“Would you believe nine Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas by 2010?”
That’s how one of Fascination’s by-lines read on July 6, 2006, as the unofficial Cirque du Soleil newsletter highlighted a story, published by the Las Vegas Sun, which reviewed potential plans for the expansion of Cirque du Soleil’s empire in Las Vegas following MGM/Mirage’s purchase of Mandalay Resorts International. The purchase brought, amongst other properties, the Excalibur, the Luxor and Mandalay Bay into the MGM/Mirage Resorts fold.
As reported by Las Vegas freelance journalist and podcast host Steve Friess (at www.thestrippodcast.com), reliable chatter at the time was that there were preliminary plans for nine Cirque productions on the Strip by the end of the decade, including a new Luxor show, an Elvis-themed production at MGM Mirage’s Project CityCenter, a production to replace “Mamma Mia!” once it plays out at Mandalay Bay, and show No. 9 at an unspecified hotel – possibly a children’s show at Excalibur to counter the adult-themed “Zumanity.”
In response to inquiries about a permanent production show at the Luxor Theater, MGM Mirage spokeswoman Jenn Michaels said, “We’ve been looking at a number of options for the former ‘Hairspray’ theater; we are close to signing a deal and will make an announcement as soon as we are able to do so.” Michaels added that MGM Mirage didn’t have anything to announce regarding headliners and that plans for the Luxor’s entertainment program still needed to be firmed up.
But it was the first time the possibility that Cirque du Soleil would inhabit a theater at the Luxor had been mentioned.
MINDFREAKED
By the mid-2000s, the ever-increasing Cirque du Soleil empire constantly looked at ways to expand their horizons and do for other entertainment mediums what they did with circus: reinvent it. This line of thinking led to many projects – from hotels and entertainment complexes to creating arena concerts, musical revues and resurrecting vaudeville, but one of the oft-thought areas of amusement that the company considered was the re-invention of the magic show. Like the circus, magic is a source of wonder, amazement and the unexpected – ripe for a Cirque du Soleil makeover. But however hard and deep Cirque researched and developed their concept they either decided they couldn’t do it, or understood that magic was a personality-driven medium (think Penn & Teller, David Copperfield and Siegfried & Roy) and the project dropped. But when illusionist Criss Angel’s star began to rise as his show Mindfreak became increasingly popular, all parties involved began to talk giving birth to what would ultimately become CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL.
Questions regarding the necessity of having yet another magic show on the Strip, even if produced by Cirque du Soleil, and just who the magician would be began almost immediately. Criss Angel’s name – the star of A&E’s magic series Mindfreak – was immediately rumored. But who was this Criss Angel? In brief…
Criss Angel had one of the highest advance tickets sales of off-Broadway productions during his fourteen month 600 performance run of “Criss Angel MINDFREAK” which he created, produced, directed and starred in. Criss Angel MINDFREAK (the television show) was at the time scheduled to film its 70th episode in its third season shot exclusively at The Luxor. Publishing house Harper Collins was releasing Criss’ highly anticipated first book, Criss Angel MINDFREAK: Secret Revelations in April 2007. Criss had also been named 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 Magician of the Year (by The Academy of Magical Arts), making him the first five-time and back-to-back recipient ever to be awarded these most prestigious accolade. Criss was also unanimously selected as the recipient of the 22nd Louie Award for outstanding achievement in the art of magic. Recently, Criss had also added acting to his resume, guest starring in an episode of “CSI:NY”.
But internally, Cirque du Soleil already knew who Criss Angel was; they’d already begun developing a magic-based concept with MGM-Mirage by August 2006 with François Macerola, named Executive Producer, Guy Caron as Creative Director and Nancy Malette, as Production Manager.
By that December most of the creative team had come together, running a few technical and dance workshops (December 1st, 2nd, and 4th) to get the creative juices flowing. On December 6, 2006, Serge Denoncourt (Director), Guy Caron (Director of Creation) and Criss Angel met with Guy Laliberté to present the show’s concept. And what a concept: it was the first time the entire production process would take place in Las Vegas, it was Cirque’s first magic-based show, and it was the first Cirque show with a celebrity starring in the lead role. Although the show concept was approved one director would not go forward with the project: Guy Caron. After a period of prolonged reflection, Guy Caron decided to withdraw from Luxor 2008 concentrate on the development of new Creative Content projects. (Did he perceive just how challenging a magic show with Angel would be?) Pierre Phaneuf, an Assistant to the Vice-President of Creative Content and New Project Development, would take over the position (and see the project to its conclusion).
