Criss Angel Responds to Initial Reviews of Believe
Posted on 03 October 2008 by Erik
The Las Vegas Sun recently posted an article that includes Criss Angel responding to some of the less than favorable reviews for the upcoming Cirque de Soleil show starring the illusionist: Believe.
Here’s an excerpt of the article where Criss addresses some of the concerns:
Angel has learned a few things in these preview shows. The illusionist noted some aspects of the show that never were intended to be magic have been misinterpreted as illusions-gone-wrong. Case in point: the cables used in one sequence that suspend costumed Cirque performers above the stage.
“I never set out to try to fool anybody. Those people are hanging from a line,” Angel said. “They’re not supposed to be levitating or flying. They’re hanging from, you know, a typical Cirque rig.”
The 40-year-old Angel sat cross-legged on his dressing room couch, joking about his show being under a misguided microscope. “People in the audience are sitting there like, ‘Oh, look at that girl flying like a bird! You can see a line!’” he said.
“Yes, you can see the line! I’m not trying to hide a line. The line is like this big,” he said, laughing as he held his fingers and inch or two apart to show the line’s diameter.
He cracks jokes as he discusses the ups and downs of the creative process. Still, he said there’s a lot that remains to be done before the show opens next month.
“Is the show done? No, it’s not done,” he said. “We have a lot to do in the weeks coming.”
He said two or three illusions have yet to be worked into the show, while other aspects still need tweaking.
Read the article in full here.
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Tags | Believe, Cirque de Soleil, Criss Angel, Reviews
February 13th, 2010 at 7:32 am
This show is so BAD, I wish I had time to go see the show again so I could let the clown know what a waste of space he is. Now that would be $120 well spent. If I put on a show that bad I would disapper too. Criss Angel you own me $120 you owe my wife $120 and you owe every person who has had to sit through “that thing you all entertainment there moneyback. People work hard for there money and you should be ashamed to stand in front of people as you rob them.
January 26th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
This is the only show I have been to in Las Vegas, and I have been to many, that I was truly disappointed in and felt like walking out. The only reason I stayed was in hopes that it was going to get better…..NOT. I did not pay $170 per seat so that I could see some gal feel Criss Angel up and down, or 4 guys that weren’t very funny (maybe if you’re 5) or see a film clip of a previous magic trick that I’ve already seen on TV. I was there the night the CEO of the Luxor and the Excalibur were there. Could they not tell by the response from the audience that people were unhappy? I have been a fan of Criss Angel for sometime but this was a total waste of my time and money!
January 20th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Okay…so I am a HUGE Criss Angel fan. I watch his show religiously! So comes the opportunity for a girls weekend in Vegas for the New Year and I can’t wait to see the show, even staying at the Luxor to get free tickets! I must say, like the others on here, how dissapointed I was in the show and I thankful I was that I hadn’t actually purchased the tickets! It was like Alice in Wonderland on acid and it was like going to see a play with a twisted story line. Don’t get me wrong, I like twisted and I like plays and I like the idea but I’m there to see Criss Angel do what he does so well…his street magic and blowing our minds with it! The few magic tricks he did do were so random that the audience wasn’t sure if they should clap or not! Audience members seemed confused as to what was really going on throughout the entire show. I agree, it has potential to be a pretty need show but Criss needs to go back to the drawing board and really, really tweak this sucker! Put a rating on it as well as there was a lot of sexual innuendo that I felt was inappropriate for children, even though we did not bring children to the show…I felt uncomfortable for the parents who did in the audience. If you want to see Alice in Wonderland on acid, pay money to see Cirque de Soliel. If you want to see Criss Angel do what he does best, watch his show! Don’t go see Believe in Vegas…you will be very disappointed.
January 14th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
My Wife and I watched this show December 26th 2009 and I have to say it was the worst show ever. Criss Angel was so full of himself that it wasn’t even entertaining. The whole time I just thought to myself “come on this is stupid” and most of the show he’s not even out there. We paid a lot of money for our seats, I cant believe we just wasted on that money on some wana be magician. If I could say one thing to Criss Angel it would be “Come on Criss get a real job like the rest of America.”
December 28th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
I wish I would have checked out the reviews before attending… This was the worst show I have ever seen. My husband and i have been to all the cirque shows in LV and this one was horrible. Chris seems like a likable guy…but we kept waiting for that apectacular moment…which never came. I think the only ones who will enjoy this show are your teenage kids (hence the last reviewer). This show can run upward of $100+… I would have rather seen Lance Burton for the 5th time (he’s fabulous).
December 27th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
iv never seen it but hope 2 one day most ppl dont like it because ther not opened minded wen they see it u prolly need 2 see wat criss says about it its not mindfreak its wats inside his mind and mindfreak has angles to do very many of the illousins so thats y thers smoke so u cant see how criss does the in beLIEve
December 1st, 2009 at 3:42 pm
wow u people are so mean. I couldnt wait to see his show. when i watched it with my mom on July 29th 2009. omg. it was the best show ever in las vegas. i enjoyed it. i loved it. i wish i can see it 5 or more times just to see criss perform. hes amazing. i loved his BLIEVE show. If u thought his show was so bad ur crazy. And dont call me weird cause i love criss and his show. Criss deserves better reviews of the show. If ur gonna say something say something nice and not mean. wow. once again i would like to say Criss i loved ur BELIEVE SHOW. Best show in Las Vegas.
November 30th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I was left speechless at the end of the Cris Angel show. I couldn’t believed that it sucked so bad. We paid good money for our seats and the show was some subsophmoric attemt at illusion, and quite frankly I found my self waiting for the “real” magic to happen, up to the very end of it. The 3 stoogelike men were annoying, the segment where he was injured was poorly acted and quite lame, and the illusion he performed were elementary, nothing like his television show. Ick!!!!
November 30th, 2009 at 9:14 am
This show stinks and from the beginning. I am sorry it may be a “show” a “production” or “entertainment” but I find it highly offensive when the camera girl shoves her video camera into his crotch AND HOLDS IT THERE for all of us to see on big screen. Criss there are children and families there. Are you really that full of yourself?
