Criss Angel's wrongheaded, explosive stunt
Criss Angel is trekking to Edwards Air Force Base for a stunt that's just plain tacky. If this is intended as a tribute to the troops, it falls short. He'll walk over improvised explosive devices for his TV show. But unlike soldiers who face real danger from explosives, Angel knows where the devices are, and he has a trick to keep from being hurt. Robin Leach spoke to Angel about this trick:
"I’m going to try and avoid literally being blown up by an IED," an icily calm Angel said of the improvised explosive devices. "This is a life-or-death situation. It’s more dangerous than anything I’ve ever performed." Criss will perform the stunt his mother doesn't want him to attempt at Edwards Air Force Base.
Of course, this narrative is familiar now for season openers of Angel's "Mindfreak" cable series: Last year, it was an exploding building that was the most dangerous stunt Angel had ever attempted.
Leach says: "Criss will use his psychic powers to tread gingerly over not one or two levels of incendiary devices but seven levels of lethal, explosive mines." Hey, if he really can detect IEDs with his psychic powers, he'd be more useful in combat zones. We'd take one for the team and give up "Believe" at Luxor if it were for the good of the country.
As a side note, Angel is being sued by a young illusionist who says he contributed illusions to both Angel's television show and DVD releases. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Jacob Spinney claims in his lawsuit that Angel's company did not make the proper royalty payments and further deducted a "performance fee" from what Spinney was paid, presumably for Angel using Spinney's work. When I sought a response to the lawsuit, Angel and his camp declined to comment.
In a profile by John Katsilometes in Las Vegas Weekly, Holly Madison, who opened in "Peepshow" on Monday, reflects for the first time on her breakup with Angel. Here is an excerpt of her conversation with Katsilometes, beginning with Madison addressing the reason the camera-friendly relationship ended:
"I think it happened because some people don’t want to be happy, and they always look for problems, even if there aren’t any. Some people don’t want to be happy, so they pick away at something until they find problems."
I ask Madison who takes responsibility for the decision to end the relationship. She fires back quickly, "I should have. But it wasn’t me. I would have done anything to make it work. He’s the one with the problem, not me."
Madison goes on in the profile to qualify her praise of "Believe" as being a biased product of love. There goes that advertisement blurb. I am supposed to interview Madison on Wednesday but have been told in advance she will refuse to answer any questions about Angel. I guess the Who was right: It's the singer not the song.
Meanwhile, all these distractions for Criss Angel may help keep real problem from being noticed: Cirque is offering no time line for implementing "fixation" needed on "Believe" and won't supply any details about possible improvements. Of course, diversions are part of any illusion. Angel knows this best. Or, as Madison claims he told her in the Weekly profile:
He says, ‘I was getting bad reviews, but on the day of my premiere when we were walking down the red carpet together, that’s all people wanted to talk about.’ So, he admits that.
Photo: Sarah Gerke
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Angel's "Believe" at Luxor as part of the lawsuit instead of Angel's DVD releases. That error has been corrected.
Smoke and mirrors may describe a career that's already seen better days.
Posted by: colin | June 23, 2009 at 02:05 PM
Holly Madison is a backstabber.
After she realized that he's getting bad reviews etc. , she left him.
Posted by: knowing | June 23, 2009 at 02:43 PM
BOO YAH!
The House That Criss Angel Built is falling apart at the seams. He built it and he's also destroying it. Nobody to blame but himself. Slam dunk time is almost here.
Just a matter of a little more time before Las Vegas removes this BeLIEve blemish from its entertainment reputation. Serious whatever-goes-around-comes-around time. There is kharma after all.
Whatever is happening, the troubles are mounting for this idiot. And what I think is funny is that bling thing he bounced off of with Holly Madison hanging on his arm didn't work too well. She actually walked away from it a survivor and didn't do too bad for herself (so far).
Although, prepare for a flood of "I Love Criss Angel No Matter What Numbskullness He Does In Las Vegas And Criss Angel Can Do No Wrong And Craps Tulips And Roses Regularly" mindless followers in response to your article, Richard.
Posted by: ColinFromLasVegas | June 23, 2009 at 03:41 PM
By the way, Richard... Just a correction. "The Singer Not The Song" was not written and performed by the Who. It's a song by Mick Jaggers and Keith Richards from one of the Rolling Stones' early albums. "December's Children" I believe....