By mid-March 2007 a detailed design of the set, stage and all its elements were due, and Eiko Ishioka was scheduled to present preliminary costume designs (she would later be replaced by Mérédith Caron). In April construction bids on the theater renovation were due and demolition of the old fixtures set to begin. And by May the illusions workshops would begin.
And the wheels kept turning…
Then according to Vegas Pop’s Luxe Life column by Robin Leach, Cirque du Soleil was on the verge of making an announcement about the oft-rumored Criss Angel “magic show” sometime around March 15, 2007:
- “It’s now official that Cirque du Soleil will present ‘Mindfreak’ magician Criss Angel in a $100-million+ magic spectacular as first reported in LUXE LIFE. The news is imminent and a countdown of just four days has begun. LUXE LIFE has learned that invitations will be issued to TV crews and journalists within 24 hours to meet at the Luxor on Thursday, Mar. 15 at 2PM for the actual announcement with Cirque executives from Montreal and Luxor president, Felix Rappaport, along with other MGM officials also in attendance.”
March 15th came and went without any announcement; Luxe Life reported that the conference had only been postponed.
But on March 22, 2007, Cirque du Soleil and MGM/Mirage announced their next co-production: Cirque Luxor (not the official name,) featuring the magical talents of Criss Angel. An article in Variety noted a few facts about the announcement at the time: “The production purportedly will cost $65 million USD. The amount covers the cost of theater renovations and creation expenses. It will be the sixth permanent Cirque show on the Las Vegas Strip (Cirque Elvis 2009 will be the seventh.) It is the first time Cirque will feature a star performer. From the announcement:
- Always on the lookout for the next artistic challenge, Cirque du Soleil is working with Criss to fuse his revolutionary illusions and mind-blowing artistry with acrobatics, dance, puppetry, music and poetry to tell a story, taking audiences on a bizarre and fascinating journey.
Re-inventing the traditional magic show has been a long-standing desire of Guy Laliberté, Guide and Founder of Cirque du Soleil. Five years of extensive research and development were spent exploring the world of magic and how to re-define the experience.
The crucial element, a young, edgy and talented artist and mystifier, was found in Criss Angel. With his incredibly unique creativity, Criss is now working with the experienced team of Cirque du Soleil creators led by Director Serge Denoncourt to bring this dream to life.
“I wanted to distance myself from the swimsuit-clad babes and cheapo variety acts, and do a more theatrical magic show, with emotion. Something that would reflect the aesthetic of the Italian theatre,” said Denoncourt. The director considers illusionist Criss Angel currently the best in his field, a genre that has seen nothing new since David Copperfield in the ’80s. “But if we hadn’t hit it off so well, we wouldn’t work together. We’re both really happy. We don’t want a show that’s too clean, too rigid, too cute. We want to be a little more provocative,” acknowledges the director. “Because I love magic, because I love Criss, and because I love Cirque du Soleil, we will bring to Vegas a different magic show. And I say it’s about time!”
Since he was six years old, Criss Angel has immersed himself in a multitude of art forms, from performance artist to mystifier and provocateur. Since then, a relentless work ethic combined with talent, skill and vision has made Criss one of the most provocative artists of our day. From creator, producer and performer in his television series, specials and live shows, Criss has redefined the term “artist” for the 21st Century.
“When I first met Guy Laliberté, I said, ‘Guy, you reinvented the circus and the poetry you create is unlike anything the world has ever seen. Imagine if we could reinvent magic like you reinvented the circus.’ That is my dream, that is my quest, and that is exactly what we are going to do when we open up this show.”
“I’ve spent 15 years creating and evolving a concept that the world of entertainment has never seen,” said Criss Angel. “Now, I’m thrilled to be working with Cirque du Soleil and Felix Rappaport and his amazing team here at the Luxor to create an experience that goes beyond even my wildest expectations. I am confident that this collaboration will culminate in what is destined to become one of the most exciting shows Las Vegas has ever seen and redefine magic in the same way Cirque du Soleil has redefined the circus.”
Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, said, “This production represents a new, distinctive type of creation for Cirque du Soleil. We believe there is a market for an unconventional magic show with production values audiences have come to expect from Cirque du Soleil.”
Gilles Ste-Croix, Senior Vice President of Creative Content at Cirque du Soleil said ” Cirque du Soleil has always worked with an acrobatic foundation for each of our shows; with The Beatles LOVE we were privileged enough to have The Beatles music as our center; with this project – magic will be at the core. We are excited to combine our years of research and creative expertise in the areas of staging, lighting, sound design, projections, costume and make-up design with Criss Angel’s one of a kind experience as a creator and performer of illusion, special effects and magic.”
Felix Rappaport, President and COO of Luxor Resort and Casino, said,” This partnership represents a new era for Luxor. Cirque du Soleil and Criss Angel will bring a distinctive element to the property. We are thrilled Luxor is the place their creativity will come together.”
CRACKS IN THE MIRROR?
“Cirque du Soleil has taken out a huge insurance policy to cover its first headliner, illusionist Criss Angel. Vegas Confidential has also learned that Cirque is working on a Plan B in the event that the ‘Mindfreak’ star is not able to carry out his commitment to do 4,000 performances in the $100 million production at Luxor over the next 10 years. The show is to open in late July.”
The blurb above, from Norm Clark of the Las Vegas Review-Journal in early 2008, raised a lot of eyebrows. It would be the first indication that all was not well with the partnership even in this early stage, although nobody understood that fully at the time. Indeed, many long-time Vegas entertainment journalists began to ask: how much Cirque is too much? Mike Weatherford of the Review-Journal posed that very question in an article for his paper. Indeed fans and followers of Cirque have been asking that very question since Zumanity premiered in 2003. Renewed concern came in part from the 20% stake in Cirque du Soleil that Nakheel and Istithmar World of Dubai purchased on August 6th:
- The Dubai money should aid the “acceleration of our development,” Cirque’s president, Daniel Lamarre, noted. […] But each time Cirque opens a show on the Strip, there is a renewed gap between the company’s ambitious plans and the skeptical local reaction. Talk to Cirque, and you hear something like this: “Give me as many venues as you have, and I’ll find the right creators,” Lamarre says. “When I walk into our creative center in Montreal, there are more ideas than there are theaters available to us.” Talk to Las Vegas locals and others in the show community, and you hear something like this: “The Cirque shows are wonderful, but enough already. Isn’t there anything else out there?”
The reason for the insurance policy became clear when it was announced that on Wednesday, July 30th 2008, Criss Angel would attempt to escape from the Spyglass Hotel in Clearwater Beach, Florida before it imploded – all on live television: “There’s 550 sticks of dynamite that will be below my feet, there’s a helicopter that needs to hover 30 feet above the roof. If I don’t make it through the handcuffs, five locks and four doors in no more than three minutes and 30 seconds – if I’m one second late, that helicopter needs to leave without me. Who knows, I could trip, I could have trouble picking a lock.”
And how happy was Cirque with this stunt? “Cirque is not very happy about my decision to do this because they have a lot of money invested in me and in the show. They would prefer that I don’t do it. Whether I kill myself or twist my ankle, it would still have a detrimental effect — obviously one more than another — on us opening. And there’s a lot of money that ticks away every day that show’s not open and we’re not ready to roll. So they don’t want me to do it. They’re not happy with this decision.”
Angel did attempt the stunt, and survived of course, crawling away from the wrecked building after seemingly missing his helicopter getaway. (It was also one of the lamest “escape” attempts we’ve ever seen. No attempt was even made to suggest some sort of “magic” was involved…)
beLIEve
A year after rumors of discord between Cirque and its new star personality began circulating (they really didn’t want him doing the implosion stunt) the name of the new show was announced by Cirque (on April 17, 2008) – BELIEVE – and we got our first glimpse of its presentation:
On his death bed, legendary magician and escape artist, Harry Houdini told his wife the following; “After my death, many people will claim that they are still able to communicate with me. If their claims are valid, they will be able to tell you a code word – that word is BELIEVE.”
CRISS ANGEL Believe, from Cirque du Soleil is a haunting exploration deep inside the inventive mind of mystifier Criss Angel as he hovers between the land of the living and a surreal world uniquely woven together by the distinctive imaginations of Criss Angel and Cirque du Soleil seen exclusively at Luxor Las Vegas.