November 29th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Gosh, I’m dissapointed. Criss Angel is amazing. I’ve seen many tricks of his and they are incredible. I was incredibly excited to see his show in Vegas. We saw it on the last night of our stay there and I was about to cry when I came out of the theater. The show was terrible and he only did standard tricks like cutting someone in half and getting from one box to the other. The best trick was the first one where he guessed the city and name of a person and the word they were thinking of. It was deffinately not child friendly with his cussing every 5 seconds and even mentioning that there were kids there. I was greatly dissapointed.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
YIKES! THE WORST SHOW EVER! I told the person with me…I know why they have people go through the medal detectors on the way in! They’re afraid someone will commit suicide before the show is over!
What a freak show! I feel like I was robbed!
November 5th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
I just read your reviews on Chris Angels Believe show…..I have been going to Vegas for the last 10 plus years and see at least 2 shows while im there……Chris Angels Believe show was the worse of any that I have ever seen….People were looking around in disbelief and couldn’t believe the show…..They were getting up and walking out….The closest thing that I could compare this show to is Alice in Wonderland on Acid…….With Angel doing 5 tricks in 1hr and 45min…which one of those didnt work……..The first two tricks I saw David Copperfield do in his show that Angel did…..hmmm, seems like Angels show might come up with something different……
November 5th, 2009 at 8:26 am
I am a huge Criss Angel fan. I had read some of the reviews in the Las Vegas books and couldn’t believe that they were that bad. I refused to believe it. We got buy one get one free tickets and went Oct 30, 2009. This was hands down the most pointless, stupid waste of time! The show was terrible. and everyone leaving the show agreed. I wanted to leave but part of me kept saying this has got to get better. Cirque de soliel ( however you spell it) they had one girl hanging from the ceiling. The tricks Criss did were the same things magicians have been doing for years – i don’t expect criss angel to show me 50 doves flying around or cutting a chick in half or moving her from one place to another. It’s all been done before. Show me the stuff that made Criss angel put Magic back in the mainstream. I wanted my money back and I wanted to tell everyone not to waste their money. Criss angel is so charismatic, the potential for a great show is there please go back to the drawing board and come up with something better.
September 26th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
went to see the “believe” show in august and our seats were 2nd row from the front and dead center. i love Criss and i love the cirque shows BUT not together. i would have loved to see Criss to the amazing things he does and not all the other hocus-pocus (they have their own place,and it isn’t in the Criss Angel theater). he’s too good to have to share the stage with anyone else.
September 20th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
I guess everyone is getting the picture here. Chriss Angels show was badddddddd, the guy owe me and many like me $120. I left thinking what was that all about! Don’t waste your time or money with this one.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
We bought our tickets ($140 x 2) 1 month prior to the performance. It was with great anticipation that we filed into the theater and prepared to be “WOWed”. WOW… I NEVER saw my $280 again!!! It completely disappeared!!! It was amazing. Generally if you spend $280 on a show, you get something in return for your money. But this was a MAGIC show: POOF… the money was GONE. There was no evidence that the money ever existed in the first place (or I would have been entertained…RIGHT?). Criss Angel is a f&^%ing GENIUS!!! The money disappeared AND there was no show. That’s right… there was no show!!! I guess he made that disappear too. There was some egotistical jack-ass wandering around the stage, but there was no show. GENIUS I SAY!!! I think I can do the money trick though… somebody send me $280 and I PROMISE that you will be just as entertained as my wife and I were at this colossal piece of crap.
August 25th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
We saw Believe Thursday Aug. 20th and we all enjoyed it, some (the girls) more than others. However all of us, skeptics included agreed it was a very impressive show of his talent. It was dark and a bit twisted at times but it is supposed to be!!!Its a show people…..Just a note it is NOT for children. There were kids in the audience and I felt for them…way too graphic.
The illusions he preformed were awesome. I am a LOYAL fan. Thanks Criss for the great entertainment.
July 21st, 2009 at 11:01 am
Yes, for you editors out there… I spelled his name wrong in my previous post…I know it is CRiss.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:56 am
I saw the show before its official opening night. I thought, “Kriss and Cirque, this is going to be the most spectacular magical-feeling experience.” Ah, no…my husband and I were trying to be objective but were disappointed because the show seemed so amateurish. I thought, at the least, we’d get some really cool Cirque performances. And I truly thought Wade Robson’s dancers would blow me away because he is such a talented choreographer. I wasn’t impressed, and I’m easily entertained! I chalked it all up to Believe being a new production and that the tweaks would be worked out. I thought I would revisit the reviews in a year and the reviews would be better. I wish Kriss the best of luck because if things don’t change he may lose some of his fans. As many of you noted, television and film can really make a person seem bigger than life, but seeing them in real life can diminish that image. BTW, I saw him working out in the Luxor gym when I was staying there (back in 2008) and he was in really good shape then. Please tell me the Vegas buffets aren’t turning him into a porker!
June 19th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
This show was such a rip-off!!! The best part was when they give you the little red nose that lights up. If you want to see magic, this is NOT the show to see. I wish I had read reviews before i wasted my money. It was my first time to visit Vegas and me and 3 other people saw this show together on our last night in town thinking it would be a great way to end our time there.. SUCH A LET DOWN!!!! Please.. if there is a way to get my money back, someone please let me know!!!!
June 9th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
We got free tickets for the show and still wanted to walk out. About the most distasteful, ridiculous experience I have ever not had to stand still for!
Criss Angel seemed inebriated during the show. Plus he is overweight – yes, Criss Angel is getting fat!
May 27th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Hello!!!!!! I saw the show may 22 2009 and it was amazing I don’t understand why people cant see that…!!! the comedy how the whole audience was involved and the energy of it. I was the best show i’ve ever seen. I’de love to see it again and again!!!! Great job Criss.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
im 15 and this is my first time in las vegas. i love wathcing his show and i think he’s very talented. my grandma knows that i love him and got us 7th row for 900 Dollars! thats alopt of money so i expected it to be a great show. im seeing it tomorrow and after reading all these comments im alittle worried. but like people have said im goin in it with an opened mind. …
April 13th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
who the hell r u and where did u come from, u might be the false profit and i now what ur doing so stop looking at this guy people do not be fooled….
