That's an interesting question but, actually, there aren't too many candidates in the running for that accolade in this day and age, when production shows like the myriad Cirque du Soleil extravaganzas, as opposed to headliners, are more of the norm for Strip showrooms.
When comedian George Wallace somewhat unceremoniously ended his long-running engagement at the Flamingo earlier this year, following a lawsuit that landed him a $1.3 million settlement stemming from an injury suffered while performing for a private party at Bellagio back in 2007, it was the end of a 10-year run on in that Strip showroom.
Having cut his teeth in the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana, magician Lance Burton's first headlining gig was in a show he also wrote, which debuted at the Hacienda in 1991 and performed there for five years. In 1994, he then signed a 13-year contract with the Monte Carlo -- then the longest-ever in Strip entertainer history -- to perform in a custom-built theater. In 1996, the show opened and not only stayed the course for the original 13 years, but was then later extended to run until 2015. The full extension was not realized, however, due to an injury (at least, that was the official version), and Lance performed his final show in 2010. Still, with a 19-year consecutive gig, encompassing two different casino showrooms, we think Burton almost certainly holds the record, at least in recent years, as the Strip headliner with the greatest longevity.
Of those big names still currently performing, David Copperfield recently had the theater he performs in at MGM Grand, formerly the Hollywood Theater, renamed for him in honor of his tenth anniversary performing in it, although his press office does not seem too impressed with the Las Vegas aspect of his career, which doesn't even get a mention in the official bio. on his website.
Family-friendly comedy magician Mac King was part of the lineup in a string of Strip production shows after his 1997 move here from L.A.: He appeared in Spellbound at Harrah’s; The Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular at what was then The Flamingo Hilton (now just the Flamingo); he was the opening act for comedian Rita Rudner at The Desert Inn; and was among the acts in Splash! at the Riviera. Finally, in January 2000, King began what started out as a two-year engagement with his own one-man show at Harrah's, where The Mac King Comedy Magic Show is still going strong and has been extended through 2015.
Speaking of Rita Rudner, the comedienne and author has appeared almost exclusively in Las Vegas since 2001, where she's sold well over one million tickets. She's headlined at New York-New York, Harrah's, and Venetian, where she's now currently among the lineup of all-female comedians featured in the recently debuted LIPSCHTICK: The Perfect Shade of Stand-Up series.
Carrot Top, meanwhile, started out on the Strip with a two-week run at MGM Grand, in the same Hollywood Theater as David Copperfield, back in 1997. This grew into a more protracted and ongoing stint the following year and became a consistent 15-weeks-a-year gig at some point thereafter (all sources remain consistently, if strangely, hazy on this, but we're assuming it was around 2000). In 2005, he moved into the more spacious Atrium Theater at the Luxor, where he is the sole headliner and currently has a contract set to run through 2015. So, depending on when Carrot Top's gig first counted as being his "own show," we'd say he and Mac King are about neck-and-neck when it comes to longevity among current Strip headliners.
Another comedy act, Penn & Teller, comes close behind, having clocked up a 13-year run at the Rio, so when it comes to staying power, comedy and magic seem to have it, with the likes of Celine, Elton, Shania, Rod, Donny & Marie, and Britney having a long way to go.
