Wild Things: Siegfried & Roy

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Over the course of nearly half a century, Siegfried & Roy performed 30,000 shows for 50 million people and generated well over $1 billion in ticket sales. Although the German-born illusionists and pop culture icons were mega-famous, much about their private lives, eccentric public personae, and tragic final show remained shrouded in mystery…until now. Emmy®-winning filmmaker and journalist Steven Leckart, in his very first podcast, takes you behind the velvet curtain to reveal shocking moments, surprising details, and hidden truths about two men who were lionized by millions of fans, lampooned by the media, criticized by animal welfare advocates, and endlessly scrutinized by the public.

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Recent Reviews
  • jcsinpgh
    Good, but
    This is really interesting, and I'm enjoying it, but the host's misuse of "quote-unquote" is starting to be like fingernails on a chalkboard. That's not what "quote-unquote" means, my guy, and it makes you sound less knowledgeable than you otherwise would.
  • SuzanneEs
    Ultimately Disappointed
    I started this show with some hope that I would gain new insights on Siegfried
  • KfromKC
    A Great Listen
    I was hooked 10 mins in. I knew of the entertainers and of the incident but loved getting the full story. I’ve always been fascinated by exotics and love good investigative journalism, this it the mark for both!
  • itwasntmesir45
    Why?
    Why even go there with the assault accusations that are never proven?! Innocent until proven guilty!
  • DKitty1986
    Great podcast for curious people
    If you like learning and mysteries - this is the podcast for you!!!!! I LOvE this show! It’s almost too addictive as I started binge listening and couldn’t wait to start the next episode. Found myself just listening from my Bose speakers in my bed. Fantastic ! So thought provoking!!!
  • Megansummer
    I hate the production…
    So highly produced and dramatized, I quit listening. It’s like I’m watching the 500th Netflix documentary, shot & produced the exact same as the previous 499. Just tell me the GD story!! If this is the future of podcasts, I don’t want it.
  • Flying Davey
    Fascinating!
    A lot of podcasts can't keep my interest over many episodes of covering the same event. This one is so compelling from the start and never lets up, revealing new pieces of information continuously. I've seen Siegfried and Roy several times and never once considered how dangerous it was to have these tigers just feet from the audience, held only by a leash that could never fully control them. Just an incredible story. Can't praise or recommend it enough!
  • StayHydrated!
    Why is the song not playing?
    I keep trying to listen to song and only play people talking coming out. Help Now pleas Alexa
  • 555701
    Interesting Show
    Learned so much more about what actually happened to Roy and all the untold misfortunes that happened behind the scene.
  • stamcfa
    Gripping Podcast!
    Loved this podcast and the music! Very well done, I enjoyed the multiple interviews and perspectives of the performers and investigators . I experienced the Siegfried and Roy show live at the stunning Mirage hotel and it was spectacular!! Five stars!
  • Wrigley cat
    Captivating podcast!
    This podcast was truly fascinating and informative. I never had seen Siegfried and Roy’s show but I did pass by their statue in Vegas and always wanted to know more about them. This podcast gave a great overview of their lives while also focusing on the main tiger attack on Roy. Captivating and well thought out!
  • Candied_pineapple
    Interesting podcast …until PETA showed up
    I was really into this story until the PETA episode. Everyone knows that organization is a bunch of extremists, so to present their interviews seriously is lazy, biased reporting. Not to mention the victim-blaming from the animal-rights activists was in very poor taste.
  • Purplehype
    Fascinating
    Had me on the edge of my seat! Some of the information revealed was truly shocking and horrifying. Overall a great listen, the narrator was excellent and you can tell how much research went into the whole production.
  • baxmama
    Binged it
    Story kept me listening and entertained. Listened to it all in one project.
  • Rumplewatt
    Absolutely Fascinating
    I don’t even remember how I found this podcast, but it is fantastic. Quick episodes, high production value, incredible story.
  • abcp20
    100/10 podcast
    I found this podcast in my suggested content. I’m so glad I listened - the storytelling is fantastic and informative.
  • Grossed_Out80s
    Still almost nothing online about their other victims
    I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s when S&R were equivalent to rock stars. I recall being heart broken by the news of the 2003 attack/ accident. I appreciate how thorough the storytelling here and am now shocked by their decades of lying, cover ups, exploitation of workers and animals, and inhumanity towards the boy performer mauled by their panther in the 70’s and the team member bitten and thrown into the air after Horn dropped a tiger’s leash on their property in the 80’s. They just left those people and their struggling families to rot while insisting there had never been a “cat loose” incident before 2003. Lies, lies, and more lies with obstruction of federal investigations and justice left and right. My God. They couldn’t even tell the truth to thank the crew members who risked their lives to save Roy Horn while his neck was in that Tiger’s mouth. All of those years knowing that people had been attacked by their inbred animals and still no barricades to protect their audiences. Absolutely criminally insane. And had all of those staff witnesses indoctrinated into loyal silence on their behalf. I can’t find any new info on those victims or analysis of their true lack of concern for their supposed “show biz family and paying fans.” Wild indeed.