Posted by: ColinFromLasVegas | June 23, 2009 at 04:21 PM
Once again you speak the truth. Criss made his bed and will lay in it, and totally forgot what got him here, his talent. He beLIEved the hype, the crap, and really thought he could be better than Copperfield. Not so, Criss is about the same level as David Blaine,and at least Blaine laughs at himself and has a better image (he's chillin' with Ellen). The lawsuit is no surprise and it happens all the time in any enterainment field. Cirque should buy out his contract and put in their traveling shows while the Luxor figures out what to do with the Criss Angel theatre. Yes, his stunt sucks and is in bad taste. As for Holly, I heard she sucks in Peepshow, so I guess she cannot distract the audience enough from her lack of talent being naked. That being said, I am a huge fan of the old Criss and actually liked BeLIEve, but I am a firm beLIEver in changing things if 90% of the public thinks it sucks. I guess that NBC pilot did not pan out too well...whatever, Robin Leach needs to get off the contract and write the truth about Criss and his current state. Maybe the Luxor can be Lance Burton's new home if he's healthy enough?
Posted by: rightaboutCriss | June 23, 2009 at 06:44 PM
One word for this stunt: BOGUS. Last year he made a fool out of himself with the Spyglass implosion, correction: Pre-recorded Spyglass implosion, and the year before his Cement block drop that should have dropped on his big head but only he was seen at a shopping mall hours earlier while thousands of loyals stood in the rain waiting for their hero. What garbage. And the lawsuit? I always knew he was a cheapskate.
Posted by: Achilles | June 23, 2009 at 11:09 PM
Richard you just HAVE to ask Holly madison about Criss Angel, why the hell she doesn't want to talk to him or about him?? She was with him just for publicity and to get her gig, she said she always wanted to be a Vegas showgirl. The girl is sick . But she's chosen the wrong guy.
Posted by: monica | June 24, 2009 at 12:40 AM
"I beleive the resentment with Holly Madison arises because she really has no talent other than that of a nude or semi-model. Let's examine the facts here: She is best known for being linked to an 83 year-old "baffoon" who chairs what amounts to a dying archaic corporation, only to latch onto a white trash half-wit magician from N.J. no less, then immediatly flunked-put of DWTS in early rounds, to be handed a premiere role on the Las Vegas Strip in a major resort hotel. Only in Vegas, baby!!!
Keep "grasping" for the D-List ILO of real talent and we'll never outlive our reputation for shlock!"
Posted by: anonymous | June 24, 2009 at 12:42 AM
Hi Colin, thanks as always for reading and being willing to get so many threads going with your interesting comments. You are right that there is a Rolling Stones song with that title. But I was quoting from the Who's "Join Together" which uses that line more appropriately for my purpose. Again thanks for reading. Yrs., R.
Posted by: Richard Abowitz | June 24, 2009 at 08:19 AM
OH! Okay. Sorry. I understand what you mean now, Richard. And yes, that is very appropriate for the line of thought there. Thanks for clarifying.
I think it's funny to point out that you have tried your best to not relate anything about private lives. Avoidance. Especially with this Criss Angel/Holly Madison thing. And I agree. But, here it is...BAM! An interview comes out throwing it back out into the forefront again. And it's reportable. I am simply amazed at how stupid it all is. Especially when both of them share the same publicist! And it is now really revealed for what it was: It was a contrived relationship, with one person using and the other person being used, put together to get some good press going. Just as I thought (and a lot of us suspected) from the start.
I think this is incredibly funny drama. Mainly because no one is digging around looking for this stuff. It's just...POOF! There it is. It came out without anyone questioning or asking anything. Totally unsolicited. And then you have an interview set up and all of a sudden it's like, whoops, we screwed up, she shouldn't have talked about that, okay, you can chat with her, but you can't ask Criss Angel junk, pretend like she didn't say that. UnbeLIEvable.
Serious transparent stuff. I guess this idiocy can only happen in Vegas.
Posted by: ColinFromLasVegas | June 24, 2009 at 10:17 AM
"Mainly because no one is digging around looking for this stuff. It's just...POOF! There it is. It came out without
anyone questioning or asking anything. Totally unsolicited. And then you have an interview set up and all of a
sudden it's like, whoops, we screwed up, she shouldn't have talked about that, okay, you can chat with her, but
you can't ask Criss Angel junk, pretend like she didn't say that" - EXACTLY.
almost like it didn't happen. weren't they talking marriage, 'she's the love of my life' , 'he's my soulmate' thing?
It's laughable that our lovely soulmates have no contact now even though they live like 100 metres from each
other. But they do share publicist. You have to give Criss Angel that he didn't say anything bad about Holly. Yet.
She's dissed him in that article in Las Vegas Weekly. I think they were using each other. She wanted to get
connections in Vegas, and of course, a new sugar daddy . He was with her to promote his show, promote his
bad-ass image and for the obvious.
