text: A long overdue review for a spectacular truly exceptional show I have seen more than a dozen times alreadynnSimply put Paul Vigils hour long magic and mentalism show at the Mirages King Ink is the best free show in Vegas and probably the most uplifting enchanting and thoughtprovoking shows in town at any pricennFor starters forget everything you think you know about the magic of Blaine Angel Copperfield etc There are no large scale theatrical illusions like using quick edits camera angles and mirrors to disappear the statue of libertynnThis is Paul sitting in a round parlor space surrounded by audience members just a couple of feet away from his agile hands as they manipulate coins cards and dice in ways that blow a hole in your expectations It is as intimate as an evening sitting around the living room with your closest friends and familynnHis narration is elegant and eloquent peppered with references to the likes of TS Eliot Bruce Lee and other poets and philosophers and delivered with a gleam in his eye that let us you know that no matter how polished and well spoken his spiel is Paul Vigil is clearly up to no good And that is just how we like himnnWithout spoiling the delight and surprise of his mind boggling compositions effects that will haunt you after you leave and keep you awake at night wondering how the hell he did it I can tell you that I have been watching Paul practice perform and perfect some of these effects for five years sitting right next to him and could not venture the slightest guess how he pulls them off It is no wonder he is the only magician to successfully fool Penn Teller whose blend of technical skill creativity and devious misdirection make them and Paul spiritual kin of a sortnnI take almost all of my out of town visitors to see Paul because his show is simultaneously an only in Vegas experience but at the same time is worlds removed from what people typically perceive as what a Vegas show can bennAnd every single one of them still raves about his show months and years laternnAt one point Paul describes one of his compositions warmly saying that performing it restores his capacity for wonder And honestly his whole show restores my own capacity for wondernnAnd in a cynical jaded world where mystery seems to be an endangered species could not we all use a little more wonder and mystery in our livesnnSee this show it may be your most rewarding hour in VegasnnUnless you hit the Megabucks In that case Pauls show would probably rank a close second