Unlike traditional magic-themed shows, CRISS ANGEL Believe transcends any preconceived notion of what it means to be emotionally engaged by the arts of mysticism and illusion. A fantasy, an allegory, a highly theatrical tableau of mood, reverie and emotion set against a backdrop of dreamlike darkness and light.
Criss Angel stars as a surreal, enigmatic Victorian Noble. Along a path of imaginative exploration, he encounters Kayala and Crimson, two women who represent different aspects of femininity. Along his path he also discovers four comical Ushers who introduce the audience to the baroque theater of Criss’ mind. Also part of the production is an intense troupe of characters and dancers who mix a multitude of styles into a high-energy visual feast, punctuated by moments of grace and sensuality.
The stunning illusions in CRISS ANGEL Believe are not presented as standalone elements, but as interdependent components using heightened imagery, fantastical creatures and impossible feats of legerdemain, all of which are integrated into the dazzling, colorful fabric of the story.
Criss Angel BELIEVE was slated to celebrate its gala premiere on October 31, 2008, chosen because every Halloween for 10 years following Harry Houdini’s death, his wife held a vigil to test the legitimacy of people who claimed to be able to communicate with Houdini. To claim success they needed to say the code word – BELIEVE.
But would fans of Criss Angel be able to hold a vigil for him on Halloween?
THE CURLY SHUFFLE
Just weeks after Cirque du Soleil and MGM/Mirage made the official announcement about BELIEVE, its thematic content, and when the show was slated to premiere, rumors began circulating that the show would have to be delayed for “unforeseen circumstances”. By June 30, 2008 some truth to those rumors became known: Cirque du Soleil announced that the debut of “Criss Angel Believe” would be pushed back two weeks. Ticketed previews that were to begin on Sept. 1 would begin Sept. 12. The private party to mark the “official” debut had been pushed from Sept. 12 to Oct. 9. Spokeswoman Anita Nelving said technical delays made the cast about five weeks late moving from an off-strip warehouse into the custom theater at the Luxor.
The move affected 14 shows that already were on sale but they would not be the first.
On September 8, 2008, Mike Weatherford in the Review-Journal had some interesting things to say about the cause of the latest delay for the Criss Angel show:
With [KA and LOVE], the main goal of previews was to make tweaks or changes based partly on audience reaction, Cirque spokeswoman Anita Nelving explains. If automated props or sets broke down in the course of things, everyone took it in stride. This time illusions are involved and “there are elements that can’t be worked out during previews,” she says. If a technical gaffe exposes how a trick is done, that’s a real problem. “This is the first time we’ve created a show of illusion, and we underestimated the amount of time we needed.” On the other hand, a member of the show’s production staff reports (through a third party) that “Believe” is “just out and out boring,” and that the illusions are more of the close-up variety that don’t hold up in a large theater.
Then the show was delayed yet again. On September 17, 2008, just mere days before the show was set to begin its original set of preview performances, came official word of yet another delay. The $100-million showcase would now publically debut at the Luxor on October 31st according to the Review-Journal with a gala premiere to happen sometime after…
“I can’t imagine a more fitting night all year for Criss than Halloween, the night that marks the 82nd anniversary of the death of his and the show’s inspiration, Harry Houdini,” Angel’s publicist, Steve Flynn, said. “Believe” originally was scheduled to open publicly on Sept. 12.
Publicists for Angel and Cirque say the magician and show’s director, Serge Denoncourt, insist every aspect of the technical show, which includes illusions, acrobatics and pyrotechnics, be perfect before it opens, and more time was needed.
The latest decision to delay the premiere was announced Saturday after more than 400 Cirque employees and artists took in a performance Friday. The creative team met afterward and it was then decided to move the premiere to Oct. 31 and restore the preview period to its original time-frame.
Organizers first delayed the premiere in late June because of apparent technical difficulties. The premiere was then rescheduled for Oct. 10. Further “enormous complexities” were cited on Sept. 2 as the schedule for preview performances was pushed back a second time. While the change didn’t affect the Oct. 10 premiere, the decision effectively axed the first two weeks of preview performances.
Saturday’s announcement restores the preview period to its original five-week run, with the first performance taking place Sept. 26. “The preview period is an important part of our creative process as it allows the show to develop in front of a live audience,” Cirque du Soleil spokeswoman Anita Nelving said.