  • mvlady1
    Really good
    This was so interesting and very well done. Enjoyed it a lot.
  • Tiffanyjoan
    Thoroughly Enjoyed
    This was fantastic. Very well made.
  • Tim_MN
    Excellent documentary
    Highly recommend this.
  • Estelaxoxo
    Entertaining but repeats a lot of information throughout the episodes.
    Basically the title.
  • mxm313
    Incredible Reporting
    Thoughtful, considerate reporting of a complex topic.
  • pithypickle
    Exceeded Expectations
    I thought I’d put this on in the background and go about my day like I do with most podcasts. However, I found myself sitting and focusing only on this story. When I started my usual nighttime routine, I didn’t race to get under the covers and grab my (really good) book like I had every night before; I stayed up to listen. I saved the last episode for the morning. Great from beginning to end.
  • Rara1111
    Very good
    👍
  • Fred’s 4Ever
    Reap what you sow!
    How ironic that they worked at the Mirage. They’re entire life was a mirage. It was obvious that they were gay. Nobody was fooled. My worry was always about the animals. As far as not taking care of their injured crew members, that’s a sin. Those injured and their families should have been set for life. I have no sympathy and no respect for these two. I enjoyed the podcast though…thank you for showing us the dark under belly of their mirage!
  • tdw2016
    Binge it!
    Really well reported and produced show…sadly never got to see the Siegfried & Roy show but did run into Siegfried once at the Secret Garden. This show does an amazing job at telling their wild story from start to finish while also shedding more light on the tragic accident that brought everything to a close. Shout out to one of the BEST podcast theme songs I’ve ever heard as well!!
  • joanncv
    So much filler
    The story that was told could have been boiled down to much fewer episodes. Ideas repeated and repeated, things teased that ended up not actually being significant, and deserving topics that could have taken more time were told to quickly. There's so much build up about there potentially being a plot behind the tiger attack. Why sensationalize an already dramatic event? The only reason I can think of is that the podcast team was given a certain number of episodes to fill and told to make it juicier. But the lives of these men are already interesting, and there was so much that could've been told. And when the actual plot against the men that had nothing to do with the tiger attack was discussed, it was covered in comparatively little time. I'm still interested in learning more about Siegfried and Roy after not coming away learning much from this.
  • sportyspice11
    Informative
    Informative and well researched exposé. My only real issue was the sometimes overly loud music competing with the narration and interviews. Despite that I’m still giving it 5 stars since my rating would be closer to 5 than 4.
  • Sunkissed121
    Great Score, Great Podcast
    I really enjoyed the podcast! It also had one of the best intro songs I have ever heard for any style of media!
  • Teddy T
    Nobody told
    This guy what “quote/unquote” means? No one?!
  • Comm101
    Waste of Time
    Filler. Filler. Filler. The actual story could be told in 1 episode.
  • gagnon36
    Wow!
    Such a well researched series. There were so many points I had no knowledge of and I found it all fascinating. Well done!
  • HZBaskin
    Awesome
    Such an awesome podcast…definitely binge worthy
  • Suzzzi7
    Siegfried and Roy was spectacular
    This was my very first podcast. It was amazing!!!! I have always been fascinated by this duo, and by the terrible tiger attack. Now I finally have answers. And I am hooked on podcasts!!!
  • angelanok
    Wow! Who knew?!
    So I must be getting old, but this is my first podcast and boy am I glad we listened to it! Started it on a long drive on vacation and we couldn’t wait for vacation to end so we could listen to more! My whole family enjoyed it from the youngest (14) to the oldest (70). We had all heard of the hype of the tiger attack but no one knew all the details this podcast gave with all the interviews! I’m hooked on podcasts now! Thank you for an exciting story!
  • furbyqueen
    Best recommendation I’ve ever gotten
    So glad this showed up on Recommended For You, I would’ve never found this podcast. It’s everything I love in a podcast, and it’s great background noise for when I’m painting. Such an interesting story, and I’m sad I’ll never get to see their magic on stage
  • rosa manzo
    PETA is in this
    Why did they interview PETA?
  • Andy Mangold
    Never Listened to the Podcast, but love the lettering in the artwork!
    I could take or leave the tiger.
  • evbebebvbe
    10/10
    So well done, story is so fascinating, very entertaining never gets boring, uses so much information based facts, awesome narrator. It’s a hidden Gem for real, 10/10 :).
  • feralspirit_13
    Really Neat & Interesting
    I listen to this on the way to work and I have to say it is extremely fascinating. It’s also narrated very well.
