Joe Labero

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Joe Labero

Joe Labero (born July 28, 1963 in Alvesta, Sweden) is a Swedish magician. Joe Labero is a stage name derived from his birthname: Lars Bengt Roland Johansson.

1 Illusionist career
2 Las Vegas controversy
3 Filmography
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Illusionist career

At the age of 12 years Joe got his first "Magic Box". He started to practice and decided to be a professional. At first he called himself "Magino" and 1980 he won the Swedish championships of magic. He met his mentor, the Swedish magician Carlo Tornedo. Carlo told him to use the first 2 letters in his name to create "Joe Labero" and he has now registered that name for official use.

1991 he, against all recommendations,^{[citation needed]} put up his first big production A Magic Night at Berns in Stockholm. The show was a great success and was sold out and performed 657 times. The show was shown all over Sweden and abroad for the following years. He toured until 1995.

In 1996 he premiered in Danze Fantasy Productions' new show Mystique at Conrad Jupiter's Casino in Australia which ran for 16 months. The next year he presented another show there and called it Illusions. In 1998 he took Illusions to Sweden. Together with the original performers he made a huge success and performed this show until 1999 when he remade it and called it Joe Labero show and performed it until 2002 all over Sweden.

After this he created the Castle Tour in Sweden which was more intimate with the audience and he continued to use a similar theme later at the Ship of Illusions tour when traveling by boat around Scandinavia.

Together with the piano artist Robert Wells he created Rhapsody in Rock with Magic. This was a big show that combined live orchestral music with magic. They started in 2002 and met again using the same concept in the Christmas Spectacular Show.

In September 2007 his show Invited to Labero with an Asian theme started at Rondo in Gothenburg, Sweden.

[edit] Las Vegas controversy

In the spring of 2007, Labero was interviewed in the train operator SJ's magazine Kupé where he made the following statement:^[1]

“

For several years I have been close to getting my own Las Vegas show. But ultimately it seems impossible to get, unless you are a homosexual, a Jew or a US citizen. Yes, I obviously don't want to sound prejudiced, I'm just realistic. A blond Swedish viking can't stand up to the hierarchies that rule Vegas - where the power lies in the hands of Jewish business syndicates, American dollar millionaires and homosexual venue agents.

”

Later expressed regret and excused himself in an interview with Expressen:^[2]

“

First I want to apologize to all I have offended. It was so stupid, stupid to say these things.

”