Posted by: anonymous | June 24, 2009 at 01:23 PM
I have to laugh several inaccuracies in this article. A few things to clear up:
1. Criss and Robin Leach are good friends; this is not a secret. Robin always writes positive articles when it comes to Criss and he even lent his personal comments to the recently-aired E! True Hollywood Story episode featuring Criss Angel that aired earlier this week. With that said, Robin Leach sometimes steps 'above' the line and stretches the truth when it comes to hyping Criss' relationships and upcoming stunts and performances. Perfect example: the use of the words "psychic powers." Anyone who knows anything about Criss Angel knows that he has constantly claimed over and over that he does not have psychic powers, nor does he believe that anyone else has them. He has devoted several Mindfreak episodes exposing the tricks that psychics use to fool people (tarot cards being one example). The use of the words "psychic powers" is just a clever ploy by Robin to make the piece more exciting, and it should not be taken literally.
2. Jacob Spinney's supposed lawsuit has nothing to do with BeLIEve. Unless you know something I/we don't, you are the only source I have read who inaccurately makes this claim.
3. It is quite clear that you have not been following BeLIEve closely since its inception, except to mock it; if you had, you would have known that the show has undergone numerous changes since its preview period and Gala Premiere in the summer & fall of 2008. The show is tweaked and illusions are added and taken away on a constant basis. I saw the show in December of 2008 and again in June 2009 (a few weeks ago), and I can confirm that there are a number of small changes and two brand new illusions that did not exist in the version of the show that I saw in December. Your constant insistence that BeLIEve needs "fixing", as if to say that the show has not changed one iota since its premiere, is not only completely inaccurate but a moot point, because the show has changed, does change, and will change throughout the 9 remaining years that the show will be at the Luxor.
--Jessica
Posted by: Jessica | June 26, 2009 at 07:37 PM
In recent Las Vegas entertainment news, Mr. Rappaport at the Luxor appears to be active.
He recently extended the contract for Carrot Top six years. He'll be at the Luxor until 2015. And his show is doing great, from what I hear. It is still popular and a big draw.
I make a prediction. Criss Angel's BeLIEve show gives every appearance that it will be whittled down to end nine years before the end of his contract.
Every indication shows that. Workers all up and down the famous Las Vegas Strip all know about this show and are warning tourists away from it. The big huge wrap on the side of the Luxor advertising it is gone, and there doesn't seem to be much advertising going on about this show anymore. On a secondary ticket site for BeLIEve show sales, this show has disappeared from the top ten for three weeks running now. And that trend will continue. Plus, in Richard's article, he makes mention of how Cirque du Soleil seems to be stepping back from everything, possibly considering it toxic and not wanting to be associated with a show that provides an unwanted blemish that will possibly tarnish their entertainment image. They are probably forced into thinking like this because the idiot keeps getting bad press too. And most importantly, the show, no matter if changes have been made to it or not, is STILL horrible, with a majority of paying audiences absolutely hating it. Everything shows that this show is failing. I guarantee that the numbers for this show are not what they were originally envisioned to be. That is evident now that ticket prices have went down at least 40 percent, even going so far as to include it with package deals with room and buffet included. I would even go so far to say that Criss Angel sees the handwriting on the wall and knows this. He seems to be just going through the motions on stage now, not giving a crap if he entertains anyone at all, just riding this cash cow along for as long as it can carry. And it don't help when he avoids the press and/or makes them so mad they don't want to report on his stupid shenanigans anymore.
Easy decisions. Keep Carrot Top. Get rid of Criss Angel.
Add six. Subtract nine. Luxor wins. Simple arithmetic.
Posted by: ColinFromLasVegas | June 27, 2009 at 07:43 AM
Honestly, Colin, you couldn't make any more ridiculous statements if you tried. Cirque du Soleil is offering discounts for every Las Vegas show - go to their web site and they are offering 35% discounts for Mystère, Zumanity, KÀ, LOVE, and CRISS ANGEL Believe. They also have a "Buy one ticket, bring a friend for $25" promotion. This is not exclusive to BeLIEve, but to ALL Cirque shows in Vegas. Not only that, but the MGM Grand (where KA is performed) has a 25% off promotion, 35% off student discounts, as does The Mirage (where LOVE is performed). I bet if I were to look up the remaining hotels who host the other Cirque shows, I would find similar discounts and promotions.
Please stop trying to pigeon-hole BeLIEve as if it is the only show with a "problem" because of its supposed discounts, when in reality every show is being discounted.