“Believe” will blend Angel’s illusions with the costumes and acrobatics that are part of Cirque du Soleil productions. Angel will give about 5,200 performances over the next decade. His contract will see him perform five nights a week for the next 10 years, with an additional five-year extension option.
JUST A PEEK…
On September 18, 2008, with public previews still a week away, Cirque du Soleil sent out a little peek into the world of illusionist Criss Angel to whet our appetites so we’d BELIEVE:
“Clear your mind; recognize the principles of being, and feel yourself being transported into a fantastical world of surreality. Allow a visionary journey to begin where the child within you is reborn, setting free the wonder and amazement of your own imagination. Feast on this imaginative vision. Experience the reality of what you see on stage but remember reality is only what you think you see. This mystifying adventure is nothing more than an allegory which tells the tale of one man’s search for love and meaning as he attempts to decipher his existence within a multifaceted vortex of reality and illusion. Immerse yourself in a metaphysical dreamlike state where dancing rabbits and similar oddities are the norm. Magic is now reborn. Prepare yourself for an intimate celebration of art forms bleeding together to create a virtual landscape of Illusion, song, dance movement and mysticism. All pre-conceived notions of truth and existence be left at the door. What you’re seeing may not be real.
Don’t believe your eyes.
Welcome to CRISS ANGEL Believe.”
o) The Ushers – Luigi (Martin Boisvert), Lars (Abdelkader
Chelef), Slim (Mariano Nicolas De Yorio) and Maestro (Mateo
Amieva).
o) Kayala (Elena Serafimovich) – a wondrous beauty draped in
white.
o) Crimson (Aminah Abdul-Jillil) – a monster of nightmarish
proportions.
o) Lucky, the Rabbit in “Homage to the Rabbits.”
o) Other Characters – The Dolls (Gigi, Taz and Charissa), Hyena
(a rabbit gone rabid), The Paparazzi (with cameras ablaze),
The Crowmen (black birds to prey on the weak), Grand Master
Tronik (a grand and beastly puppet), Mole (a creature of the
underworld), Zangelica (half girl, half rabbit, all legs),
Dega (a young rabbiteer), Auntie B & Father Luminus.
o) Dancers – Deirdre Barnes, Liana Blackburn, Angela Brickhouse,
Matt Carroll, Pamela Chu, Hiroaki Kumagi, Martha Nichols,
Donnell Flanrico Quaker, Logan Schyvynck, Sherisse Springer,
Ben Susak, Jesse Weafer, Bruce Weber, Shigeki Yamada, and
Sara Zanelletti.
o) Musicians – Elvis Lederer (Guitar), Jose Pepe Jimenez
(Percussian, Electronic Percussion & Drums), Nitza (Singer),
and Jean-Francois (Djeff) Houle (Bandleader, Bass &
Electronics)
TRAIN WRECK?
“I’ve spent 15 years creating and evolving a concept that the world of entertainment has never seen,” said Criss Angel in a release by Cirque du Soleil. “Now, I’m thrilled to be working with Cirque du Soleil and Felix Rappaport and his amazing team here at the Luxor to create an experience that goes beyond even my wildest expectations. I am confident that this collaboration will culminate in what is destined to become one of the most exciting shows Las Vegas has ever seen and redefine magic in the same way Cirque du Soleil has redefined the circus.”
Criss Angel BELIEVE had its first “Lion’s Den” performance on September 12th, opened its doors to preview performances on the 26th and by the 30th, reviews were pouring in: everything from “horrible” to “terrible” and all points in between. It was clear that BELIEVE was nothing short of a train-wreck, but the coup de grace – DOUG ELFMAN’s article from the Las Vegas Review-Journal – seemed to sum it up nicely:
Criss Angel fans flew in from as far away as London to see his new Cirque du Soleil show open at the Luxor on Friday. The verdict by many? Creatively, “Believe” is a possibly unsalvageable “waste of time” and a “dead end” that literally bored some audience members to sleep. On Saturday night, reaction was even worse. “Everyone in the bathroom was chanting ‘bull—-’” from the urinals, Damon Ranger of Chicago told me Saturday. “It was absolutely awful. You can ‘Believe’ how bad it is — because it’s terrible!” People streamed out of the theater on Saturday screaming about how poor it was. A group of six women was led by a woman yelling furiously, demanding their money back. “Dude, it’s a train wreck,” Ranger said. On a scale of 1 to 10, he declared “Believe” a zero.
