Penn & Teller Theater at The Rio (Las Vegas, NV)
The Rio presents the famous duo of Penn and Teller. Known as the "Bad Boys of Magic", their irreverent, edgy, and hilarious performances have earned them countless TV appearances, as well as their own show on Showtime. Meet Penn and Teller at a free meet and greet after the show in the lobby.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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I have wanted to see Penn & Teller live for years, and when I finally was able to do so they did not disappoint! I absolutely love their take on the "magic" show -- debunking false supernatural claims, showing the audience how tricks are accomplished and then turning right around and performing a yet MORE astonishing trick. They are extremely smart, funny and totally amazing. Also they don't rely on any kind of flashy special effects, smoke, mechanical dragons, spangles or any of that other kitschy over-the-top "magician" stuff. I would go again in a heartbeat!
I've seen Penn & Teller several times live over the years when they tour. I think the first time was the late 1980s! However, this was the first time I have seen them live in Las Vegas. They have several new pieces in the show--you will enjoy them. They are always funny, smart, and really do a public service as they have always incorporated in their show a piece to debunk so called psychics, as did Houdini in his day. Don't miss them! You will be talking about the show long after it is over.
To be honest, the show was fine. The biggest problem I had was the fact that Penn & Teller did not use a camera to zoom into their little tricks for people that were sitting up in the mezzanine. Other then that it was witty and interesting. My girlfriend and I did miss a few tricks because we were too far away! That was the biggest issue!
We love Penn & Teller -- I have seen them twice before, and we love the TV show. Everything went smoothly, getting to the Rio, getting the tickets, etc. Penn & Teller were their usual affable and funny selves, and we really enjoyed the show. We'd go again. The only reason I didn't give them five stars is that 1. I am picky and 2. One of the "illusions/skits" was obvious and not worthy of them Otherwise they are masters and totally engaging. Everyone should see them.
awesome...well worth every dime
This was an event that was able to keep me from falling asleep. I was also unable to fully understand just how they did some of the magic they did. That made it an even better experience.
BORing BORING Boring
ZZ Z Zzz ZZ Z z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z!! go blow the 100$ on red you'll have more fun..
An all around great show! audience participation, magic, comedy and a touch of social commentary makes this one a must see, did I forget to mention the fire-eating and knife throwing?
Its important to get there early, that way I got really good seats. It was a great show.
We have seen Penn & Teller before and enjoyed this show very much. A very entertaining experience with a good mix of comedy and magic. This was our first experience with GOLDSTAR so we really didnt know what to expect. We had no problem picking up our tickets, and are seats were very good. A great experience as promised.
The show was very entertaining and we had excellent seats with no problems with the view. Penn and Teller were just as would be expected, funny, intelligent and thought-provoking. Others say they talked too much for their taste. I don't mind this. The things Penn says are as entertaining to me as their magic. I think I would even pay to see Penn do spoken word.
Just a very disappointing show bearing in mind this is Vegas. Too much talking which couldn't always be heard - too many tricks which might have been fabulous on TV where the camera can zoom in but in a huge theatre the impact was lost on the audience. I would never recommend this to anyone.
I think I would have enjoyed this show if I could have seen it. We were seated in the upper level and it was very difficult to follow what was going on. They did project some of the tricks on a screen but it was not enough This theater is way too big for this type of show. I would imagine that if we were seated in the front we would have loved it. It was cool that Penn came to the lobby after the show to sign autographs.
Thank God I brought our receipt as the box office did NOT have record of my transaction. It seems they did not get the information from Goldstar. We had seats so far that we missed most of the action. That was disappointing. Penn and Teller could not help this and put on a show that was delightful and fun.
the show was boring. Not great magic and Teller talked too much.
The show itself was short in time by Vegas standards. About one hour & fifteen minutes. The piano playing before doesn't count and it was pretty bizzare. The theater was a little large for the type of performance. If you're not sittng on the floor you better have binoculars. The price value was fair at most.
