Criss Angel to Star in a Live Show at the Luxor
Three a Crowd?
Angel's upcoming show represents the third, highly touted new magic show to come to Las Vegas in the next year.
As mentioned in an earlier article, Steve Wyrick's "Steve Wyrick: Real Magic" will open soon at the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
"I feel that everyone in this marketplace, or is coming to this marketplace in the near future, provides show goers and tourists with a completely different product," Wyrick says in a recent interview with Magic.about.com. "It’s going to help all of the magicians in town. It’s going to help all of the magicians out of town. And it will elevate our art which is so special within itself." (please click here to read the entire Wyrick interview.)
And in May, illusionist Hans Klok and television star Carmen Electra will debut in "Faster Than Magic," a new show at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Theater for the Performing Arts (please click here to read our story).
The "Cirque" Touch
Those who may question Angel's ability to perform in a live show without the benefit of camera angles and editing, something that Angel is often accused of, need to know that he had a successful off-Broadway show. Angel created, produced, directed and starred in "Criss Angel MINDFREAK," which ran for 14-months and 600-performances.
The release says that Cirque du Soleil is working with Angel 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 research and development were spent exploring the world of magic and how to re-define the experience.
Furthermore, the crucial element, a young, edgy and talented artist and mystifier, was found in Criss Angel. Angel is now working with Cirque du Soleil creators which is led by Director Serge Denoncourt.
Of course, the Luxor Resort and Casino has been the home for the third season of A&E Network's "Criss Angel's MINDFREAK." Angel's third season, which will ultimately consist of 28 episodes, began filming there on Monday, November 6, 2006 and will air on A&E Network beginning in the Spring of 2007.
Commentary
"I've spent 15 years creating and evolving a concept that the world of entertainment has never seen," Angel says in the release. "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."
"This production represents a new, distinctive type of creation for Cirque du Soleil," Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil says in the release. "We believe there is a market for an unconventional magic show with production values audiences have come to expect from Cirque du Soleil."
"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," says Gilles Ste-Croix, Senior Vice President of Creative Content at Cirque du Soleil in the release. "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."
"This partnership represents a new era for Luxor," says Felix Rappaport, President and COO of Luxor Resort and Casino in the release. "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."
The Players
"Criss Angel MINDFREAK" is currently on schedule to film its 70th episode in its third season that's shot exclusively at The Luxor Hotel and Casino. Harper Collins will be releasing Angel's first book, "Criss Angel MINDFREAK: Secret Revelations" in April 2007. Criss has been named 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 Magician of the Year, making him the first five-time and back-to-back recipient ever.
Since its founding in 1984, Cirque du Soleil has entertained over 50 million spectators in more than 130 cities on five continents. In Las Vegas, Cirque du Soleil has a partnership with MGM MIRAGE to create and present productions. The production at Luxor will be the sixth Cirque du Soleil show at an MGM MIRAGE property, joining Mystére, "O", ZUMANITY, KÁ and The Beatles LOVE.
The 30-story Luxor Resort & Casino boasts the world's largest atrium, measuring 29 million cubic feet. The 4,408-room resort features a wide variety of entertainment, restaurants and gaming. Luxor offers the adult revue, FANTASY and the comedy of Carrot Top. The property also includes 20,000 square feet of convention space, a spa and wedding chapel and is connected to Mandalay Bay through Mandalay Place – a collection of 41 boutiques and restaurants. Luxor is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM MIRAGE.
More Reading
Opinion: Is Criss Angel Underrated?
Criss Angel: The Interview
Profile: Criss Angel
All About: Criss Angel
DVD Review: Criss Angel - Mindfreak - The Complete Season Two
DVD Review: Criss Angel - Mindfreak - Season One
Comments
criss your the best and i love you so we should go out
was hopping that the reviews I had looked at reguarding believe were just because of an off night, they weren’t.. I won’t be refering anyone to it.. The magic was poor, being a member of the magic castle for a number of years, and with Chris having many of it’s members associated with his A&E show I thought they would have advised and/or taught him better. The dancers were good except when they were fumbling with assorted mechanical gimicks to enamble the “magic” to be performed… My feelings were shared by much of the audiance even with Chris demands for applause, not much was forth coming…