Here’s what they saw, as described on Wikipedia:
Premonition — Criss comes towards the audience and throws his wristband into the crowd. Once a spectator catches it, Criss has the person tell their name, where they’re from, and to pick any word out of the English language. A small, locked box (always within the view of the audience) is then lowered from the top of the stage, where Maestro opens it and brings its contents – a clear plastic jar with a piece of paper in it – to Criss and the selected audience member. Much to the amazement of the audience, the paper contains the name, location, and chosen word of the participant.
Tesla Coil — Criss is suited up in a chainmail outfit as a very large Tesla coil is presented onstage. Criss goes to enter the cage surrounding the coil, but Crimson has other plans. She turns the power to the coil all the way on, causing sparks to fly and the theatre lights to go out. A pained shout is heard from Criss, and he writhes on the ground in pain as human-sized rabbits in doctor’s coats lift him onto a gurney and roll him offstage.
Lucky and Homage to the Rabbits — A small rabbit appears on a large projection screen, desperately trying to escape. It makes its way out and hops onto a box, taking a small microphone and discussing Cirque du Soleil show rules and how it is now going to take over the show. While assuring the audience that no animals were harmed during the production of the show, a large light burns out and falls from the top of the stage, crushing Lucky and killing him instantly. The Ushers come out to find Lucky, placing him on the front of the stage as multiple rabbits come out to dance for their fallen friend. While they dance, Lucky’s corpse is taken away, only to be replaced with Criss’ body on a gurney. Crimson, who seems to be leading the dance, rips Criss’ form off of the gurney and onto the floor, where all of the rabbits fight over it to get a piece. They then dance around with his limbs, head and torso, before being shooed away by the Ushers.
Humbodik — The Ushers reassemble Criss, before running offstage to get “the machine”. Crimson reappears, dancing for the body of Criss while the machine is brought out. Criss’ body is then lifted from the ground, before being engulfed in CO2. After the CO2 is blown away, we see Criss, whole again.
The Dolls — Three dolls – Gigi, Taz and Charissa – appear, dancing seductively while they dress Criss.
Doves — Criss does some sleight of hand with doves, before he disappears into a cloud of CO2, reemerging with his own pair of wings. He levitates above the stage for a few moments, before disappearing into the stage.
Poppy — Grit, a rabbit, appears on the stage and performs some contact juggling, while a large rabbit hops onstage to watch him. Two men dressed up as poppies come out and spin around, as a very large poppy is brought onstage. Suddenly, the poppy opens to reveal a beautiful woman clad in a white unitard. She performs some aerial acrobatics as Criss appears through a trapdoor in the middle of the stage. He stands on a platform made of thorns, staring up at the woman in awe, a hand clutching at his heart. The woman descends from her flower into Criss’ arms. The two embrace before she gets off of the platform.
Scarecrow — Two men in white, billowy skirts wave large white fans before Criss, hiding him from view. When he is show again, he is shouting in pain, as Crimson is crawling through his body. Kayala hides behind the Ushers, who urge her to save Criss. She goes to run offstage as Crimson exits Criss’ body, but Crimson catches her and begins to strangle Kayala. Criss has escaped his thorny prison, and runs over with a large white cloth to protect Kayala. He makes Kayala vanish under the white cloth, as Crimson makes herself vanish under a red cloth. Criss rips the red cloth away to reveal a burning tree. He then runs offstage to follow Kayala.
De Kolta Chair — The four Ushers appear on the dark stage with flashlights, looking for Criss. They come upon many rabbits, before Zangelica appears onstage with a baby carriage. The doll-sized Criss and Kayala appear from the carriage, before Lars picks up the smaller Criss and sits him on a chair. Lars and Maestro then lift a cloth over the chair, allowing Criss to reappear as normal. Maestro then begs him to perform his “favorite trick”, the De Kolta chair. Kayala, a chair, and a large box are then brought onstage. Criss places a purple cape over Kayala, having her move her hands before she disappears. The box is then opened to reveal her.