We were sitting too far back and the auditorium was way too large to see what Penn and Teller were doing. They need to perform in a much smaller venue or make their act much bigger in scale or have a screen so the people in the back can see what they are doing.
I was a big fan of Penn & Teller; I own their books and have seen their TV specials.
The Sunday night show at the Penn & Teller theater was a big let down. Although Penn talked as much as usual, his heart was not really into it. They were working butnot enjoying themselves and the audience was not responding. Everyone went through the motions but there was no
excitement in the air. They spent a long time with some silly "romantic" fire eating skit which was not magic, rather some second rate fire eating, far inferior to what one sees from a street performer.
In regards to Goldstar: what a waste. We bought three tickets but could not get seats assigned. They were "assigned at the Box Office" so we got section 3, row 3, seats 1,2 and 3. Although row E sounds great, it was at the most extreme edge of the theater with a terrible view. The only redeeming aspect was that we were able to see the mirror in the fish tank trick so we did not have to spend any time wonderng how they did it. Of course, the whole trick looked silly once you saw what they were doing.
We've always loved Penn & Teller's Showtime series "Bullshit" and couldn't wait to see them live. After seeing them on this trip to Las Vegas we wished we had seen them on our last trip in '07........THEY WERE GREAT!!
We saw Penn & Teller 25 years ago in NY just as their career was really taking off. Somehow between then & now, they've gotten far less exciting. When you're paying a substantial amount for the ticket, you expect a substantial show, and this just wasn't it. It's interesting, yes. Fun, sort of. I'm all for audience participation, but they really go too far w/ it now, which I think in some way may prevent them from doing more interesting magic. It was a lot of pure schtick, without a lot of good kick.
Very enjoyable show. Great experience using goldstar. Tickets were assigned when I picked them up at the box office. Third row in the center mezzanine level. I was sitting near people who payed 80+ per ticket.
Very good show...seats were great, lower level and to the far side, but still good...you can pick up the tickets before 1 hour prior to show, and you don't have to actually be in the show until right when it starts (Rio will tell you differently on the picking up tickets and getting to show)
Therse are the true, classic entertainers. They involved the audience, suprised you with magic and then explained it to you! We had a great time.
Fun show. Fairly good seats for the price.
We took the advice of some other members and picked up our seats 3 hours before the performance. We were in the 13th row of the orchestra and off to the side. Our view was OK, but the theater is huge, and I would have been quite upset to get seats which were any worse. The show ran under 70 minutes, and I felt this was a pretty steep price per minute, even at Goldstar rates. I had been under the impression that they were going to discuss how they did their tricks, but they only discussed tricks most people know about (palming, etc.). So it ended up being basically like a standard magic show, but shorter and with more talking. Some of the tricks could be explained very simply with audience plants. Penn said "I never used plants because I'm too cheap to afford them," but prefaced it by saying "I lie a lot" multiple times during the show.
I was hoping to hear Penn explain magic tricks much as he debunks things on his Showtime specials. As it turns out, it was mostly just a magic show with some philosophizing. If I just wanted to see a magic show, I could have gone to a standard one with more magic minutes per dollar. If you're a Penn & Teller fan, you may like it. Otherwise, there are probably better entertainment values in Vegas.
I had a really great time at this show. I already love Penn & Teller, especially their "Bullshit" show and they certainly didn't let me down.
In true Penn & Teller style, Penn kept the show going with his natural ability to keep the audience attention & freely speak his mind alongside Teller, who performed his usual silent partner act and some great magic tricks.
Their magic is fun & inventive, a couple of them had me sitting on the edge of my seat... It was fun to watch them debunk some more commong magic tricks and then still being able to confuse us with their own, inventive tricks.
After the show, Penn & Teller stood in the lobby & allowed everyone to take photos with them & they were also signing autographs. I thought this was VERY cool, not a lot of artists take time to do this.... (oo...and Teller talked ;))
So I advise you bring a camera and somethign that they can sign (a photo or we just used our ticket stubs...)