March 28th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
I saw the show on 3.25.2009 and it is definitely the worst show I have ever seen in my entire life. Everyone coming out of the theater was disappointed. The only part I enjoyed was the first 15 minutes with the clowns. Things went down hill as soon Criss entered the stage. This show has taught me an important lesson, always read reviews before purchasing anything.
Terrible, don’t waste your money. The people who said they liked the show had to be Criss’s family members or comatose during the performance.
March 19th, 2009 at 12:54 am
What’s with all the bad reviews? I saw it last night and I loved it! Criss is the best. Why does everyone have to cut someone down just because they can’t do what a talented person CAN? If you didn’t like it, then obviously you don’t understand art. And even if you just in general did not like it, everyone in the show, (criss, the dancers, the actors) worked really hard for their whole lives to do what they do in this show. LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!! I loved it Criss. And I love you. ♥
~ Loyal Lynn
March 10th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
I loved the show. Incorporating the theatrical aspect along with the magic worked together great!
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MINDFREAK A EDITED SHOW AND A LIVE SHOW.
For a live show, I loved it. I loved it. I loved it. I got a chance to meet him, we had third row seats and my family and I wore matching shirts. It was the best experience ever.
Its not a waste of money. Its not a waste of money. Its not a waste of money.
If you like plays, you will like this. I am in Theatre in High School and they didn’t break any theatrical mannerisms.
I liked the magic but some of it was predicatable. It doesn’t matter though! Its going to be.
Its not like its a stunt, its a put together show.
Grow up people and think about it!
Thanks (:
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:51 am
Criss!! Im a really a # 1 fan of you! your mindfreak show, really mind freaked me ! I’ve seen all cirque du solei in vegas for the past years, but when I went to your show I was totally 110% dissapointed. I actually planned this trip for months and when I saw it I couldnt resist the poor quality that I did walked out early along with a lot of people from the show that they were unsatisfied and demanding refund for their tickets, I know all new shows at the beginning it may have some difficulties to start but for example when I went to le reve they were open for only weeks and it was fantastic so I think Believe will need majors changes to survive. hopefully Ill this year and check if theres an improvement on the show so I can actually enjoy it. !! Good luck Criss !!
February 7th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
I used to like all his magic … But after the show all i can say is his the worsssssst magician and performer….. The worsssst!!!!!!!!!!
January 13th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Saw the show Jan.2,2009. I have had the great fortune to see all the Cirque shows in Vegas and the traveling tent performances they do. Cirque shows are the most spectacular performances that humans do. Criss Angel with Cirque was animault to both parties. Cirques reputation even in the smallest production are professional, costumes and makeup superior. Angel is the newest act on TV and worth tuning into. But the development team for these two parties must not be the top notch players from Cirque or from top management at Luxor. If Angel could just see that Vegas worshippers will spend huge $$$ on great shows… And the 10 year contract is nothing to Vegas… Criss … I know life is good now and you do not even see.. You are so cool people love you, people love Cirque, but you have failed me, failed the show business in Vegas ..why are you doing this to yourself , to the public? Gladyouhave Ms. Holly, but she’s madebefore you, leave her out of yourtalkwith the audience.. You standon you, not a ladywhose career is set. This show is the saddest show in Vegas. I saw the Rat Pack a few years back at a real second rate casino inVegas, before the Plaza signed them, and that show was such a class act…dollar for dollar justgo to a comedyclub. Sig/Roy, Lance, even the crazy girls are more entertaining… Please spend somemoney to enhance your stage presence, watch your on performamce…
For those who haven’t seen this, don’t go…
January 5th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Why did’nt I look for reviews before I bought these tickets?
On Friday January 2nd. me and my girl friend went to see this Show. I must tell you, I was so embarrassed about giving this show to her for Christmas. This show was so poorly put together, that it made Houdini flip in his Grave! The so-called Magic or illusions they call were totally obvious to the well trained 10yr old eye, who by the way, behind me said “the smoke covered what he did Mom, that’s no trick”. At this point i figured that perhaps that a drink or two to my date might compensate for the terrible half pinted tricks we have just witnessed. Unfortunately the mad cap adventures of cheap parlor tricks of Mr Angel just kept on rolling in. The Dancing was impressive however, but we already had tickets for the Cirque D.S so this was not in our Las Vegas agenda. The show will leave you very Dis-illusioned and will definitely leave you as a Believer as the show is Titled “Believe” Because at the end, you will believe “you got ripped off”. Save your money on this show and watch the Cirque D.S. which is fantastic, but if magic is your groove watch David Copperfield or someone as talented. The Criss Angel show will leave not only a bitter taste in your mouth but everyone around you at the show will remind you of that awful smell of rancid taste. If you don’t “Believe” me than perhaps you’ll believe the hords of couples who left during the show who were later spotted outside asking “were do we get a refund”.
January 3rd, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I love chris angel im a HUGE fan and admire his looks,talent,carisma and amazing street magic….i saw the show over new years and im SORRY chris you need to run….right out of your 10 year contract…GET OUT babe or youll be ruined…there is no way a ronchie amazing rebelious street magician like you is dancing with rabbits…..stick to the basics….sorry about my engllish in from uruguay….id still marry you though….your a hottie…..love and good luck…
December 27th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
All of you who state that this program was good or acceptable for the amount of money that you paid (free tickets excluded) should apologize to the rest of us who endured your comments and paid the 50 dollars to see that travesty. You lovers suck and so does that show!
December 17th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
The fact that the show is terrible is just that, fact. It’s not close minded or negative it’s just the feeling you get when you see it. Just terrible in every way. The fact that we had to pay to see it makes it even worse!!!
Fake magic is not entertainment on or off stage. It’s just more painful to watch on stage because you can’t change the channel.
CA is done.
December 16th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
I just saw this show this past weekend. I was expecting great magic and a fun, entertaining event. The act was so poor, I almost fell asleep. Very disappointed.
