We’re all familiar with the “so bad it’s good” type of entertainment, but here’s a case where even the worst is a delight. The Worst Show in Vegas is actually a very good act and a cute play on words. The show features a family of performers surnamed Worst, and the ensemble will be sticking around Sin City for at least a few more months. The family-friendly variety show has been booked for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 4:00 pm at the Night Owl Showroom in the Hooters Casino Hotel through May 2018.
Despite the familial stage names, none of these four performers are related. Rory Johnston plays the role of magician Yurdi Worst (I see what you did there). He’s been in show business since age 17 when he joined the circus. Since then, Johnston has also gotten credits as a contributing editor for Magic Magazine and associate producer for the Magic Live convention.
He’s joined by Sarah Jessica Rhodes Smith, Jacob Jax, and Botielus, who bring their many talents in music, comedy, and magic to the stage.
Not going to Vegas any time soon? You can enjoy a little bit of the Worsts in your own home thanks to their Kickstarter efforts to create a deck of playing cards. The project has already hit its funding goal with lots of time left, but you can still pledge and get yourself some fun swag.
The Worst Show in Vegas is perhaps a bit of a misnomer. I mean, yes, the show is about a fictional Austrian family with the last name of Worst, who performs a family-friendly magic show in the Hooters Casino Hotel, complete with accordion player and everything. The show itself is, however, actually very good (and is even directed by none other than Magic Magazine creator Stan Allen), and it’s currently trying to Kickstart a custom deck of cards based on the production.
The Kickstarter campaign for The Worst Deck of Playing Cards is being spearheaded by Teach By Magic, whose previous projects include the labyrinthine Mazing Deck and the “inverted” Different Deck. The card backs feature a unique layout inspired by the show, and each of the face cards are cartoonish caricatures of each of the four members of the Worst family. Each deck also includes a card containing rules for the “Worst Game”.
Kicking in $9 before the project’s March 29 deadline will get you a deck of cards delivered right to your home, with an estimated delivery window of May 2018. There are a few additional backer tiers, however: $35 will get you two decks of cards and a Worst Show t-shirt, or $48 will get you all of that plus two vouchers to any showing after April 13, 2018. Considering the cost of a single ticket is around $55, that package is already saving you money. Additionally, one particularly wealthy person has the opportunity to throw in $4,800 for a producer credit, trophy, a dozen decks of cards, and VIP tickets for the April 13 premiere.
The campaign has about 21 days left before it ends…which almost doesn’t matter because it hit its goal within an hour of launching. Check out the Kickstarter page for more information on the cards and reward tiers, and visit worstshowinvegas.com for show details and ticketing information.