Penn & Teller take a break as Teller undergoes second back surgery

Penn & Teller’s long-running production show at the Rio is taking a break as Teller undergoes his second back surgery within the past two years.

Teller was to undergo what the duo’s longtime manager Glenn Alai terms a “routine procedure” on Friday morning. The show is expected to return to the stage Nov. 9.

The silent member of the famous magician tandem underwent spinal fusion surgery in July 2018, closing the show for a little more than a month. This recent procedure is related to his previous surgery.

Teller, 71, has felt the consequences hanging from straitjackets and climbing in and out of boxes for more than 40 years. He posted on his Twitter account Friday that he was back home, thanking Dr. Derek Duke and the staff at St. Rose Hospital Siena Campus. “They were raving about the great card tricks Johnny Thompson did when he was there a few years ago,” a reference to the late, Great Tomsoni, a mentor and friend of the duo for decades.

Penn & Teller have headlined their eponymous showroom at the Rio since January 2001. The duo have hosted “Fool Us” on The CW, which originates from the Rio, for six seasons. The duo host “A CW Penn & Teller Magic Christmas Special” in December, with Linq Hotel headliner Mat Franco as special guest.

Also in December, their “Magic Goes Wrong” play, co-produced by J.J. Abrams, opens in London.

In January, the duo embark on a monthlong tour of Australia beginning with eight shows at Sydney Opera House in January. That tour is almost entirely sold out.

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