Presto! Penn & Teller may get their own Las Vegas street soon
The duo behind Las Vegas’ longest-running headlining act could soon have a street named in their honor, with no magic needed.
Backers of Penn Jillette and Raymond Teller, better known as Penn &Teller, are requesting that a portion of Viking Road leading to their namesake theater at the Rio be renamed Penn and Teller Drive.
The name change would affect a small stretch of Viking Road, if approved by Clark County officials.
Glen Alai, Penn and Teller’s manager, wrote a letter to Clark County, on behalf of himself, the Rio and the resort’s owner Dreamscape, requesting the street name change.
Alai noted that Penn and Teller have lived in Las Vegas for over 30 years and have worked with local charities on a regular basis, including the duo’s annual blood drive that collects 4,000 pints of blood each year.
“As the team behind the production company for Penn &Teller, in conjunction with Rio Las Vegas and its owners Dreamscape, we feel that the stretch of Viking Road, that leads into the Penn &Teller Theater parking area at the Rio, would be a wonderful tribute (and a surprise!) to commemorate and honor these milestones for a duo so synonymous with the excitement and glamour of Las Vegas,” Alai wrote.
The first step in the process will take place at next week’s Paradise Town Advisory Board meeting, where the name change is up for approval. The matter will then be forwarded to the Clark County commission, with the TAB’s suggestion, to be voted on at a future meeting.
Renaming roads can be a tall task if multiple businesses are located on a street that is up for renaming, since they all would have to update their addresses and anything that includes it, such as business cards and signage. In this case, the small portion of Viking isn’t associated with the address of other business.
Penn and Teller have been headlining Las Vegas shows for 50 years. Next year will mark their 25th year preforming at the Rio.
If approved, Penn and Teller would join a group of Las Vegas entertainers who have streets named in their honor. They’d join the likes of Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and Joey Bishop and legendary performers Elvis Presley, Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett, Liberace, Roy Horn of Siegfried &Roy, Wayne Newton and Debbie Reynolds.
Penn and Teller Drive would also be the latest in street name changes occurring in conjunction with a show’s anniversary at a Las Vegas resort.
Last year, Treasure Island renamed Sirens Cove Boulevard to Mystère Dreams Avenue, after the longest-running show on the Strip, Cirque du Soleil’s “Mystère,” which at the time had held over 14,000 shows at the property.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X. Send questions and comments to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com.