Article Date: June 30, 2026, 07:44h.

Last Modified: June 29, 2026, 09:05h.

• Mike Meier, a former attorney, has turned his unsuccessful 2013 sexual harassment lawsuit against Roy Horn (from Siegfried & Roy) into an innovative satirical musical comedy.
• Shangri-La-La is described as a “revenge musical,” addressing Meier’s claims of bias within the Las Vegas judicial system while delving into celebrity influence, immigrant aspirations, and the illusionary world of show business.
• A condensed version of the production is slated to tour several theater festivals throughout the summer and fall seasons.

After experiencing a defeat in a Las Vegas courtroom, Mike Meier, a former lawyer, is now taking his legal battle against Siegfried & Roy’s Roy Horn—and the Las Vegas legal system—to the theater. In 2013, Meier lost his lawsuit against Horn, but that courtroom drama inspired him to create an extraordinary turn in the world of theater: a musical comedy titled Shangri-La-La.

Lawsuit Becomes a Musical

In the 2013 case Preiss v. Horn, Meier represented Oliver Preiss, a former assistant to Roy Horn, who claimed he was terminated after rejecting Horn’s sexual advances. This case brought forward additional allegations from former employees.

Preiss asserted that surveillance footage corroborated his claims, as Horn had allegedly requested him to install cameras due to stolen cash from Horn’s Las Vegas residence.

“The footage captured not only the thief but also what we believed to be misconduct—instances of groping, demands for sexual favors, and similar behaviors involving the caretakers,” Meier shared with Casino.org. “At one point, a colleague remarked, ‘Mike, even a trained monkey could win this case.’ I thought that too, but I was mistaken.”

Meier felt that the legal system favored Las Vegas’ prominent personalities. For instance, the judge overseeing the case, who was responsible for securing the video evidence, allegedly handed it to Horn.

“It was peculiar for the judge to collect the evidence only to pass it to the defendants, and I didn’t think to duplicate it,” he recounted.

This judge, Carolyn Ellsworth from the Eighth Judicial District Court, had previously worked as chief litigation counsel for Mirage Resorts and was involved in earlier cases tied to Siegfried & Roy: Taube v. Mirage Casino-Hotel.

“I was oblivious to that at the time,” Meier admitted. “I had to chuckle at my naivete. What a novice I was!”

In a related federal matter, U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt imposed sanctions of $37,415 in attorneys’ fees on Meier and his co-counsel for allegedly complicating the case unnecessarily. The judge mentioned a connection with The National Enquirer following a rejected $500,000 settlement demand.

By the end of 2016, Meier faced a 30-day suspension of his law license in Virginia, while New York authorities issued a formal censure.

Justice in Las Vegas

Concerns regarding “hometown justice” in Las Vegas are not new. A well-known investigation by the L.A. Times, conducted by reporter William Rempel in 2006, titled “In Las Vegas, They’re Playing with a Stacked Judicial Deck,” illuminated such flaws in the system.

However, none of these critiques had ever been expressed through musical theater—until now.

“Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Meier stated. “I’m mainly self-taught since my mother couldn’t afford lessons, but I’ve always enjoyed performing. I played with rock bands during my youth and continue to play flamenco and Latin guitar at Spanish restaurants.”

For Meier, Shangri-La-La symbolizes rebellion, a comedic catharsis, and a means to turn a legal setback into a stage spectacle.

“After years in the legal field, I thought I could rely on the system,” Meier reflected. “Hence, it was time to reassess. I began piano lessons, which ultimately inspired this musical. I composed the music on the piano.”

Shangri-La-La follows Joshua, an optimistic German whose arrival in Las Vegas leads to a tangled journey through the glamorous yet misleading life of showbiz, where he assists two ex-illusionists.

In a clever twist, Meier takes on the role of Joshua’s attorney in the complete version of the show, allowing him to finally experience a courtroom victory.

“A vocalist involved in the studio recording remarked, ‘Mike, you’ve pioneered a new genre—the revenge musical,’ so perhaps that’s what it is,” Meier elaborated. “But the lawsuit serves merely as a gateway to broader themes: Las Vegas, immigrant dreams, magic, celebrity status, tigers, transformation, and the American dream slightly askew.”

The shortened one-hour version of Shangri-La-La will focus on the meteoric rise of Siegfried & Roy and can be experienced at the following theater festivals:

Harrisburg Fringe Festival: July 19, 2026
Midtown International Theatre Festival, NYC: July 25-26, 2026
Rogue Theater Festival, Digital/Online: July 2026
Philadelphia Fringe Festival: Sept. 27, 2026