by trying to drag him to safety after he had a stroke.[21] The incident prompted the Mirage to close the show, which had 267 cast and crew members.[22] The trainer, Chris Lawrence, later contradicted Fischbacher and Horn's explanations for why the tiger attacked Horn, alleging it was due to Horn's mishandling of Mantacore. The duo dismissed Lawrence's claims, stating that Lawrence "had problems with his life anyway".[23] Lawrence later said he believed that the duo and the Mirage covered up the real reason for the attack to protect their image.[16]

Aftermath and retirement

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Siegfried and Roy in April 2012

Horn spent many months in hospitals and clinics for rehabilitation.[21] In February 2009, the duo staged a final appearance with Mantacore as a benefit for the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute (though Chris Lawrence had stated this performance involved a different tiger).[24] Their performance was recorded for broadcast on 20/20.[25] In 2010, the duo attempted a comeback but on April 23, 2010, they retired from show business.[26] On March 19, 2014, Mantacore died after a brief illness. He was 17 years old.[27] In June 2016, director Philipp Stölzl acquired the rights to a biopic on the lives of the duo, but plans to develop it fell through.[28]

Romantic involvement

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Fischbacher and Horn were romantically involved, though many details remain unknown since the duo avoided discussion of their private lives and evaded questions of sexuality despite media speculation.[4][29] The couple lived together at Jungle Palace, an eight-acre estate in Las Vegas and owned a much larger ranch outside the city.[4] Analysts suspect that they remained private about their sexuality due to the negative effects that it may have had on their careers.[4] In August 2007, the duo came out as gay in the National Enquirer, thereafter reverting to their preferred state of privacy.[4]

Illnesses and deaths

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Horn died on May 8, 2020 at Mountain View Hospital in Las Vegas, aged 75, 10 days after it was announced that he contracted COVID-19.[12][30][31][32] Fischbacher died on January 13, 2021 at his home in North Las Vegas, aged 81, two days after it was reported that he had pancreatic cancer and had been in hospice care.[8][33][34][35]