December 14th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
This show was terrible. Don’t waste your money
December 12th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Just the WORST NIGHTMERE! I want my MONEY BACK!! Just a cheap rabbit dance and I was expecting lot more. I saw many people leaving the theatre in the middle of the show, and I fell asleep!! What a drag! Chriss’s BIG EGO really stink all over. Unlike it’s nice title “BELIEVE”, it was filled with very dark and negative forces. TOTAL WASTE OF MY TIME AND MONEY!!
November 25th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
chris angel beleive was the worst show i have ever seen, chris should be ashamed of himself… it was my first time in vegas and my expectations were so high, i felt like a kid going to see santa clause and finding out he wasn’t real. if you are going to vegas and thinking about booking a show, DO NOT see this.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I went to the show on Nov 22 2008- my last night in Vegas wanting to make it memorable- I have to say that I was very disappointed that the show has barely and illusion tricks- It was mostly cirque du soleil acts and had I have known or researched that I could have out the money into my slots and have more fun. My husband and uncle fell asleep and people were walking out after 30 min thinking more excitement would happen and in the end disappointment. The TV Show is great and the illusions he has done with people on the street or at Luxor are great so maybe we were all expecting that in his live show!!! Bottom line is that it sucked. He stated that his contract was for 10 years at Luxor- Let’s just see if it lasts that long- even if it does the tickets sales will be disappointing!! Too bad as it could be so much better- save your money and go see Carrot Top! instead.
November 24th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I can believe that I had payed for the worst show of my life…It was my bdaaay!!!!!!!!!!!! So disapointed.
November 23rd, 2008 at 6:33 pm
We just saw the Criss Angel show last night. We loved it. It was definitaly not what I expected. But Criss kept saying in the previews to expect the unexpected. I know that people were expecting a “real” magic show. But this was really a Cirque Du Soleil show and they are for the most part a little funky,I’ve walked out on them before. But the story line and the concept of Believe was really good. WE enjoyed it and got to meet Criss Angel afterwards.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I went to see show on 11/17/08. It was a waste of $. I wished I seen the reviews on this before I went to see it. The applause alone showed how disappointed the people were. Well atleast I can say I seen Criss Angel. Sorry to say that I had more fun losing money on the slots. Now there is where I seen money disappear and reappear. Until finally Poof! its gone.
November 20th, 2008 at 2:17 am
Went to this show last night. HORRIBLE. Do not waste your money, at least 15 people walked out. The women in front of me fell asleep and was snoring. Angel was super cheesy.
The worst thing is that Criss things it’s great!
November 18th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Believe is the single worst show in the history of the world. The entire concept was stupid, the dancers must have been Cirque rejects as all they did is prance around in demonic rabbit outfits dancing like they were having muscle spasms. Angel’s magic tricks were so fake it was laughable from the visisble trap doors on the stage to the Criss Angel body doubles, to the visible wires on Criss and others, to the smoke effects that were supposed to conceal the various secrets behind the tricks. Not only was the magic completely amateurish, but Criss Angel was the worst host/star of any show ever. He has no stge presence and is so boring that several people around me fell asleep and by the end of the show, no one was even responding to him any more, no one clapped and people were leaving way before the show ended. When we finally got out of the theater the comments I heard were hilarious like “Chris Angel – Mind-Less” “Is there going to be a meet and beat after the show?” “The only magic he did was makiing my money disappear” “The magician at my 8th birthday party was better” To anyone who plans on seeing this waste of time, DON’T!!! Put your money in a slot machine instead, at least you can buy yourself a chance at happiness. Buying a ticket to this monstrosity will be a waste of 2 hours of your time. What were Cirque and the Luxor thinking when they gave this guy a venue to torment the show going public? Close this stinker down NOW so more people aren’t ripped off!!!
November 17th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Ive tried to tell everyone… Criss has gotten so used to using post production editing and stooges, that he’s lost touch with magic. He USED TO BE good. Now he’s just lost it. His camera crew and stooges do all the magic now. Im not shocked that he’s getting bad reviews. I expected it. His ego has taken over the part of his brain that produces talent.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:38 am
so I just saw the show, and it has been offocially open foe about 17 days and it is the worst thing in the world. Working at the Luxor I have heard a lot of people complain about the show, but I just didn’t think it would be that bad, And I didn’t even have to pay for it. After reading some of the reviews written earlier, apparently he brings out this home made banner In every show.? The whole thing is about him getting people to like him.. His illusions and trucks were ridiculous. Magicians are all fake obviously but at least some play mind games with yur brain. Beieve had fake written. All over it.. It’s easy to disappear or appear with a bunch of smoke hiding the trap doors and such. All of the tricks of course, are tricks we have seen many times before. The only cool thing was a girl crawling out of his body. He just.. Makes no sense. Everything was sofake it’s beyond belief. After a while I found myself looking The time. I couldn’t wait for the show to be over. The metal detector crap at the entrance.. Too much. After a while people just stopped clapping and responding to him. Such a let down. They built up the show so much but it does not live up to anybodys expectations.. At the end he gets all cheesy and talks about how anuthng is possible if you believe. Come on dude, people could hVe bought a fortune cookie foe 99 cents and it would have told them the same thing, and it would be more interesting. Also at one point he cracked a joke about carrot top, but carrot top will be kicking his butt I’m sure. I saw carrot top as well and could not stop laughing the entire show. If you are at the Luxor, please don’t waste your time. The reviews don’t lie. People left during the show, people fell asleep, and my friends and I ran out of the theater pretty much. We couldn’t wait to leave.
Don’t waste yourmoney, go see carrot top instead, it’s so much better!!!
November 16th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
What has Jack V have against Criss Angel, he was so rude and keep going on and on. If anybody is going to put me to sleep it is JACK V who commented nothing but negative things about Criss. He is just envy by the sounds of it !!! Please somebody take his comment off this site!!! JACK comment on Oct 20th and is very rude disgusting the way he talks about Criss.
November 16th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I have seen his show on Oct 7th 2008. I loved every bit of it and would see it again on my next Vegas trip. I have visited Vegas three times in which I always visit Criss’s two stores. I stay each time at the Luxor hotel (better chance of running into Criss ?) and always buy a Criss Angel shirt/etc., for me and bring something back for my niece and nephew who are also big fans of Criss Angel. I am hoping on my 4th trip I get to meet Criss in person and get a photo with him. That would be so great!!!
