Illusionists are some of the best-loved magicians in the world, especially when they do their illusions on a large scale. Some of the illusions by David Copperfield, for instance, have literally become things of legend – like making the Statue of Liberty disappear. Following in those same footsteps, Dirk Arthur brings his style of magic to Las Vegas.

Now playing at The Cellar at the Tropicana on Las Vegas Boulevard, Xtreme Magic is a big-scale illusion show starring the incomparable and highly talented Dirk Arthur. Throughout his career, Dirk has become braver and bolder with his illusions, and for something done on a medium-sized stage in Vegas, Dirk has no equal.

Dirk Arthur isn’t as widely popular as some other illusionists in the game, like Chriss Angel and David Blaine, but he does bring something to the table that’s always been a huge hit in Las Vegas: Cats. That’s right; like Seigfried and Roy before him, Dirk performs with beautiful tigers on stage.

Unfortunately, a lot of tigers in captivity — primarily the white breeds, as they’re inbred — seem to lash out sooner or later. However, the marred past doesn’t hinder fans’ appreciation for the graceful beasts. In fact, fans are even more intrigued to see any magician use tigers now, and Dirk doesn’t disappoint.

From the moment Xtreme Magic starts with the blaring music, you know that you’re about to witness a big-scale show at a frenetic pace. The rock music plays and the gorgeous assistants bring out three wooden slats with what appears to be sections of Dirk’s silhouette painted on them. In an instant, he appears from the slats and gets the show started.

The illusions only intensify from there. At times, it’s hard to keep an eye on the actual magician – but that’s probably a good thing for him, as misdirection is needed. The assistants dancing around in scantily clad clothing really draw attention away from the main performer. Nonetheless, Dirk brings you right back with illusion after illusion.

For one illusion, Dirk’s assistant climbs into a cannon that’s situated on one side of the stage. When he does his little version of abracadabra, she’s suddenly gone and reappears on the opposite side before your eyes. To intensify this illusion, Dirk then makes his white Siberian tiger appear in the same spot.

Through it all, Arthur is able to keep going at a fast pace. This keeps the crowd energized and ready to see the next illusion. In a way, this also prevents people from over-thinking what they’ve just witnessed, and thus lends more credibility to Dirk due to the difficulty of debunking his magic.

After storming through a few big illusions, Dirk takes a break to talk to the audience on a more personable level. He tells people exactly how he trained his cats to be so gentle. Other than the tigers, Dirk also uses helicopters and other large items on stage for his illusions.

It’s a big-time show for any illusion enthusiast. This form of magic is far from a dead art, and Dirk’s sold out shows prove it every night.