Filmography

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Television

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  • Bassie & Adriaan (1994, TV series) - cameo appearance[40]
  • Father of the Pride (2004–2005, TV series) - an animated sitcom about a lion who performs in the Siegfried & Roy show. The show was not well received and was almost cancelled before release.[41][42][43][44]
  • Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Returns (March 6, 2009)[45]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hogan, Kate (January 14, 2021). "Siegfried & Roy: Remembering the Illusionists' Lives and Careers in Photos". People.
  2. ^ a b "Siegfried and Roy Become U.S. Citizens". Deseret News. October 4, 1988.
  3. ^ a b c d e Mooney, Michael J.; Jones, Chris (October 13, 2022). "The Improbable Rise and Savage Fall of Siegfried & Roy". The Atlantic.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g DiGuglielmo, Joey (May 21, 2020). "Gay identity elusive for Little Richard and Roy of Siegfried & Roy". Washington Blade.
  5. ^ a b c d e Rossi, Jim (January 27, 2021). "How Siegfried And Roy Helped Steve Wynn Build The New Las Vegas". Forbes.
  6. ^ a b c d Duggins, Alexi (January 17, 2021). ""It took four men and a fire extinguisher to get the tiger off him": the tragedy of Vegas magicians Siegfried and Roy". The Guardian.
  7. ^ a b McCarthy, Kelly; Effron, Lauren (April 17, 2020). "Siegfried and Roy's storied career on the Las Vegas Strip". ABC News.
  8. ^ a b Sandomir, Richard; Hauser, Christine (January 14, 2021). "Siegfried Fischbacher, Magician of Siegfried & Roy, Dies at 81". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Siegfried & Roy – ein Magierduo eroberte die Show-Welt – Eine Weltkarriere, die tragisch endete (Teil 1)" [Siegfried & Roy – a magician duo conquered the show world – A global career that ended tragically]. ISA-GUIDE (in German). July 5, 2004.
  10. ^ a b c d Mydlach, Jim; Lavery, Jimmy; Mydlach, Louis (June 1, 2008). The Secret Life of Siegfried and Roy: How the Tiger Kings Tamed Las Vegas. Phoenix Books. pp. 12–23. ISBN 978-1597775601.
  11. ^ a b c d Anton, Julia (May 9, 2020). "Zum Tode von Roy Horn: Einer der größten Magier" [One of the greatest magicians]. FAZ (in German).
  12. ^ a b Romero, Dennis (May 9, 2020). "Roy Horn of Vegas duo Siegfried & Roy dead at 75 from coronavirus". NBC News.
  13. ^ "Uwe Ludwig Horn discovered in Nevada, U.S., Naturalization Petitions, 1956-1991". Ancestry.com.
  14. ^ "Roy Horn, who formed half of the magic and animal duo Siegfried and Roy – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. May 11, 2020.
  15. ^ "Disney Ice Extravaganza Opens". Los Angeles Times. July 1, 1988. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015.
  16. ^ a b c d e "The Tiger and the Tragic Trick: Siegfried & Roy's Animal Handler Breaks Silence on Mauling, Alleges Cover-Up". The Hollywood Reporter. March 28, 2019.
  17. ^ Koch, Ed; Manning, Mary; Toplikar, Dave (May 15, 2008). "Showtime: How Sin City evolved into 'The Entertainment Capital of the World'". Las Vegas Sun.
  18. ^ "Mauled magician 'critical but stable'". BBC News. October 5, 2003.
  19. ^ "Roy of Siegfried and Roy critical after mauling". CNN. October 4, 2003.
  20. ^ King, Larry (October 8, 2003). "Interview With Siegfried Fischbacher". Larry King Live. Archived from the original on January 25, 2005.
  21. ^ a b Gliatto, Tom; Fleeman, Mike (September 7, 2023). "Roy Horn: Tiger 'Saved My Life'". People.
  22. ^ "Magic show in doubt after mauling". BBC News. October 6, 2003.
  23. ^ Katsilometes, John (August 6, 2019). "Siegfried and Roy dismiss trainer's account of tiger attack". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019.
  24. ^ Baum, Gary (March 28, 2019). "The Tiger and the Tragic Trick: Siegfried & Roy's Animal Handler Breaks Silence on Mauling, Alleges Cover-Up". The Hollywood Reporter.
  25. ^ "Siegfried and Roy and tiger share final performance". CBC News. Associated Press. March 1, 2009. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009.
  26. ^ Lupiani, Joyce; Gartner, Jordan (January 14, 2021). "Siegfried Fischbacher, surviving member of Siegfried & Roy duo, has died". KTVQ.
  27. ^ Lacey-Bordeaux, Emma; Smith, Melodi (March 26, 2014). "Mantecore, the white tiger that attacked during Siegfried & Roy show, dies". CNN.
  28. ^ Meza, Ed (September 30, 2019). "'Siegfried & Roy' Biopic in the Works From Director Michael Bully Herbig, UFA Fiction". Vanity Fair.
  29. ^ Tyrnauer, Matt (August 1999). "Married, with Tigers". Vanity Fair.
  30. ^ Katsilometes, John (May 8, 2020). "Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy dies at 75". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on May 9, 2020.
  31. ^ a b c Perry, Spencer (May 8, 2020). "Roy Horn of Magic Duo Siegfried & Roy Dies From Coronavirus at Age 75". ComicBook.com.
  32. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (May 8, 2020). "Roy Horn, Illusionist Who Dazzled Audiences as Half of Siegfried & Roy, Dies at 75". The New York Times.
  33. ^ "Magier Siegfried Fischbacher ist tot" [Siegfried Fischbacher is dead]. Der Spiegel (in German). January 14, 2021.
  34. ^ Schudel, Matt (January 13, 2021). "Siegfried Fischbacher, Magician of Siegfried & Roy, Dies". The Washington Post.
  35. ^ Evans, Greg (January 14, 2021). "Siegfried Fischbacher Dies: Siegfried & Roy Illusionist Was 81". Deadline Hollywood.
  36. ^ "Siegfried & Roy: masters of animation". Las Vegas Sun. February 19, 1996.
  37. ^ Matin, Randy (October 28, 1999). "Siegfried & Roy's Latest Is No Illusion". Los Angeles Times.
  38. ^ Thomas, Kevin (April 23, 2004). "A dance on the edge of truth". Los Angeles Times.
  39. ^ Holden, Stephen (April 9, 2004). "Film Review; Heading for the Chorus Line, Intertwining Fact and Fiction". The New York Times.
  40. ^ Bassie & Adriaan (May 12, 2020). Bassie & Adriaan ontmoeten Siegfried en Roy – via YouTube.
  41. ^ "Let's hope 'Father of the Pride' is on the road to extinction". San Francisco Chronicle. August 31, 2004.
  42. ^ Elber, Lynn (June 2, 2004). "NBC behind 'Father of the Pride' despite bad buzz". The Everett Herald. Associated Press.
  43. ^ Smith, Sid (August 31, 2004). "'Father of the Pride' too risque for kids, too dumb for adults". Los Angeles Times.
  44. ^ Brownfield, Paul (August 31, 2004). "'Pride' has lions and tigers and pandas, oh my". Los Angeles Times.
  45. ^ Green, John (March 1, 2009). "No Illusion: Siegfried & Roy Magic Is Back". ABC News.
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