November 16th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Stop complaining people
You are all just envy of him. Winers!!
November 10th, 2008 at 8:08 am
We saw the show on Nov. 4. It was awful. In response to Derka,I have been to many Broadway shows in NYC and this show was terrible from any standpoint. The magic sucked (it was elementary at best) and there was no direction. We were extremely pissed by the end. We kept hoping that something would happen to make it interesting but that didn’t happen. Many people left before the show was even over.
November 7th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I took my daughter to see Believe on October 30th. We sat in the second row (referred to as the “first unobstructed row”) slightly off center as suggested by the staff.
I found it to be artistically excellent and technically very good. My daughter wanted Mindfreak, so it was a bit of an adjustment for her to come around to the concept of the show, but even at 14 she managed the leap. She still didn’t like it as much as Mindfreak, but she got it. Overall, I gave it an 8, she gave it a 6.
On a side note, he has a really nice family that seems very supportive of him and of his fans. We saw his mother only briefly, but spoke with his brother J.D. for probably 20 minutes during which time we went from rushing to get my daughter’s picture with him to just BSing. We met him first at the Believe store and he followed us to the Criss Angel store. Nice guy.
November 6th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
first of all, many fans of CA’s TV show were upset because “Believe” wasn’t as good as they were expecting. Well, a “Live” show and his “Edited” shows are 2 different things. Yes, he does look amaing on his Mindfreak specials, but it’s all about camera angels and creative editing. If you suck in real-life, there’s no way to hide it. “What you see is what you get!” And what we got was a dose of realism in the fact that CA is’nt made for a live show.
Similar to how a singer can sound great on a CD recording due to the reverb effects, EQ setting, not to mention how many takes it took. But if they were to sing LIVE….oh boy!….!!! This is the real Criss Angel without the help of TV trickery! Ain’t what he’s cracked up to be not is he?!
I now understand why 3 letters of the word BELIEVE on his poster really stand out. If you don’t know what I mean, look for yourself! It describes what the show really is…
on nov.2, melissa wrote: If I only had 2hrs to live, I would see this show. It’s so boring it will feel like an eternity
November 2nd, 2008 at 5:32 pm
The only way to fix this show is to burn it down with Criss in it. I would rather listen to the death rattle of my first born child then see this show again.If I only had 2hrs to live I would see this show. Its so boring it will feel like an eternity
November 2nd, 2008 at 12:39 pm
My husband and I went to see the show on October 28th. I expected much more of this show especially after seeing KA the night before. KA got a standing ovation from the entire audience where as Believe got people leaving in the middle of the show and needless to say no standing ovation. The only audience members who stood up at the end were his friends and family in the first two rows. Other people looked plaiend pissed and offended. Many were saying the show is a joke. The show would have been much better if there was an acutal story line, amazing magic and less camera work. All Criss’s tricks I have seen on his TV show, escaping from the straight jacket, being cut in half and waling down the wall. I wished we saw another Cirque du Soleil show instead of this one.
November 1st, 2008 at 7:37 pm
You guys are just jealous Criss Angel is and always be the best. If you don’t like him you defenelty won’t like David Blain.
October 30th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I too saw the show on 10/25. This show is RUBBISH!!!
How can Cirque even put their name on such a worthless show? I have seen every show they have put on in Vegas and this one is so bad i feel like i was robbed. They should do the Cirque name a favor and abandon ship now before they ruin their reputation.
The 4 clowns pre show were very good. I cannot name one good thing about the rest of the show.
I wrote to Cirque and this was their reply:
Thank you for you interest in Cirque du Soleil Matthew. We appreciate all comments and feedback and are forwarding them to the creative team. As with all of our Cirque du Soleil shows, CRISS ANGEL Believe is evolving into its own element. It is a process that Cirque du Soleil is working diligently on. My apologies if offense was taken.
OFFENSIVE there is the word I was looking for. Save your cash you will thank me later.
October 27th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
I saw the show on October 25th. I was warned it was bad but NEVER would I think it was this bad. It was so bad. So so bad. The worst show I have ever seen. I had to laugh because I could not “Believe” it. They state that “The show is a fantastic journey, an out of this world roller-coaster ride into the subconscious of a man with magical powers”. Magical?? There was very little magic, he made a few birds appear – WOW! And he was cut in half – AMAZING. What type of journey are they referring to? From where I was sitting I saw a few folks making a journey out of there before the show was even half over. This show was all bout his ego. Criss tries to act and falls flat. It was so very bad I don’t know how they can recover. At the end Criss gives a speech about how you can work hard and “Believe” in yourself and you too could have a show in Vegas….Please, we all paid to see a show. Not Criss stroking his ego. MY GOD, had he really had this dream for 15 years? That’s sad…
I was tempted to demand my money back but it was not the money I was upset about, it was my time. That can never be recovered.
This show proves a few things: Criss Angel needs to fire everyone around him telling him how great he is – this show will ruin his career. WHO bombs this bad in VEGAS?? AND if your a magician, stick to what your good at.
October 27th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
We just saw the show oct24th. IT SUCKED ! We were 7 rows back and I nodded off twice. From point one..him being electrocuted to quick changing clothes. Stupid,stupid,stupid. You could see the wires when he walked down the backdrop.You could see him crwal through the trapdoor in the floor, the others on stage unhooking him from rigging. His narration was so retarded. His magic…three doves out of his sleeves ! Woo! His only real magic was making my money disappear ! When mind freak comes on ..I’ll be turning the channel. He sucks !
October 24th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Saw the show on Oct. 14. It was a disaster. I could not believe that Cirque would allow the show to go on. It was amaturish to say the least. Many people were asking for there money back. I just chalked it up to being fooled into believing what I saw on TV was true. He must of used trick photography to do the illusions on TV. There were none like them in this show. If you never saw magic before you might like this show.
