Magician and comedian Murray Sawchuck has been a fixture at the Tropicana for the past 12 years. He just wrapped up his long-running residency at the Laugh Factory, which is now moving to another Las Vegas casino (details to be announced soon). In the meantime, Sawchuck is staying busy with a six-week tour and a relationship with the Paradox Museum, where he’s filmed a few videos and is leading visitors on a special celebrity tour at 11 a.m. on April 19. The performer shares his thoughts on the closure of the Tropicana, the legacy of the Laugh Factory, and his plans for the future.
How many shows have you played at the Tropicana over the past 12 years?
“If I had to guess, it has to be close to 5,000 shows at the Tropicana. Pretty wild. The Laugh Factory is an old-school comedy club. It was originally Rodney Dangerfield’s club, Rodney’s Place. It only lasted six months. After that, it became the Comedy Stop, Brad Garrett’s, and then the Laugh Factory. So many people have come through since I've been there. Louie Anderson, Andrew Dice Clay, Roseanne Barr, Judy Tenuta, Gallagher, Matt Rife … the list goes on and on. We had Tiffany Haddish there two weeks ago. It was great to see her in a club that holds 300 people, right there, versus a two or three thousand seat theater. You just can't beat that moment.”
What will you miss most about that room?
“For our form of comedy, you really want people close up, right in front of you and right around you, having a conversation like you're sitting in your home. The Laugh Factory really has that. I think they’ll try to keep that same feel for the new room. It’s hard to replicate — the chandeliers were like 40 years old — but they’ll try to have that intimacy.”
Tell me about your partnership with the Paradox Museum.
“I just fell in love with the place. You can fool yourself with the illusions (in the exhibits), even as you’re learning how the trick works. And you can post pictures on social media that look really cool. You don’t need Photoshop, CGI, or AI. We did 15 or 20 videos there for Facebook. It’s right up my alley. It’s what I do.”