Attire was anything from casual to nice, there were people in jeans & t-shirts & people in nice dresses & suits.... so I guess anything goes... :)
A couple of tips:
Seating tips: Originally we had bought tickets a bit further back, but when we entered the venue, we were told that the usher could possibly upgrade our seats... So I highly recommend walking up to the usher with a $20 and see if he can find you better seats :)
Food tips: We ate at the All American Grill & Bar at the Rio before the show and the food was amazing! I highly recommend getting to the hotel a couple of hours ahead of time so you can squeeze in one of their babyback ribs and I can truly say that we got value for our buck ... I can't wait to go back for more.
Show was terrific but seating was too far from stage
Fun adult show...we had a great time...just a hint check out the bass player playing the pre-show..looks an awful like Penn Gillette in disguise!
Both wait outside theater and sign autographs andlet you take pictures!
The show was very boring and too much talking. There were a couple of interesting tricks but for the most part don't waste your money.
Penn and Teller are expert magicians and put on an impressive performance. I'm still amazed at the bullet trick. Perhaps I am jaded, but I also like more glamour and jazzier magic by other magicians. Still they are masters of their craft.
This is not your typical magic or comedy show. Penn & Teller are genius showmen. Their show finds clever ways to present just the right amount of intrigue laced with laughter. When I wasn't giggling with delight, my mouth was agape and eyes wide with surpise. Kudos to Penn & Teller. Definitely see this show.
This show was funny, entertaining and amazing. The audience involvement was fun. It left me wanting more - the time just flew by. Even more wonderful is that after the show, Penn and Teller go to the lobby for pictures and autographs.
Great show. Some of the tricks were old and not that exciting. Teller's slight of hand got lost in the large showroom. The did some amazing tricks and finished with the guns. I'm glade we went!
Awesome night great seats and perfect price
High entertaining, I will reccomend it to friends and will go again in a year or so.
good show. I enjoyed it.
Great show at a great discount. Enjoyed Penn & Teller immensely and would recommend them highly.
Thanks again.
They were very entertaining with tons of energy, and it was a fast pace comedic magic show. At the end of the show, you might learn a few tricks too. Make sure you show up early for the jazz music.
Great show. I liked how they would debunk known magic tricks and take it a step further. It's obvious that they love their craft and are trying to push it.
What a fantastic show! Definitely worth the cost of the tickets. Special bonus - got to meet Penn & Teller and take photos with them after the show.
I don't want to give too much away, but these guys are GOOD at what they do. The show was very funny and all the tricks are extremely well executed. I was thoroughly impressed.
The Penn & Teller theater is small - yet spacious; very intimate. They involve some audience members with a few of their illusions, which makes the atmosphere very casual, personal and fun. Pay close attention to the bass player in the jazz duo that performs during the audience seating - who does he look like to you? We loved the show.
It was as entertaining as I thought it would be, but I honestly thought the show would be longer. If you're not cool with getting political/etc. opinions during your magic, you probably won't dig this show.
was a lot of fun to watch
They put on a good clean show and will meet/take picture with you after if you like.
Great show, very entertaining.
signed autographs and chatted with guests on the way out.
Nice venue
Penn & Teller were fantastic! The show left one wanting more.
I highly recommend seeing this show while in Vegas. Penn & Teller even come out after the show for autographs and pictures! Great for families.
Hands down the best Show money I've spent in Vegas so far. These guys are entertainers and do not pretend to be anything else. They do the tricks, show you the basics of how its being done, all the while including some excellent social commentary. There is some foul language involved, making the show PG-13, but that's the only knock against an all around excellent show. The guys also make themselves available to the audience after the show for pictures, autographs, etc which is a huge plus that you don't see in Vegas anymore.
Penn & Teller was good but hard to follow at times. The seats would be great for a musical show but you really needed to be closer to see all of the illusions. Actually got sleepy during the performance. Was it worth the money? I don't think so.
I had a blast at this show. The tricks are amazing and I find them to be hilarious. I like that they are not your typical brand of magicians and throw in a little politics into the mix. If you are a closed mided conservative you should probably go to another show.
