Professional Las Vegas magician Lance Burton will be pulling out all the stops in support of the Adair County Middle School cheerleaders by bringing a full hour and a half show to his hometown of Columbia.
“Lance hasn’t done a full show here… in over 40 years. So anyone that didn’t get the chance to see him perform live in Las Vegas won’t want to miss this opportunity. And if you were able to travel and see him at the Monte Carlo, or at the Hacienda Hotel, you know how amazing the show was and should come see this version. He’s the best of the best,” said Sheavon Taylor, niece of Burton and supporter of the cheer squad. Taylor was the one who helped get Burton involved—her stepdaughter, Sophie, is a member of ACMS cheer.
While Burton has not locally performed an extended show since retiring to Columbia, he has done smaller-scale magic shows to help support local activities.
Burton explained his involvement as, “The last couple years, we did the grand opening of the splash pad, I did a little show there. And this year, we did the back-to-school thing, but this is the larger-scale show.
“It’s not the same show I did in Las Vegas for all those years. I retired in 2010 from doing regular schedule shows in Las Vegas. And I didn’t really perform any shows for about seven years. Then in about 2017, I got some of my friends together and we went out and did a show,” Burton said, describing the origins of the current “Lance Burton and Friends” performance, which he calls a “greatest hits” of his tricks.
“Anybody who’s seen me in the last few years at the splash pad or the elementary school, you’ll see some new things,” Burton teased. “We’ll have something for everybody. I’ve got some of my best friends with me. It’s a lot of fun. We do a lot of audience participation, magic, big illusions, slight of hand magic, there are guest stars, so yes. I always try and put together a well-rounded show so you can see a little bit of everything.
Doors are scheduled to open at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. The cheerleaders will be participating by serving concessions and Burton will have a merchandise table for those looking to purchase memorabilia.
Taylor says the fundraiser is meant to support the middle school cheerleaders in the purchase of new equipment including uniforms and warm ups sets, as well as costs associated with competitions like travel and entry fees.
Tickets will be “super affordable” and available at the doors.
“The ACMS Cheerleaders would love to be able to host this show and bring something fun and exciting to their community, while we help support their team. These girls put a lot of hard work and dedication into their own routines for competitions, they have some wonderful coaches who go above and beyond for them, and the cheerleaders deserve a little support as well,” Taylor said.
By Kenley Godby
kenley@adairvoice.com