  • JAVSoph
    Good, but not great
    This podcast unveils a lot of controversy and lies surrounding Siegfried and Roy’s tenure in Vegas, especially the Tiger attack that brought the show to a sudden end. There’s so much story here. We get their personal backstory. We get the origin story of their Vegas act. Testimonials from former workers, biographers and producers. There’s a plethora to tell here. What the podcast lacks is the ability to drive the story in an interesting and analytical way. Steven tries to tote a line of neutrality as the narrator, but his monotonous voice and inability to express emotion for radio makes it a bit hard to feel like this story is as important as it really is. There’s something missing- and I think it’s a combination of writing and delivery. A lot of the earlier episodes feel like it’s written for TV. Scripts that would be better support with b-roll. Steven tries to paint a picture, but sometimes relies on his interviewees sound bites to drive the narrative vs his own analysis. The last few episodes he finds his stride a bit better. Iconic entertainers. Tragic story. A podcast that does an OK job explaining it. Maybe if you didn’t live to see the splendor of what these duo really did create…you wouldn’t feel like something is missing. But Siegfried and Roy’s story, despite their flaws, deserves a podcast that meets the same standard that they delivered to audiences decade after decade. Or maybe they don’t. Listen and you be the judge.
  • PW from GR
    What is your point?
    You are decimating two entertainment legends who are no longer alive to defend themselves. The first few episodes were interesting but then you turn mean and trashy. You push PETA, ask very shallow, leading questions, and create conjecture that there “may” have been this and “possibly” that happened. You talk to injured people who probably deserved mote than they got but did not aggressively pursue it and, for that, blame the defendants. You spend a lot of time on the accusation of sexual assault which turned out to be some guy wanting to make money and was thrown out of court and you STILL hold that it may be true. I listened through 7 episodes before I’d had it. This is a juvenile, incompetent attempt at sensationalistic journalism. Terrible. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
  • KiskaAlaska
    Wildly Interesting
    I have lived in Vegas for 32 years….and never was able to see the show. But, I appreciated the information about our local legends. I am no longer a fan of wild animals being in such spectacles; and, am greatly relieved that the pressures of PETA has caused the performers that used the big cats to retire the beautiful animals. I thought the podcast was well done and followed the chronology of the events leading up to Roy’s stroke; and, what transpired afterwards fabulously revealing of how truly raw show business is and definitely not as glamorous as imagined by the people. Thank you for a greatly entertaining podcast!
  • jmanning89
    Great podcast!
    Great podcast! I enjoyed every minute!
  • thispodcastisanogo1467
    Quite interesting
    What makes me absolutely sick & angry is that these two narcissists exploited wild animals for decades and made hundreds of millions of dollars off of them. The lions, leopards and tigers belonged in the jungle and on the savanah, not in cages, enclosures and on stage doing tricks so these two could make millions off of them. The only mystical thing that they had with the tigers was the almighty dollar. If they cared so much about those animals, they would have stopped all of it-inbreeding, making them perform, keeping them as pets, etc. It’s true, white tigers are from a genetic mutation. They wouldn’t survive in the wild, because they have no color to camouflage themselves. Sigfried & Roy’s lies about how rare and special white tigers are have done a lot of damage. I don’t feel sorry or sad for two people who exploited and made hundreds of millions of dollars off the captivity and suffering of those animals. I feel sorry for those big cats. How sad for them. It’s a shame that Mantacore didn’t rip Roy’s throat out and then go for Sigfried. That would have been a show I would have paid to watch. Good riddance to Sigfried & Roy.
  • Maryjoego
    Obsessed
    Loved every minute. Thanks for great research & writing.
  • Barb DK
    Exciting, in depth and balanced
    Thanks for telling this long strange tale, and for not taking sides. I do have a lot of difficulty understanding why we allow wild animals to be treated in this way-especially given what we now know about genetics and brain development! Private citizens should not be allowed to ‘own’ wild animals-even injured ones or rescues. Foundations created for this work can do that. I don’t harbor hate or anger toward Siegfried & Roy, but Roy got what he deserved. These 2 were cruel to enslave beautiful animals for their own gain, and even more so to blatantly refuse help crew /cast members attacked by them! I appreciate an in depth telling.
  • Gavkat
    Overall this was good. I only have one issue
    I found this podcast to be really fascinating. What makes me sad is that they even had to bring up the question “we’re they or weren’t they”. Who cares? Whether they were lifelong friends that loved each other or if they were more than that it didn’t belong in this story. It had no bearing on the larger cat story. At all. Otherwise it was a good podcast and well investigated
  • sjrf202
    Fascinating, well done. Must Listen!
    This was truly an amazing podcast. I would’ve binged it but I was enjoying it so much I didn’t want it to be over so I tried to pace myself. It’s very good investigative journalism and it paints a complex but compassionate picture of two of the most iconic Vegas entertainers of the 20th century. You get the backstory, the behind the scenes details, perspectives that don’t shy away from problematic aspects of the duo, But also their humanity is never lost in the way of the story is told. I recommend this podcast!
  • MelGuttierrez
    Loved it!
    I was captivated with this podcast! I really enjoyed and binged in one day. Highly recommended 👍
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