Throwback Las Vegas magician Dirk Arthur has died at 63. He handed away on Oct. 13, 2023.
Arthur’s present featured unique cats, and had not carried out in Las Vegas for a while.
We knew him, and he was a very nice man, though his exhibits and status have been marred by persistent controversies associated to animal welfare.
We have been the primary to share the sad news of Dirk Arthur’s passing.
Dirk Arthur wasn’t, by most accounts, a very good magician. The huge cats in his exhibits made that much less necessary. His present at Westgate, for instance, didn’t have unique animals, and it didn’t fare nicely.
He carried out in quite a few Las Vegas casinos, together with the aforementioned Westgate, Riviera, Trop, Silverton and Plaza. He began his Vegas journey in “Jubilee” at what was then Bally’s.
We first noticed his present at O’Sheas, and visited his home once we labored in advertising for Caesars Entertainment.
He saved a few dozen huge cats at his Las Vegas compound. The cages have been clear, however small, and Arthur handled the cats like household.
We discovered Arthur to have an almost childlike high quality when it got here to interactions together with his huge cats. We don’t know how he paid for his or her meals and care in recent years. His exhibits have been the financial driver that sustained his assortment of unique animals, and vice versa. Venues turned tougher to search out as a result of adjustments within the tradition that make such exhibits just about not possible to provide now.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which adopted up on our information, Arthur’s physique was discovered by one other huge cat magician, Jay Owenhouse.
Owenhouse tried to deliver a present with huge cats to The Strip, however obtained the suitable smackdown from authorities. Jay Owenhouse plans to open a present in a tent with out unique animals.
Dirk Arthur had lengthy been within the crosshairs of animal advocates, and upon information of his demise, PETA couldn’t assist however chime in with a tone deaf assertion, “Magic acts with exploited wild cats disappeared from the Strip years ago, and PETA is calling for any exotic cats who survived Dirk Arthur to be sent to accredited sanctuaries where they’ll have space to roam, opportunities to swim and climb, and freedom from stage lights and filthy cages at last.”
We don’t disagree, however the man’s physique continues to be heat.
Arthur endured ongoing conflicts with advocacy teams, whilst not too long ago as mid-2022. He deliberate to deliver his cats to Notoriety at Neonopolis, however the venue was swamped with complaints, and the present was nixed earlier than it ever opened.
While we’ve got combined emotions about Dirk Arthur and using unique animals for leisure, we’re nonetheless saddened to listen to of his passing.
In our restricted time collectively, he appeared a good-hearted person who actually cared about his animals.
Dirk Arthur gave us our first probability to the touch an unique cat, which we’ll always remember.
It was fairly clear Arthur lived in an alternate universe. The use of unique cats for the needs of “education” and “conservation” began to ring hole even again within the Siegfried and Roy period.
Magicians and circuses and theme parks are all coming to grips with the challenges of selling the welfare of animals with out doing hurt within the course of.
Would we’ve got been a lifelong animal advocate if we hadn’t interacted with dolphins at Sea World as a child?
It’s all very difficult, however what’s not difficult is Las Vegas has misplaced certainly one of its personal. Cheesy magic exhibits have all the time been part of Las Vegas, they usually’re a lot tougher to search out now within the CGI period.
Dirk Arthur was an old-school showman with a ardour for wildlife, and he earned his place on the roster of Las Vegas magicians whose work helped make Vegas Vegas.