Dance-off — Multiple Moles appears onstage and begin to dance. Criss and Kayala run offstage as the Ushers begin to play Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who will dance against the moles. Each dances in turn, the most notable being Lars break-dancing on his head.
Tronik — Criss and Kayala return, and the Ushers begin to haggle them about their romance. Criss only smirks and replays that they “can kiss the monster”, the monster being a lurking Tronik. Kayala runs offstage as Criss and Maestro run into the audience, Lars, Luigi and Slim running offstage to get whips and shields. Criss goes back onstage and defeats Tronik with magic. The creature staggers back for a moment, before regaining itself and heading toward Maestro, who cowers. The creature then removes its arms and torso, revealing Criss inside.
Metamorphosis — Crimson appears onstage and begins to seduce Criss, along with partially undressing him. He is then thrown into a wooden crate, while Crimson and her minions writhe upon the stage, tying up the crate. Crimson then climbs atop it, hidden in a cloud of CO2 before a firewall goes off. Criss then appears atop the crate, and begins to open it, revealing a straight-jacketed Crimson inside.
Wedding — Kayala is revealed, wearing a white wedding gown with a huge train following her. The Ushers come out to congratulate her as Criss is seen to appear atop the wall of the train. He then begins to walk down it, marrying Kayala after his descent. The two proceed to kiss as the Ushers pose for photographs. A large pool of blood begins to form on the gown’s train, growing large with each flash of the camera. Finally, the gown is ripped from Kayala. A spotlight shines on Crimson and her paparazzi, before Criss is illuminated, Kayala lying on the ground next to him.
Paparazzi — Criss and his Ushers fight to keep the paparazzi away from Kayala’s lifeless form, the paparazzi dancing with Crimson before the wind blows them away. Criss mourns for Kayala before the Ushers take her away. A large projection of Crimson appears before Criss, knocking him to the ground.
In Two — A large, mechanical-like table is rolled out, along with figures sharpening chainsaws on it. Criss is chased offstage by a Crowman, before one of the Dolls brings him back on and throws him upon the table. Crimson takes a chainsaw from one of her henchmen as Criss is bound and shackled to the table, before sawing him in half. Blood and gore spill out everywhere, each half of Criss’ now-lifeless body pulled in separate directions offstage.
Funeral — The Ushers come out and mourn over Criss, placing red roses on his grave. Crimson walks out with a Crowman and a wheelchair, spitting on Criss’ grave before throwing her black rose on the ground. She is then covered by a blanket on the wheelchair and spun around so that she is no longer facing the audience. More mourners bestow roses upon Criss’ grave as Kayala comes out in a black mourning gown, placing her white rose gently upon her beloved’s grave. A large scrim comes down upon the stage before the wheelchair begins spinning. The figure seated removed the blanket, revealing Criss. He turns around to look at the characters of his surreal adventure, but the lights have gone dark and they are no longer visible. He then turns back to the audience, his whisper of “Believe” echoing throughout the theatre.
ANGEL or DEVIL?
The initial preview performance was not received well; audience reactions were thoroughly negative. The show opened to equally harsh reviews, citing a lack of the magic Angel is known for as well as a confusing and uninteresting theme; reviewers felt neither Angel nor Cirque du Soleil were able to perform their capabilities. By December 17, two months into the show’s run, the Luxor was offering a 40% discount on show tickets. In lieu of quotes from theater critics, by January 2009 the Believe website used positive critical quotes from selected celebrities, including Angel’s then-girlfriend, Holly Madison. Over the next year many reviews of the show would share roughly the same sentiment though the show continued to fill seats well enough (but whether it was making money or not remained to be seen).
Criss also had his fair share of run-ins with the press and celebrities alike. After Cirque spent some weeks tweaking the show, blogger and television personality Perez Hilton attended a performance on Friday, April 17, 2009. During the show, Hilton used his Twitter account to message over half a million of his subscribers “We are 20 minutes in and Criss Angel’s Vegas show, Believe, is unbelievably BAD!”, as well as other criticism. As the show was ending, Angel singled out Hilton, had him stand up, and declared to the audience that “We have the world’s biggest douche-bag asshole in the house!” To which Hilton replied “Thanks for the free tickets.” Hilton, who is a fan of Cirque du Soleil, later noted that “until ‘Believe,’ Cirque has had an incredible track record of excellence. I have seen all of their Vegas shows and loved them all.”