October 24th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I saw the Criss Angel Believe show on 10/21 and it was the worst show that I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe that I wasted over $200 for this garbage. To be honest Criss wasn’t even a lot of the show. There was a lot of silliness and a lot dancing very little magic and very little Criss. I wish I would have read reviews BEFORE spending money on this disaster.
October 24th, 2008 at 9:02 am
I saw Criss back in the day when he wasnt too famous and was in NY. His “magic”/illusions were amazing! He was fantastic!
He doesnt need cameras for that,really. I was a participant in his show and saw first hand how good he is. It is a shame he got so big and sold out to the Vegas crap show. He could have had a fantastic show with just himself-REALLY!
Criss go back to your roots….the creepy gothic freaky mindfreak! That was the Criss that amazed!
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:08 am
we saw the show tues. 10/22. it wasn’t bad. it was horrific. if they work real hard between now and the official opening it may improve enough to be just “bad”.
i am a big fan of cirque.
i am a big fan or criss angel’s.
but cirque and criss go together like oil and vinegar. there’s no hope for this combination.
please listen to me producers. no one goes to see criss angel to see him dance or sing. no one goes to see criss angel and wants to see rabbits dancing on stage instead. no one goes to see criss angel and wants to see 2 or 3 disappointing illusions during almost 2 hours of pain. no one goes to see criss angel to see him pull birds out of his sleeve.
my favorite part of the show was the end. my only regret was that i was not on serious illicit drugs…perhaps then the surreal story line would have made some sense.
omg. who thought this thing up? other than a barium enema this show was the worst experience of my life.
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:35 am
My husband and I were in Las Vegas for the first time. I wanted to see Criss Angel because I like his A&E show and I expected great and amazing things from “Believe”. My husband did not like the show at all. Me, well, to sum it up, I loved the show minus Criss Angel. I LOVED the theatre (just gorgeous and the most beautiful theatre I’ve ever seen), very comfortable seats, amazing set designs, back drops and costumes and the dancing was fantastic. The music – fantastic too but there were some dry spells in the show and Criss Angel was awful. He didn’t bring anything at all to the show. Common Criss, let go of your growing ego and listen to the public! I thought it might be just us but after the show, I asked other people their oppinions – no one liked it. It has potential I think.
October 21st, 2008 at 6:31 pm
I saw the show last night and I have never seen something like it before. The show was completely awful. Cirque should be embarrased to be associated with such a disaster of a production. Even Luxor should do better than this.
October 20th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Criss Angel’s Believe is quite simply the single worst thing ever committed to the stage under the banner of a “professional” theatrical production. In fact, I have seen dozens of amateur productions that are exponentially better than the atrocity unfolding on stage nightly at the Luxor. I have been in the entertainment business for more than 20 years, and in that time I have been employed to sit through hundreds of preview performances, so that I could later give notes to the director, which he or she would then consider in getting the show ready for a hard opening. I have also worked on the production of several very large and complex magic shows. After watching Believe, I sadly concluded that there was no simple way to salvage this awful show. All I could think is that they should keep the set, the costumes and the choreography and start from scratch. If Cirque and the Luxor aren’t deluding themselves (and I know that they’re not – Cirque is very worried about how this show will affect their reputation) they will close down the show, give it a complete overhaul, and reschedule the opening for some time in the first quarter of next year.
The show has many flaws, but the two most unforgiving flaws are its star and the magic (what little there is) that he performs. Criss Angel is a mega-reality TV star; reality TV is his domain, and he dominates it well. Criss has never had experience performing in a professional, first-class theatrical setting (and don’t point to his show in the WWF theater in NY – I saw it several times, and while it was decent, it was small, and by no means could it be considered a “professional” theatrical endeavor), as a result, the “star” of this show sticks out like a sore thumb when it comes to stage presence, movement, and just the basic ability to look like a professional performer. Unfortunately, all of the reality TV fame in the world won’t automatically result in the ability to grace a stage in the manner needed to come off as a professional stage entertainer. Criss needs to spend months in daily, intensive training with theater professionals, who can teach him how to stand, move and talk like a professional entertainer. The Cirque elements of the show are of the highest professional caliber, which only contributes to just how amateurish Criss comes across as a performer.
We could forgive Criss’s lack of professionalism, if the magic were stunning. But it’s not. In fact, it is some of the most poorly conceived and uninspired magic I have ever seen. This is Criss’s fault. First, he painted himself into a corner with his TV show. Anyone with even a modest understanding of magic realizes that Criss can’t do in public what he does on TV. Criss uses the camera in a masterful way to assist him in the illusions he performs, but without the audiences point of view being limited by the camera, Criss simply can’t do live on stage the things he does on TV (he can do things similar to what he does on TV, but they will look less miraculous than what he does on TV). That being said, there is a world of incredible magic and illusions out there and dozens of professional magic consultants that could breathe life into this pitiful show, but Criss has not availed himself of them. Why has he not? For one, he has begun to believe his own press. Second, he refuses to pay for it (Criss is notoriously frugal when it comes to this stuff – the classic case of penny wise, pound foolish). Third, the few professionals he did contact to help him with the magic in the show were asked to sign ridiculous secrecy agreements that would prevent them from ever again using principles of magic that are hundreds of years old, if they worked with Criss on Believe. (And no, I have no personal axe to grind, I never was, and never wanted to be, involved with this show – but the magic community is a very small world, and I saw this silly agreement myself).
From a financial point of view, Believe is not likely to just close and go away. With the amount of money invested in the show to this point, it makes more sense to invest some more, fix it, and run it long enough to recoup the investment. The only trick will be getting this done in a manner that doesn’t kill Cirque’s, Criss’s and the Luxor’s reputation.
If you have tickets to the show, get a refund. If you’ve been a victim of this show, demand your money back. Letting the show open – even in previews – was, in my view, a negligent act by Cirque and the Luxor, and they should not be allowed to profit from their own negligence (I understand that the Luxor has given refunds to angry patrons). If you want to go see a good Cirque or Cirque-like show, go see Love, Le Reve or Zumanity. If you want to go see a good magic show, go see Lance Burton, Nathan Burton or Jeff McBride at Palace Station. Don’t spend your hard earned money on Believe, until Criss, Cirque and the Luxor show their fans and patrons the respect they deserve and reconstruct this theatrical atrocity from the top down.