We loved the show! Funny, great tricks AND P&T stayed around afterward for pix and to just talk to people! I'll go back next time in Vegas.
While most tricks/illusions were very amazing they happened so fast I felt like I missed something. You really need to focus on what they're up to. Some tricks I have no clue how they did them. It was still worth it if you haven't seen them.
On of the best shows that I have seen in Vegas. This is 90 minutes of pure entertainment. I'd recommend this to anyone and everyone.
Best show I've been to in Vegas by far! The show itself was awesome, it was interactive and full laughs. It did lag at all. The opening act in rocked so there was an added bonus. After the show Penn and Teller were both available for autographs and pictures, which was really unexpected. They were both completely approachable and in no way brushed you off. This was truly a great experience. Not only will I recommend this to family and friends, but am going to go again!
This was the first time I had seen Penn & Teller in person, and they were absolutely amazing! We saw the "tricks" and thought we knew what was going on, then they changed it up and we were totally surprised and impressed. It was an awesome show! The show started at 9 pm, but there was a jazz duo playing from 8 pm. Penn was playing his bass as part of the "jazz duo" and it was fun watching the audience as they realized who it was up there. We enjoyed the show so much, the time passed really quickly. After the show, Penn and Teller signed autographs and posed in pictures during their "meet and greet". These are two awesome performers who go all out for their fans. I highly recommend this show! BTW..you can pick up your tickets 3 hours before the show, and you should go early. We were there right at 6 and got the first tickets after the VIP section. We were about 20 feet from the stage! Great seats!
I arrived at the Rio early to make sure I got good seats and waited for the box office to open at 7. There was only one couple in line in front of us so I thought We would get pretty good seats. When we got to the front I asked the unfriendly lady working the desk how the seating works and she lied saying that our seats were already assigned to us. We knew this was untrue because when we got to our seats we were seated in the very back next to that same couple that in line in front of us that had purchased their seats there at the box office. It was too difficult to see anything and I am positive I would have LOVED the show if I actually could see what was going on. I have wonderful eyesight and I had to strain my eyes the whole time. I was completely disapointed with the level of service I recieved when picking up our tickets. There was a man also worked in the box office and he was very helpful to his customers, the lady who helped us looked up our reservation and and practically threw the tickets at us. She was very rude and there was no need to sit us in the back because there were plenty of empty seats in front of us.
This is our second time seeing Penn and Teller. The show changes every once in a while and is still fresh, funny and way too short ( would love to have them on stage for 3 hours doing thier thing). The one and a half hour show just blows by. They involve the audience many times. Just cannot say enough..WE LOVE THIS SHOW!!!
The show was Awesome. I had a great time and I was entertained the entire show.
I enjoyed this event a lot. Penn and Teller put on a great show. I would have enjoyed it more though if the temperature in the theater wasn't so hot.
I had a great time! The energy of Penn & Teller is awesome, and their skills are incredible. I would suggest this show to others; although it does not contain hardcore magic, it is quite entertaining!
Both men are extremely talented; musically, magically & comically.
I too have waited years to see this show and it was well worth the wait. Their form of magic is very interesting, exciting and fun.
Really fun show full of some terrific magic tricks
Penn and Teller are superb performers. I'd go again.....but only if the theatre turned on the air-conditioning. I nearly passed out from the heat in there. Whew!
My expectations were too high!
We stayed at the Rio and this was a clean, funny, happy night.
Amazing show. Everything they did was great. A couple things they did were unbelieveable. I took my son for his 18th birthday. After the show I took his picture with Penn and he signed his hat. These guys are first class.
It's a VERY large theatre, and we were sitting up pretty high. I would have liked to have been much closer. Not a complaint, just a recommendation.
We had a great time at the show. Neither my wife or I were big fans before the performance, but the comedy/magic/music was very entertaining. It is definately worth it to arrive early--the piano player is hillarious. This is my second time using Goldstar and at both shows I got great seats and had no problems.
One of the highlights of our vacation, this show pulls you in and baffles and astonishes you from its first seconds. I love these guys. As a fan of their TV show and often in agreement with their expressed ideology, I was glad to get the chance to see their magic show, especially at these excellent Goldstar prices.