As I mentioned previously, I saw BeLIEve on June 6. Much to your chagrin I am sure, it was a packed house. I talked to a local who was also at the show, and she mentioned that the show has been packed like this for the past several months.
You can paint a picture of poor sales and the doom of BeLIEve all you want, but the show's success speaks for itself.
--Jessica
Posted by: Jessica | June 27, 2009 at 02:27 PM
Jessica - you sound like Criss' PR people. We all know BeLIEve is in trouble and that it's only a matter of time before that buy out happens. Cirque is doing Elvis and Criss will be a distant memory. Unless they make the show liked by the masses in like 4 - 6 months, this show wiill close by 2010 or some time in 2010. The reviews are still bad and the Luxor is about promoting films on their building. I saw that E ! HTS and was sad to see how he has gone off the path he started on. They fluffed over the bad reviews and Criss seemed to have no idea of a plan to fix his show. Maybe if he took responsibility for his actions, he'd be in a better place. The Criss Angel act is old and what will Criss do after Mindfreak ends this season? Tour with KISS and do illusions for them? Lord knows that idiot Gene Simmons is full of it and knows Criss' show is in trouble. But Gene is exactly the type of person Criss admires and tries to be like...sad, Gene has no real talent and only sells his celebrity, and this reminds me of how Criss has been acting...does Criss have talent, yes, but why does he want to be an idiot like Gene Simmons? Yuck!!! Go Carrot Top, and at least he stays true to himself...Criss is a wannabe Rock Star. Here's hoping Criss stops wanting to be like Gene Simmons and more like Lance Burton....I hope Lance can save him...and Criss totally stole a lot from Jeff McBride...check out he youtube videos...and yes I know he a friend of Criss, but I use that as an example of how the magic world works....they all take from one another and the lawsuit is not suprising at all.
Posted by: getReal | June 29, 2009 at 09:20 PM
I am not one to pigeon hole BeLIEve at all. Contrary to that thought, the Criss Angel BeLIEve pigeon you are speaking of is the one that evacuates a big white splatter on the windshield on the cars of Las Vegas tourists who go to see this miserable excuse for a show.
I do agree that all Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas have discounts. That's just a sign of the economic times we live in right now. There are even discounts for locals who live in Las Vegas. Which is cool. But I would be willing to say that BeLIEve ranks on the bottom of all current shows running now. Without a doubt. To just group this show with other successful ones, be they Cirque du Soleil productions or not, is basically an insult to those other shows that strive for perfection and entertainment value. Because from all indications, Criss Angel BeLIEve is not even worth a footnote mention.
Would I go see this show? Hell no. Not after seeing page after page after comment after comment after theater review article after theater review article that all say the same thing: Baaaaaad. Horribly baaaaaaad. And even the ones that say something good about this show all have the caveat in it that they think it needs more work. I actually feel sorry for Richard here and other theater critics who had to suffer and sit through it. And all these bad reviews have been consistantly bad since the show started. Without any let up. My momma didn't raise a fool. And if she did, HE AIN'T HERE! In other words, I don't disregard expert opinions when they say Criss Angel BeLIEve is a waste of money. Especially when there are way more better shows in Las Vegas. And cheaper too, I might add.
Another fact is, besides not having any talent at all, Criss Angel is not respected at all. Based on his past behavior. Plus the fact that he basically don't hide the fact that he could care less about locals and/or tourists, only their ability to line his wallet with money. And this lack of respect by locals is backed up by the fact that he ranks first on a recent list that Las Vegas Weekly came up with...2008 Entertainers Locals Don't Like...something like that. He came in first. And from what I understand, he won it hands down. No contest. And if we don't like him, tourists won't care for him neither. They know there must be a valid reason why he heads that list. It filters down. Just the way it is.
As related by Criss Angel before this farce started, for all supposed wonderment BeLIEve was guaranteed to embody with cutting edge magic, the fact can't be hidden....it just hasn't even come close to meeting these lofty goals he proclaimed would happen. The luster he stated in all his press reports of what was supposed to happen has dulled considerably and it has clearly been revealed he just blathered stuff to get people to come in and see it so they could line his pockets with mucho deneiro. Money he don't deserve. He didn't come through. It failed. And everything he promised...didn't happen. All lies and misrepresentations of the truth. And it continues to fail every night. As evidenced by Cirque du Soleil all of a sudden coming out with the correction Criss Angel BeLIEve is a production piece, not magic. When it was originally advertised as magic like you've never seen since the Red Sea parted. Like Criss Angel is all of a sudden in contention for a Tony Award for his incredible acting abilities or something. When he can't even act his way out of a paper bag if his life depended on it. All the locals know this deflection for a fact. The promise of magic never seen was actually very accurate, now I come to think of it. Because it's true...it is IN FACT not been seen still. And we are relating this gobbleygook double speak falsehoods to tourists non-stop on a daily basis. Avoid this stupid show. Because it just does not come through with anything close to entertainment value as it has been touted to be. It IS a total waste of money if you purchase tickets for it. Go see sometihng else. I am actually happy to see that Cirque du Soleil is starting to come around and realize it's all crap too...from subtle indications in their actions.
