Penn & Teller canceled all upcoming shows until mid-August so Raymond Joseph Teller can undergo back surgery, Fox News reported.
The magic and comedy duo, who have been performing together for over 40 years, called off a show at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Friday night after Teller's back began hurting during an earlier performance.
He has reportedly been suffering from chronic back pain for decades and was planning to eventually undergo spinal-fusion surgery, however, the urgency of the procedure was brought to the forefront last week.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Teller finished the performance Wednesday despite being in agony, however, for the first time in 43 years he opted to skip the post-show meet and greet.
He is now scheduled to go under the knife this Monday in Las Vegas.
"My sincere apologies to our fans in Biloxi and folks who were planning on seeing the Vegas show," Teller said in a tweet. "Last night during the show my back firmly ordered me to cut the crap and get it fixed. So I'm stopping work from today till August 18th and getting my back surgery pronto."
Teller added that, in their 43 years of performing, the duo had only ever canceled a handful of shows on short notice.
"So I (and much of our crew) feel disoriented and befuddled -- as if we're in one of those showbiz nightmares where you can't find your way back to the stage in time for the next cue."
Penn Jillette reassured fans on Twitter that, although they were on a hiatus until Aug. 18, "the boys will be back and bad!"
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