Criss Angel "Believe": More Reader Feedback
"CRISS ANGEL Believe," the Las Vegas show and collaboration between Criss Angel and Cirque du Soleil, has been seen by a select few during recent previews. Another reader provides comments. Thank you for filling us in.
I sincerely hope that Angel and Cirque can pull this one through.
"His rambling was unprofessional and grating"
Ok, so we finally got a chance Saturday night to see Criss Angel without video-editing, camera tricks and hired "audience" members and this is what we get. I would like to blame Cirque for this horrible experience and direction but as Criss has pointed out MANY times in the past few months, this is HIS dream, HIS vision brought to life with the help of the Cirque team. This show will be the great unmasking of the fiction that Mind Freak has built up.
If you remember the story of the "Emperor’s New Clothes" you will see the problem here. Mr. Angel has surrounded himself with "consultants" that either don’t know or won't tell him the truth. The few respected magicians that have worked for him in the past are all gone and left with a "C" string of marginal talent that are riding his coattails for any potential reward.
The rest of the cast is very talented and making the best of what must be a painful experience for them all. The choreography by Wade Robinson is great theater and the outside area is spectacular, the only thing missing is any sense of talent from the "star." Their only hope is to cast someone with talent to play the role of Criss Angel and it might have a shot.
His rambling was unprofessional and grating. It's fine for performing for tourists on the street but one would think that for this ticket price, even in previews, he might be at least somewhat polished.
We did stay through the mind numbing finale with the lip-synced exercise in self-aggrandizement that was "MindFreak." Many in our show had long departed and we had to wade through lines of people at the box office demanding their money back.
I hate paying for someone else's therapy, yet this is what we did for Mr. Angel. This show is nothing more than a chance for him to fill some long lost void of acceptance, a void this theater and production can never fill.
Comment by Jon B. on October 2, 2008
There’s been lots of negative press. An article in the Los Angeles Times, "Sneak peak at Criss Angel's 'Believe'" said the following: "This show has serious challenges that are impossible to ignore ahead of it...But the audience that saw "Believe" with me was appalled, based on the comments I heard."
Most scathing was an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal that said "Creatively, 'Believe' is a possibly unsalvageable 'waste of time' and a 'dead end' that literally bored some audience members to sleep."
More Reading:
Readers Talk About "CRISS ANGEL Believe" Previews
Las Vegas Magic Shows
About: Criss Angel
Interview with Criss Angel
TV Review: Criss Angel Mindfreak
Comments
I had the pleasure of seeing “Believe” on October “13th”. I am a big fan of Criss Angel. Of course I watch the show Mindfreak all the time. I have seen several shows in Las Vegas, most of which were created by Cirque du Soleil. Having seen the capability of both sides I really did not know what to except from the show, so I went to the show totalled excited and with a very open mind. Honestly I loved the show. It was the best show I have ever seen in Las Vegas. Criss Angel did a great job, the dancers were wonderful and Crimson you dance like no other. Go to this show you will enjoy it, be more open minded then the ones who went that didn’t.
WORSE than awful. I actually felt sorry FOR HIM. Suggestion: Criss, just get naked and stand still for 90-minutes. Your (live) “magic” and cheezy break-dancing stink on ice. My 5-year-old nephew does more “believable” tricks. I honestly think this show is UN-salvagable…unless Cirque takes their theater & music and does a complete re-do. (Criss needs to stick w/tv camera tricks and paid actors who “act” mesmerized.) Poor birds- how did they get caught up in this train wreck???!!!
The show was horrible. The effects were cheesy and you know how he did everything. When he would walk down a wall you could see the glare from the clip hooked to his harness. It was easy to see him going down his trap doors in the middle of the stage. Cirque Du Soliel was no good either. All they did was bad dancing. The plot was even hard to follow. WASTE OF MONEY!!!
This show sucked so badly, I literally fell asleep 1/2 way in the show. I tried to stay awake because I spent so much on tickets.
People were shouting “CRISS YOU SUCK”
It was horrible, if you want to see magic, look elsewhere. If you want to see phantom of the opera criss angel style, then this is for you. The dude, dances and sings haha.
I’ll make this short and to the point… “CRISS ANGEL Believe” is awful, awful, awful. We saw the show a little over a week prior to its Halloween night opening. What a waste of $300+ dollars for the two of us to see it. I keep reading people’s comments that say something like, “Cirque has ruined Criss Angel.” I have to disagree wholeheartedly. The main thing wrong with this show is Angel himself. The music, costumes, choreography, etc. are all outstanding. Angel drags everything down with a thud and comes off like a fourth-rate magician–one you would maybe hire for your elementary-schooler’s birthday party. Cheesy is the best description that comes to mind. Live he has little charisma, and we are both fans of his television show. I can’t imagine how they could fix this. We stayed a week in Vegas and saw four other shows, all of them Cirque du Soleil productions. I would rate the others as A+, A+, A and B+ (we were a tiny bit disappointed with “Love,” mainly because our expectations were so high). To give this one an F is an insult to other failures. Don’t waste your money. Save it for the new show that will surely be opening at Luxor sometime next year to replace this garbage.
Saw this show Nov. 9 – $300 for 2 tickets – this show SUCKED – DO NOT waste your money!! Saw better magicians at birthday parties as a kid. – There was some Cirque dancing and then sidestreet magic – an hour and a half of my life I will never get back.
THE WORST SHOW EVER! I am so sorry to report this, as I am a fan of his TV show. Just got back from Las Vegas (saw the show on 11-16-08) Cost was $68.40 for the cheapest ticket available (toward the center, about 4 rows from top) There was NOT ONE person walking out that said it was a good show, and everyone near us wanted thier money back—which is not allowed and is printed on the tickets. There was no rousing applause at all, no standing ovations. He didnt do one trick that was amazing. Go see Lance Burton instead if you want good magic. The “Circ” side of the show isnt that good at all, either. I will admit that the sets were visually appealing in a theatrical way. But, there wasnt the normal circ acrobatics, etc (except for one scence with one acrobat) This show was boring, unoriginal, cheesy, lame, and is going to need a major overhaul.
OMG!!!! Don’t do it, this show is the worst show I have seen to date in Vegas. And I’ve seen alot. You can see all the trap doors and any tricks he did you knew exactly what was going on. Believe is a disgrace for Cirque de Soleil and I’m sure it will end Criss Angel’s career. If I could get my money back I would! The Luxor should have ask to see the show before agreeing to 10 year contract with Cirque and Criss. BELIEVE me when I say this, do not waste your time and money! Dirk Arthur’s tiger magic show at Tropicana is a quarter of the cost and ten times the show!!!! May I suggest before you see a show you google it, and BELIEVE what the public is telling you!
my wife and I went to see the show and this show was nothing that we expected. We thought this was one of the worst shows we have ever seen in Vegas.
Believe me we have seen many shows over the years and have never been as dissapointed as we were with this so called show.
We went to get our money back as did many other people, and they told us they were going to revamp the show, which I felt that was admiting that this show was for the birds. They thanked us and said Good Bye. What a ripoff.