October 20th, 2008 at 8:04 am
We saw the Chris Angel “Believe” show, on October 17th, 2008, and we feel ‘ripped off’. We bought our tickets ($165.00 each) thinking, and were never told anything different, that we were going to see a show like the one he does on tv. Full of illusions, and magic! If we had had ANY idea his show was more of a “Production Show”, we’d have never gone. There are enough Production shows in Vegas already. I sure wish I knew WHO to complain to, to get at least a partial refund for what we consider a second rate show. Yes the costumes were great and so was the singing and dancing, but as I said, we didn’t buy our tickets with the intention of seeing that kind of show. We wanted to see Chris Angel’s Illusions. He did do a couple of very common magic tricks, (pulling doves out of a hankie, and sawing himself in half) but those aren’t his “typical” illusions. We were expecting some of what we’ve seen on tv.
And those silly men he had working the audience before the show, were nothing better than any 5th grader could do. We expected they were there just to warm the audience up, but not so. They were part of Chris’ entire show, and they were just plain stupid!
Save your money, and don’t waste it on this show.
October 18th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
I saw “believe” on october 14th. I knew ahead that the show is a trip into the head of the mindfreak himself- kind of like a weird dream with extremes of darkness and a romantic storyline combined. the cirque costumes were exquisite and the dancing excellent but the routines went on twice as long as was necessary making the whole audience squirm in their seats. When criss gets to the illusions they are very good but too few and too far apart. No one knew when to applaud because we couldn’t tell when the scene was over. I know its a work in progress but there might be a bit too many types of media(puppetry, dancing, cirque style hanging rope tricks, criss interacting with the video screen) for the audience to know what they are looking at. Plus the ushers who were supposed to entertain us while we waited for the show to start were fine for a few minutes but after 25minutes it wasnt funny anymore. Still enjoyed seeing it and would love to see it again after they have tweaked to be sleeker and faster paced! they should have had a suggestion form for the audience to fill out. Beware they make u leave ur camera outside and it took forever standing in line to get it back while very rude ushers literally slam the doors in the faces of the family members who were waiting for loved ones in the line! loved criss and felt bad for him but thats vegas!!
October 18th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Im going to the show oct 19th . I going with an open mind, Im going to a show to be entertained. Plus it’s my birthday the 21st. To all the negative sub humans, please stay home with your sad pathetic lives. Let the rest of us enjoy life.
The world is just a stage!
sincerely,
Nick
October 13th, 2008 at 11:14 am
To RANDY…LOL! To AMANDA… It’s every female’s defense to say that a man is jealous and wants to be the man they dislike. This is not true in my case. I am a very successful magician/illusionist. No, I dont make millions like criss, but i do well. I have a very beautiful fiance. So having money and women isnt an issue with me. I used to really admire Criss, and I give him alot of credit for keeping magic Mainstream. The reason I, as well as most magicians, dislike him is because of his ego. He has become so arrogant that it has over-shadowed his real talent. He doesnt even hardly do magic anymore. His production and editing team does. He tosses out challenges, but never accepts any. He tries to humiliate anyone who may be better than him in a certain area of magic. But gets offended and pitches a tantrum if someone calls him out on something. He has alot of money, cars, and women. Ok, good…but who cares? Guys want to see magic. We dont watch him because he’s goodlooking or sexy… Im not jealous in that area either. Ill admit, Criss is a nice looking guy… but again, I dont care about that. I want to see Criss get back to the Criss magicians loved ad respected. So the reason why most guys will point out women are the ones taking up for him is simply because it’s the truth. Mostly women, and a few young guys. I mean come on..let’s be honest…if he was overweight and ugly, 90% of the women wouldnt even care about him or his show. So before you ladies start cursing me out..remember…I used to like Criss, but somewhere around Mindfreak season 2, his ego just became more than I could bare.
October 9th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
I attended the September 30th and October 3rd Believe performances. Going twice was planned in advance. I knew there would be a lot to take in, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I’m not sorry I went to either show.
So far the only article I have read that gives an accurate depiction of what Believe and Criss Angel are about is the article by Matthew Cope in M Magazine entitled, “Do You Believe?”. I think any reviews made by those who haven’t seen the show and are only reporting on the hearsay of a few people should be ignored completely. I don’t understand the harsh criticisms that I have read in recent days as the shows are previews and not yet finished. In fairness to the performers and other personnel staging the show, they haven’t gotten to rehearse in the actual theater for very long due to recent changes to the fire codes and having to rebuild parts of the theater. I saw with my own eyes in August that construction was still ongoing. When I went to the show on the 30th, I saw a small illusion that didn’t work at all. It didn’t bother me. I didn’t expect the show to be perfect at this point. By the 3rd, that illusion worked perfectly. I also saw at least two other elements that were improved upon as well in the second show. Rest assured that Criss Angel is a perfectionist, and he will make sure everything is perfect for the gala opening on Halloween. Judgements, especially for the technical aspects of the show, should be reserved until that time.
I have also read comments, not first hand ones, about how displeased Felix Rappaport, president of the Luxor, must be about the show. I can tell you first hand that this is not true. I spoke to Mr. Rappaport after Friday’s performance, and I am not exaggerating when I say that he was beaming. He was delighted with the show and said he had gone to every performance so far. He was especially impressed by the music that evening. To me the music is very powerful and often haunting. Nitza has a beautiful voice and is a lovely lady. I met her as well.
When you go to Believe, you should allow yourself to feel it and take in the experience as a whole. You shouldn’t go in with the attitude that you’re going to pick it apart and try to figure out how the illusions are done. You won’t enjoy it if you’re not paying attention to the story. You also won’t enjoy it if you’re expecting it to be another episode of Mindfreak or another Cirque show. It’s something new. It’s an artfully done, theatrical production which uses illusions to help illustrate parts of the storyline. It’s similar to Alice in Wonderland or Criss’ favorite movie, the Wizard of Oz. It’s about a magician who gets hurt while performing on stage and while hanging between life and death has fantastical dreams or hallucinations of finding love, reaching for it and not getting it, getting it, and having it ripped away by death.
