Cast of Havana Night Club Seeks AsylumInside MagicMagic News Updated Daily for the Professional Magician

The Cast Filing for Asylum

Do you remember when we wrote about Siegfried and Roy?s newest production on the Vegas Strip, Havana Night Club? It was a big hit and made a tremendous impression on the usually cynical critics of Casino-ville. Some nut-job wrote us a note asking whether the group was really from Cuba and if so, would they be defecting now that they saw the lights of the big city.

Turns out the nut-job wasn?t that far off.

We learned today that the Cuban dancers are from Cuba (which makes sense) and that they have asked for asylum within Las Vegas and hope to stay in the United States. Earlier today, the 43 singers, dancers and musicians filed their formal request for asylum at the Las Vegas Federal Courthouse. This would be, according to the BBC, the largest mass defection from Cuba.

Great News for a Great Show

You have to wonder if this wasn?t the plan all along. They fought for a long time to get through Cuban red tape to get into the United States. The group had traveled around the world ? including to the Germany and Japan ? but were having a difficult time getting into the U.S. The original application to travel to the US was turned down in February, and Cuban authorities were criticized for not supporting their bid to go to the US.

Finally, the authorities gave in and allowed the cast to enter for just two weeks. That was a whole bunch of months ago. They were supposed to return from Germany for another stint at the Stardust Casino tonight but with their asylum request filing, they are ready to stay for a while longer. Seven members are still in Germany but plan to apply for asylum on reaching the US,…

The Cast Filing for Asylum

Turns out the nut-job wasn?t that far off.

Great News for a Great Show

One of the reasons they wanted to leave Cuba ? in addition to the same reasons any immigrant would want to risk life and career to travel to the US from the island nation ? was the Cuban government?s treatment of their German director, Nicole Durr. The kindly communist dictatorship told Ms. Durr she would be thrown out of the country upon her return and they will make life difficult for the troupe. Why? Who knows.

Nicole “ND” Durr – Director

Ms. Durr told the BBC: “We’ve been together for more than six years. We are like a family. Art should have no boundaries,” she added. “My artists stood up in one voice and said they want to go. We want to dance. We want to continue to dance.”

Siegfried said of the troupe: ?We?ve witnessed the magic of this show and felt compelled to bring its electrifying energy to Las Vegas. This is one party you can?t miss.?

He is absolutely correct. It is one of the best shows on the strip and worth the trip alone. There is so much energy and dynamic artistry in this show that you become tired ? but a good kind of tired ? just watching.

Welcome to our country. We are happy to have you. We won?t make life easy necessarily but we certainly won?t make it difficult.

Check out the Stardust?s website complete with Siegfried?s compliments for the troupe by clicking here.

Check out the troupe?s own website here.