Forget for a moment Penn & Teller, outspoken Libertarians and skeptics. Forget for a moment Penn & Teller, reality show staples. Forget for a moment Penn & Teller, creators of the brilliant/insufferable Bullshit! Instead, focus on Penn & Teller, entertainers and magicians. For nearly 40 years, the self-described “Bad Boys of Magic” have continually transformed their sometimes disreputable and corny profession into high art—all the while keeping things funny and delightfully morbid. Their long-running Las Vegas live show is a mind-bending Russian nesting doll of lies and deception, and a perfect example of why the duo are still vital to this day: they’re really fucking good at what they do. Need proof? Look no further than Teller’s “Shadows” trick:
On Friday, September 11, Milwaukee will get a chance to witness that magic firsthand when Penn (the taller, louder one) and Teller (the mostly silent one) bring their act to the Riverside Theater for the first time in 25 years. Reserved seating tickets for the show—which comes on the heels of a six-week stint on Broadway, and represents a national tour kickoff—are $69.50, $49.50, $39.50, and $29.50. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 15 at noon. Just remember: If someone tries to give you a free ticket, refuse it. Just another example of the pig power structure throwing worthless trinkets at the proletariat.