In the aftermath of the incident, Cirque du Soleil, but not Angel, issued an apology to Hilton, as well as anyone else present in the family-oriented show. Speaking also on behalf of hotel owner MGM Mirage, Cirque du Soleil called Angel’s remarks “inappropriate and disrespectful”, noting that “Cirque management will address such behavior privately with any of its artists to ensure it will not happen again.” The Vegas media reaction was strongly against Angel, who was viewed as having broken a major taboo among casino employees in the largely tourist economy by insulting a guest, notably during an economic downturn. Angel had even threatened Norm Clarke of the Review-Journal over some of his comments, suggesting he promised to take out his other eye (Norm wears an eye patch).
Criss Angel was becoming a bad boy, and a very visible liability to Cirque du Soleil’s brand. By December 14, 2009, though, according to Robin Leach’s column for the Las Vegas Sun, Criss Angel was in the process of integrating seven new “extraordinary” illusions into BELIEVE, hoping to stem the negative press.
He has already been rehearsing all of them during the day and performing his shows at night. Now he’s waiting for Fire and Building Department approvals to add them into the show. Luxor President Felix Rappaport confirmed the delay in adding the illusions. “We’d hoped it would be December, then January, but now realistically with the additional building changes and the show coming up to code in every aspect, all the inspectors say Criss can have everything in place for March in time for new marketing and promotion.”
WHAT NOW?
With all the reaction to the debut and first performances of the show, it was obvious to fans that something had gone wrong and that changes would be in the offing. From what had been heard by rumor this had been happening all during the creation process, with Angel battling with Denoncourt and Cirque over the direction of the show. If there was a general conclusion to be drawn from most of the fan reaction, it was that the show was too much “Cirque” for Criss Angel Mindfreak fans and too much “Mindfreak” for Cirque du Soleil fans. Trying to straddle this middle ground, it couldn’t succeed with either audience.
Another area of contention was the entire approach of the show, which had Angel attempting a stunt which would go “horribly wrong” resulting in transporting him (and thereby the audience) into the fantasy realm where he would take on the persona of the “Victorian Noble.” The problem with the approach was it was inconsistent; once Angel was in the Noble persona he would perform an illusion only to then directly address the crowd in the present as Criss Angel. He would go into the fantasy realm and back out again several times during the show, with no resolution of the plotline of his character. (Unlike the show of Ziegfried & Roy, who used a similar fantasy/reality motif but kept the fantasy sections distinctly separate from each other and reality.)
Changes were coming. But the changes were slow to arrive, leading some to think nothing was being done. It was actually that, when dealing with two creative organizations (Angel and Cirque) more time needed to be taken to make sure all parties were satisfied with the new direction. It also took a long time for construction and rehearsal, as props and stage changes needed to be made to very tight tolerance. New illusions were incorporated into the show over time, but by then the reputation of the show had been established.
After a bit more than a year of performance it was decided that Cirque’s approach was not working, and that Angel’s original approach would better fit his persona. This meant jettisoning nearly all of the “Cirque-ey” elements; Angel’s Victorian Noble character, the continuing fantasy plotline, the multiple types of dancing rabbits, various characters, and live music. It was decided to focus strongly on Angel and his interaction with the audience, and adding more illusions to the show. But change again was slow (taking more than a year), as instead of releasing artists immediately it was done as contracts expired, leading to the dancing contingent shrinking and shrinking over a period of time until just a couple remained (until their contracts expired).
The debut of “Version 2.0” of Criss Angel Believe is hard to pinpoint, as Cirque has never “re-launched” the show or made a point of its re-invention. Our best guess is that most all the elements of the new show were in place by May, 2010. The show is now largely devoid of “plot,” and has become a showcase for large-scale illusions featuring Angel (over 30 new illusions were added). Some of the characters (Ushers, Kayala, and Crimson) appear in a reduced form, and the music is now all pre-recorded (though it sounds to be original music). But that’s not all… in short order, according to Robin Leach, a new opening is coming for BELIEVE (to celebrate the second half of the show’s 10-year contract) and a potential new “revolutionary levitation” act, which has reportedly taken him nearly two decades to perfect. What’s the trick? He will levitate many people from the audience simultaneously to float with him.
I guess we’ll have to see it to believe it!
