A magician who once ruled the Las Vegas Strip for three decades is set to appear onstage in the Fox Cities. Lance Burton, the master magician known for a career spanning more than 15,000 shows, performs “Lance Burton Master Magician and Friends” at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center on Friday, October 30, 2026.
The touring production blends illusions, sleight of hand, audience participation and guest performers, according to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. The Fox Cities show also features audience participation. The venue's event listing also notes that Burton is billed as a master magician whose career has carried him from Las Vegas showrooms to stages across the country.
A Career That Began With a Childhood Spark
Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Burton discovered his passion for magic after being called onstage as a child during a magic show, per WFRV Local 5's reporting. He reportedly spent the rest of his youth studying and practicing the craft, a devotion that eventually carried him to the national spotlight. Burton burst onto that stage on October 28, 1981, making his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, according to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center's event page.
Fifteen years later, Burton's profile grew further when his first television special, “Lance Burton Master Magician: The Legend Begins,” aired on NBC in 1996, the venue's listing states. By then he had already built a reputation on the Las Vegas Strip, where he spent nine years performing at the Tropicana Hotel before opening his own show, “Lance Burton World Champion Magician,” at the Hacienda Hotel in 1991, according to Burton's own website. That show ran for five years before he moved to the Monte Carlo, where he stayed for 14 years.
From Vegas Headliner to Kentucky Farm
Across his full three-decade Las Vegas run, Burton performed an estimated 15,000 shows for more than 15 million fans, according to his website, lanceburton.com. Readers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal named him “Best Magician” 18 years in a row during that stretch, the same site notes. He left the Monte Carlo in September 2010, marking the end of his long-running Las Vegas residency.
The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center describes Burton as now happily retired, living quietly at a farm in Kentucky. But retirement hasn't meant disappearing from the stage entirely. In an interview with BackstageOC, Burton explained that after stepping away in 2010, he didn't perform again for roughly seven years before easing back into touring. “The magic continues even in retirement, however, as he performs shows throughout the country,” the outlet reported.
Meet-and-Greets Now Take Center Stage
Burton told the same publication that his priorities onstage have shifted since his Vegas days. “My favorite part of the show now is after the show, the meet-and-greets,” he said, describing the time he spends meeting audience members once the final trick is done. WFRV Local 5 likewise notes that those post-performance meet-and-greets have become a signature part of his current touring shows.
The venue's 2026-27 season lineup, which includes Burton's appearance, was announced on March 16, 2026, and season packages and group tickets for the full slate of shows are already on sale, according to the Appleton Post-Crescent.
