More than 6,000 people went to see Las Vegas showman Rick Thomas and his white tiger Kaos, with six of the eleven shows sold out.Event manager Sandra Christensen called the audience feedback “amazing”, adding: “It was a good boost in the arm for Bermuda, and everybody commented on how Bermuda needs more shows like this.”The Magic of Rick Thomas, which drew controversy for its use of a tiger, ran from February 25 to March 5.Sandys Rotary Club past president David Sullivan said that Mr Thomas, who left promptly after the final show on Saturday night, was “somewhat surprised” at the local furore.“But those who attended realised it was a storm in a teacup. People came away with a lot of knowledge they didn’t have before.”Although the tiger was not the centrepiece, Mr Sullivan said Kaos was “a terrific adjutant to the show” even if criticism came from overseas as well as home.From the US, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) spokesman Jason Clark wrote to hosts Sandys Rotary objecting to the use of an animal as entertainment.Mr Sullivan conceded it hadn’t been possible to accommodate everyone.“We’ve never had an issue with them (PETA), and I don’t think ultimately they had an issue with us, but these organisations have mission statements that have to be respected. I wrote back and said that we can’t be everything to everybody. In looking at every side of the case that we could in making our decision, we decided to go forward with it, and did so with a clean conscience about it.”The group was told Sandys Rotary was “satisfied that Mr Thomas meets and, in certain areas, indeed exceeds the criteria we used in bringing such an entertainment and educational experience to Bermuda.”Mr Thomas was “somewhat taken aback with how the tiger issue kept going on,” Mr Sullivan said.“I think he was a little concerned about the harping on about it. I don’t think there was a single person who came out who didn’t learn about tigers and the plight of tigers globally.”The group will announce in a couple of weeks how much money it has raised for local causes, plus the Rotary International’s campaign to eradicate polio.As for future acts, Mr Sullivan said, nothing specific is planned for now: “Our organisation has something of a reputation in Bermuda for shows. We have brought in the circus, ice rinks, carnivals major programmes. But first and foremost, it’s a risk for us. In this case it was a $300,000 risk for club members if it had gone south on us. That’s not the largest risk the circus in 1996 was half a million but it’s a big risk. By all information, this was an overwhelming success.”l Useful web links: www.rotary.org, www.rickthomasbermuda.com, www.peta.org.