Lovely theatre and nary a poor seat, our experience was top shelf. Would highly recommend and return again ourselves. Go and be amazed! Get there early and check out the terrific pianist.
Being a fan of Pen and Teller since forever I had to see them in Vegas. Believe me they are well worth the price of the tickets, I would have paid double the price, amazing show full of laughter and magic. When I come back I am definately seeing them again!
This was an amazing show and well worth the money. There was some live jazz being played an hour before the show featuring Penn and audience members could go on stage and inspect for trap doors. During the show Penn and Teller would explain some of the basic tricks and how to do them. It was amazing!
Penn and Teller....thank you! I had a blast!! It was so amazing and unexplainable!!! My husband and I loved it. We are returning to Las Vegas in July and we are definitely getting tickets to see the show again.
Penn and Teller are an amazing duo. They bring their show bullsh!t to life in this amazing show. Teller is an extraordinary slight of hand magician and does some amazing things. Penn does an fantastic job narrating the whole show.
You will be blown away by their skills and abilities. I recommend this to anyone who loves magic (and how some tricks are done) and love to laugh.
I was pleasantly surprised that at the end of the show, both Penn and Teller make themselves available for autographs and pictures.
Bravo and Encore Gentlemen!!
Great show!!! They amazed us! IT's great fun getting to have them sign autographs after the show and take pictures with you! They have so much material that you could go back another time and see something new! I recommend it!!
We enjoyed this performance.It was entertaining. Having never seen Penn & Teller, i didn't know what to expect. The show was definitly entertaining. It wasn't clear where to pick up the tickets. But once that was figured out, very easy to get the tickets. The seats are assigned, so no need to try to tip the usher. Thanks GoldStar.
If you can only see one show when you are in Las Vegas you have to see Penn and Teller. The only bad thing was it ended way too fast. I was eager to see more, laugh more and be amazed more. These guys are the best!
I've seen thirty (or so) diffrent Las Vegas shows and this one is the best.
Good seats, glad I saved money at Goldstar because the show was only one hour and fifteen minutes.
Fun show and very easy to pick up the tickets.
The seats were excellent and the show was amazing. Funny, thought provoking, and magical.
The listing says to get assigned seats 3 hours earlier. I went extra early (1 hour earlier) than on the listed time of the printout and still got bad seats. If your vision isn't perfect, you won't be able to see anything. The tricks were good, but there was so much talking that there weren't too many tricks. I don't recommend this event. It was not worth the cost. The location, The Rio, wasn't really all that great either. I really expected alot more from this.
This was hugely enjoyable. They're consummate entertainers, both really funny and very skilled at their craft.
The entire party really enjoyed the show.
I have to admit that I thought this event was okay, however, the person I went with loved it. It was a very preachy evening warning of the dangers of believing charlatans and proving how easy it was to be duped by those types. I really just wanted to see cool stuff and didn't really need the speaches. The ending was fantastic, though, and made up for a lot. After the show, both Penn and Teller were very patient and stood for pictures and autographs and stayed until everyone had gotten a chance to get either.
Great show. I wear glasses and mezzanine seats made it hard to see many of the tricks but I still loved the show and even got to meet Penn and shake his hand and congratulate him on a good show! As usual, Goldstar is a class act, the reserved seating was good and their part in the will call ticketing made it a total breeze!
This was my fifth time seeing them over the years. They always entertain and keep you guessing. Their current show is just as good. You can't beat the value you get here off the full price!
We enjoyed this show and had good seats. We were not overwhelmed by the show and at times wondered about the price vs. the value. With the goldstar price felt the value was there but probably would not have paid or enjoyed it at a much higher price.
Penn and Teller did come out after the show to mingle with the audience (as the audience was leaving the theatre). This was very much appreciated and brought much more appreciation for Penn & Teller.
It was amazing! I'm a really big fan of magic and I love their take on it. I would really recommend this show if you are a fan of the unconventional.
