Criss Angel Believe

A miracle of Messiah-like magnitude? Or a guy walking upon a barely visible, below the surface sheet of perspex plastic? The “Mindfreak” who can walk on water and levitate above the Luxor invites you to “Believe” - a Vegas show that implores you to open your mind, peel back your eyelids – and draw your own conclusions from a collaborative production with Cirque de Soleil. The entity is non-other than Criss Angel; the man who enraptured U.S TV audiences with controversial A&E series “MindFreak”, and gained a devout following through public stunts – notably at The Aladdin and Luxor Hotel Resorts, Las Vegas. It is the Luxor Hotel's prodigious “Believe” Theater, that now offers the chance to see Criss Angel and “Believe” for yourself, the wonder of mind-blowing illusion and magic.

So is Criss Angel one of these new-fangled illusionists, intending to cash in on the“Blaine brand”? At first inspection, the comparisons could lead you to believe it to be true, until you learn that the “modern day Houdini” David Blaine is six years younger than Angel. By a whisker, Criss Angel has been practicing for longer – although Blaine was first to emerge in 1997 with “Street Magic”. Levitation and mind-messing visual illusions may draw comparisons, however the Blaine brand has been built upon the art of escapology. Criss, on the other hand has always stayed true to the personal philosophy - seeing really can influence believing.

Does “Believe” stay true to that preface? With a $100 million budget fronted by MGM Mirage, expectations were abound in 2008 that “Believe” would be a superior class of magic and illusion. By the time of it's Halloween unveiling; the “Believe” hype-machine had gone into over-drive – even attracting the attention of “Media Queen” Perez Hilton. If you were imagining the blasé circus intro that seemed to bog many an old Soleil show, you'd be sorely mistaken. The emphasis here is more upon the weird and wonderful talent of Criss Angel, delivered from the off as he ascends from the ceiling upon a sheath of white chiffon-like fabric – only he isn't attached, and there are no wires!

“Believe” defies the uniform format of illusionist revues with the help of a little Cirque magic – although key to point out that while there's a plenitude of dancers dressed as giant white rabbits, they never detract from the real conjurer. The vignettes are a comedic poke-fun “homage to all of the rabbits who died in the hands of incompetent magicians”, and lend themselves to the anticipation of a “journey into the haunted mind of Criss Angel”. That being said; the addition of such characters does lead one to suspect there was a little “Alice in Wonderland” inspiration behind the loose plot - even composer Eric Serra's accompanying music-box composition “Homage To The Rabbits” lending itself to the fable.

Guests will quickly realize this is no candy-cane color spectacular synonymous with Cirque when the crow-human hybrids emerge from the realms of a Gothic-inspired set. It's drawn likenesses to the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and Michael Jackson's “Thriller”, with clowns clad in Derby hats and dolls with cracked faces - setting the sadistic tone for potential horror. A key hold-your-breath moment emerges with a fire and ice stage explosion heralding the subsequent lowering of Angel, bound and gagged upon a gurney. Those preparing themselves for the traditional “box and hand-saw” trick inevitably jump out of their skin, as a huge serrated industrial saw is lowered from a crane. It might be a derivative illusion from the works of the great Richiardi, yet Criss Angel stamps his own personality upon the stunt – going bigger and more theatrical than his icon.

Only two years into a ten year run at the Luxor Hotel, “Believe” has defied the condemnation of critics, having grossed over $200 million since opening. “Believe” has undergone significant restructuring since 2008, now boasting more than 40 individual illusions – the most any show has ever attempted on the Strip. Angel fans will be familiar with the likes of “Enigma”; a vanishing act involving a female assistant, a curtained set of hula-hoops and a giant scaffold (20 ft high). Another notable integration is the Richiardi inspired “Cloak And Chair” illusion - a seated, cloak-covered assistant teleported to a box on the opposite side of the stage. All this, among the dance and dazzle of a vibrant Cirque cast; complimented by an exuberant finale of feathered crows, levitation and Criss Angel reappearing at the rear of the auditorium to take his final bow!