New Siegfried and Roy podcast delves ‘behind the scenes’

One of the Las Vegas Strip’s most famous acts is the focus of a new podcast, and this one sounds juicy.

The Apple TV+ series “Wild Things: Siegfried & Roy,” billed as “the behind-the-scenes story of the world’s most famous magical duo,” is due in January on Apple Podcasts.

The first two 30-minute episodes of the eight-part podcast will premiere on Jan. 12. The series will then post in weekly installments. The “Wild Things” trailer dropped Thursday, and also is available on Apple Podcasts.

The “Wild Things” project is produced by investigative journalist and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Leckart, who narrates, and also Will Malnati of At Will Media. Leckart’s credits include the Space Shuttle doc “Challenger: The Final Flight,” and “What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali.”

The three-minute trailer opens with the emergency call from the Mirage the night Roy Horn was dragged off the stage by Mantecore (then known as Montecore). A clip from that call: “Roy Horn has been bitten by a tiger.” We listen as an unidentified stage hand says, “There was so much, so much blood. This was hell on Earth.”

S&R’s longtime manager Bernie Yuman, in an archival clip, says, “After more than 30,000 live performances, this one tragic accident is obviously an anomaly.”

Then the narrator asks, “But what if it the attack isn’t an anomaly? What if it’s actually just misdirection?”

The duo’s personal lives also are revisited, with Barbara Walters asking them about their “very unusual relationship.” She asks point blank, “Are you lovers?” Their answer is not played.

Efforts to reach Yuman and Lynette Chappell, who played the “Evil Queen” onstage and was part of S&R’s inner circle for decades, have been unsuccessful. Spokesman Dave Kirvin, who repped the duo during the latter years of their lives, said the S&R estate has no involvement in the podcast.

Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn both died over the past 18 months. Horn died at age 75 on May 8, 2020, from complications due to COVID. Fischbacher died at age 81 on Jan. 13, from pancreatic cancer. Both were residing in Las Vegas when they passed.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.