Even though it was a Wednesday, the last day of their work week, Penn & Teller were in good form. Be sure to arrive early to enjoy the live jazz, and take a peak at who's playing the bass. I got a great seat, one row behind the VIP section, even though I paid less than most of the folks around me. Great fun and highly recommended!
It was a fascinating show, but I understand from others who attended 3 years ago that it has had no changes whatsoever. I would go again if they updated it annually.
It was a great show. The seats were on the main floor and pretty close, but set all the way to one side. The bonus of the show was that Penn & Teller came out after the show to sign autographs and take pictures! I definitely would recommend to others.
Lots of fun, my family had a good time.
Fantastic show!! Always something new! And after the show, Penn & Teller (and Jonesy) run out to the theater lobby to sign autographs and take pictures!
Disclamer: I have never seen them on TV.
Their magic tricks were pretty run of the mill and the flag one was excessively obvious how it was done (prior to the explanation.
It only gets stars for the comedic value (yes it was funny -- but only haha funny, as opposed to hurt your stomach funny).
We were seated in the middle of the mezz despite picking up our ticket as soon as possible (3 hours prior to show time). It was too far to see some of it (didn't make the tricks less obvious).
Awesome show! The time went very fast. Would recommend this show to everyone. I would see them again. Price was right and seating wasn't bad.
good experience overall; cheaper to purchase from goldstar than through the tickets4less in las vegas itself (and nice to know that you have plans in advance/no waiting in line).
We had average seats in the mezzanine (center, row j), and it was hard to see some of the tricks. Strongly agree with reviewers who say that the theatre is simply too big for this type of act. Also, occasionally some of the onstage speaking was a bit muffeled sometimes; this may have been a one-time microphone glitch, as this happens with live theatre.
Wife and I attended on Mon, 29 Dec. Wonderful show. Recommend it to anyone.
Regarding earlier reviews, here are some observations:
* We had no trouble hearing Penn's monologue. Even from the upper deck, all of the magic was visible and the words understandable.
* Yes, I agree that the bass player in the jazz combo at the beginning was Penn.
Regards,
KML
Kinda got boring when Penn kept talking endlessly.
Our family ( 2 adults and 3 teenagers) all loved the Penn & Teller show! Their tricks are wonderful, the "banter" funny, and even after they share 'magic secrets' they still leave you amazed!
Loved it. Seats were in the middle part of the theatre. Not down low, but not up in the balcony either. So pretty good considering the price. Still a great view of the show. Lots of fun. When you get there early, there is a piano player and a bass player playing jazz, and the bass player was Penn!!!.
Had a great time!!!
the mezzanine seats we got assigned (we went about 7:30PM, an hour and a half before show began to pick up) were okay. Couldn't see some of the tricks. The show itself was interesting and worth seeing.
This was a fun event, that went quickly, close to an hour and a half. I'd recommend bringing binoculars to see better if your seats are far away. We were delighted that both Penn and Teller stayed in the lobby after the show give autographs and pose with audience members in camera shots.
Tips are provided by Goldstar members and Rio Hotel & Casino. Goldstar is not responsible for their content or accuracy.
Website: http://pennandteller.com/
Known for their outrageous blending of comedy and magic, that often skewers the genre of traditional magic, Penn & Teller´s live show has been a hit on Broadway and around the country and now has a permanent home in Las Vegas right here at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino!
Edgy, provocative and hilarious, this iconoclastic pair’s live show on any given night can involve knives, guns, a fire-eating showgirl and a duck. Known as the "Bad Boys of Magic," for supposedly revealing the secrets to their tricks, they may show you how it’s done, but they still manage to leave you startled.
Their weekly hit Showtime series, “Penn & Teller: BS!” as well as their Emmy-winning network specials and their legendary appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” had Entertainment Weekly name them two of the funniest comedians alive.
Penn and Teller hold a free meet and greet after the show in the lobby.
The Rio is one of Las Vegas' hottest entertainment destinations, where you can find celebrity entertainment, late night adult revues and interactive theater ... all in one great location!
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