Many moons ago, Camille, the Lead Bead, went to Las Vegas. Among the other wonders of that fair city, she saw the live magic show of Vegas heartthrobs Siegfried & Roy. It was not, she said, the greatest show on Earth, or even the greatest show on Tuesday. The performers, seen up close, were leathery, painted over, and tired-looking. Their "ta-da!" gestures, rather than adding snappy excitement, indicated that they'd rather be backstage under the tanning lamps. Even the magicians' famous white tigers yawned and napped their way through the performance. All in all, a thoroughly lackadaisical display.
The only interesting thing about the whole show, Camille said, was the costuming. Specifically, Siegfried's codpiece. Apparently both Siegfried & Roy are very average in height and slight in stature, but Siegfried's tights were surmounted by a groin guard of epic proportions. Given the angle of her seats, Camille found the codpiece to be at or near eye level much of the time. As the show wore on, the thing seemed to take on a life of its own, and eventually she could focus on nothing else. Well, that's one kind of magic, I guess.