Seeing Believe for the first time for me was a treat for the senses. There is so much that is visually stunning; the sweeping red velvet curtain framed in gold with rabbits pulling Criss’ head out of a hat, the flower Kayala hangs from among the red poppies and black sky, her enormous wedding dress that fills the entire stage with the train raised to the ceiling so Criss can walk down it. All of the costumes are very creative and a feast for the eyes. The most stunning visual of the show for me though was Criss weeping over Kayala’s lifeless body in the mist, carrying her through the rain that fell inside a picture frame, releasing her to the heavens, then levitating with her for one last goodbye. I thought of Criss’ father who died in his arms and loved ones I had lost. It was so moving and beautiful that I wept.
When the ushers were performing, I laughed until my face hurt from smiling so much. They are not “clowns” exactly as some people have said, but they do act like clowns at times. Many people don’t seem to understand their part in the show. In my opinion, they are there to entertain the audience until the show starts, make fun of the hokey style magic that is often presented to the public which Criss hates, aid Criss in his illusions, and provide some comic relief so the show isn’t too dark.
I am looking forward to seeing the show again after the additional illusions are added and everything is fine tuned. I hope everyone will remember that what we are getting now is a “behind the scenes” look of sorts at the creative process, not a finished product. There are a lot of people working very hard to make the show a success, and they need our support and constructive feedback in order to achieve their goals and put out a show that everyone will enjoy.
October 6th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Ok enough with the Negativity..The Believe show was amazing, and being a woman has nothing to do with it..You have to go into the show with an open mind and realize it is not your normal show of magic and illusion, it has a very emotional story line of Love and Evil. If your thinking its like Mindfreak then your completely wrong..Yes Criss may have done some things in the past that were questionable but EVERYONE makes mistakes..forget the past and move on…BELIEVE is an amazing artist work of art!!!!
October 6th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Is that an issue Randy that we’re women? I mean atleast he has some. Maybe you’re lacking and just jealous??? we’re fans yes but being a woman has NOTHING to do with that and I resent you for saying that. Man or woman it doesn’t matter. Everyone is gonna have a different oppinion of the show and we’re just trying to make a point that those people who are bad mouthing a show in it’s BEGINNING stages is rediculous and stupid.
I find it real funny that men wish they could be him and yet they wont admit it. LOL
October 6th, 2008 at 11:42 am
I love how all the pro Angel reviews are from women.
Tells you all you need to know, really.
October 6th, 2008 at 7:17 am
I firmly believe that this show has great potential. Of course it’s not perfected yet….something this complex takes time to evolve. If you don’t want to see imperfections, you shouldn’t buy tickets to preview shows. There are a lot of technical issues that need to be worked on, but once that is done, it’s my opinion that the show will be a roaring success. I plan to see the show at least once a month for the first year. I am looking forward to being witness to the evolution of a project that is like no other.
Some have complained that they couldn’t follow the story line. This I can understand because the story is about Criss, his life experiences & his emotions. I suspect that one would have to know Criss & his personal history to get the full impact of the story line. They may want to work on that aspect of the show in order to satisfy a broader audience. It needs to be done so that even those who have never heard of Criss Angel can follow & enjoy the story. Even then, I think, everyone will have their own, personal interpretation of the story. It’s like an intense fairy tale combined with a complex ballet production….where no two people will see it the same or feel it the same. That’s the best I can describe it….and it’s not just because I’m an Angel fan, either. Criss was ok individually….but the intensity of the show is a result of the whole emotionally-charged production and the ability of the players to draw you into their world, into their minds. But you have to be open to it….you have to be willing to give up your own world for a while and just let yourself go….allow yourself to FEEL. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough people who are comfortable enough & secure enough in their own skin to be able to let down that wall of false security & feel the raw emotion of the moment. I pity those who are afraid to let themselves feel. They are missing out on the true beauty of life.
October 6th, 2008 at 1:16 am
I saw Believe on tues 9/30/08 and I loved it. Granted the performance wasn’t flawless but that IS what a soft opening is isn’t it? Sounds to me that we have a lot of closed minded stupid people who can’t get their brains straight on the fact that this IS NOT MINDFREAK it is CIRQUE. Criss was great on stage and I’d pay to see it over and over again. With each performance it’s getting better and better so no doubt that by the time of the gala premiere it’ll be THE BEST show on the vegas strip and a HUGE success. So to all the haters keep in mind….who’s making $200 million plus dollars. HMMMM sounds me me he IS doing something right.
Going into the show you need an open mind and willing to accept the fact that you’re taken on a beautiful journey through a place where others were afraid to even touch on and criss is bringing that to life. Although I know he wont read this…GOOD JOB CRISS, EFF ALL THOSE EFFING EFFERS AND CONTINUE DOING WHAT YOU DO BEST AND THAT’S BUGGING PEOPLE OUT WITH YOUR TREMENDOUS TALLENT AND IMAGINATION!!!
xoxo,
Panda
October 5th, 2008 at 12:55 am
‘Believe’ is amazing. Our group loved it! Criss is astounding, cool, powerful and mysterious. This theatrical concept is so new and refreshing, beautifully performed – the illusions are breathtaking and illustrate how magic is an interaction of all natural and supernatural events. Most of the negative comments are of course from men – I suspect jealousy as Criss has a devout following of Loyals and he’s brilliant. Maybe guys out there should try to learn something from Criss!
October 4th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Im glad to see that Criss is back on stage in some form. It’s no secret I despise the guy’s attitude and new found personality, so Im glad he’s getting bad reviews…maybe it’ll humble the guy and he’ll get back to the Criss that everyone had respect for…doubt it, but maybe.
October 4th, 2008 at 12:14 am
Fixed.
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Chris Angel has been acting like a jerk to everyone in Las Vegas, His bad reviews are well deserved.
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:05 pm
yeah people expect a whole lot of “magic” from people who aren’t supposed to be doing any magic or “illusions” people are dumb. they go to be entertained so go be entertained. Not to criticize! Oh and “responding” is misspelled by the way