I want to remind everyone that just pointing out one show and the composition of its audience don't epitomize what this show is all about. Especially when it is expounded upon by someone that is a blind unquestioning Criss Angel fan, a shill paid to spout out the party line on this crap to sucker people into the show and/or someone with a vested interest in making money off of this failing show. The way things been going, a full house just tells me there are going to be more disgruntled people who will scream out on web sites about how they were totally ripped off and misled by the flowery advertisements that promised something, but didn't pull through with the promise. I'd be interested to know what percentage of those seats were "comp'ed" (free). Because if there were a lot of them, that means this show is about to capsize.
The thing that can't be disregarded is that there STILL is a flood of bad reviews from paying audience members. So, if there were indeed changes made, they didn't work. From all indications I see, the problems with this show are because Criss Angel steps on the stage and the moment he opens his mouth, he drags the quality of the show down to abysmal low levels. And this is every night...and has been going on for just about eight months now. I get the impression that even Criss Angel agrees that he hooked up with Holly Madison to take the focus away from horrible show reviews that were mounting (see Richard's article). Because he correctly saw the same problems that every one else did. That he can't reproduce what he does on television onto a stage in Las Vegas. But Criss Angel won't admit it. He looks at it like everyone is picking on him, taking it out on the audience and theater critics, playing the martyr and other stupid reasons that float around in his brain pan cavity and drown out everything else, not to mention hoping that his Loyals all back him up and he hides behind their skirts and coat tails. That's best for him...to pull the wool over everyone's eyes and keep raking in that money.
The truth can't be thrown around, folded and molded to suit a purpose in order to say this show is doing well. Because it clearly isn't. And if this show does continue ad nauseum as its going now, that's bad news for Las Vegas. Real bad news. Because I am very sure that tourists don't want to come here and be misled to go into a show room to see a steaming pile of crap. And I might add, the locals who work up and down the Strip WON'T let this happen. I know many workers who definitely will not. They will tell the truth to tourists, and inevitably kill this show faster than bug spray on a cockroach or any excuse Criss Angel fans can come up with.
I am looking at this realistically from a perspective of someone who lives here. I am not an authority on stage shows in Las Vegas. Not by a long shot. But I can see what's going on. Just like everyone that lives here sees what's going on. And the glaring fact is that....Criss Angel should not be on a stage in a show room on the famous Las Vegas Strip. You don't need an acting degree, be a world class thespian and/or be an accomplished magician/illusionist to figure this out. And if you don't trust my word (or other workers on the Strip), then check the web sites and see what they say about this show. They all back up what I'm (we're) saying.
Basically, the Criss Angel BeLIEve show is like this: Everyone can agree that if it looks like a snake, hisses like one, coils like it's going to strike you, is slimy, has scales, has evil looking fangs, looks at you funny, is madder than hell, and has its attention focused on you because you are getting too close to it...THEN STAY AWAY FROM THE DAMN THING SO YOU DON'T GET HURT! It's against our nature to do the opposite, especially when there is serious danger and the sucker is gonna launch at ya and do serious harm by biting you! Same thing with Criss Angel BeLIEve. Keep your distance. Walk around it. Avoid. Treat it like a snake.
Posted by: ColinFromLasVegas | June 30, 2009 at 12:21 PM
It is useless for me to argue back and forth with you since you are so set in your anti-Criss Angel ways. You are unlikely to ever change your opinion, but I will correct a few of your points:
BeLIEve *IS* a show "unlike the world of entertainment has ever seen". This is a statement directly from Criss' mouth, and I think it is a true statement. You haven't even seen the show, so how would you know otherwise? I have seen the show - I know.
Do you realize what Criss meant when he made that statement? Criss' perception of magic growing up was that it was "hokey" - magicians in capes and top hats working with scantily-clad women, sawing them in half in boxes and doing "predictable" magic (i.e. pulling a rabbit out of a hat) that we have seen a million times over. Criss has turned magic on its head by presenting magic in unusual ways that people were not used to seeing at a traditional "magic show". I will not give away the details of the show, but I personally think that he has succeeded in this.
The fact that you are a local means nothing - you are one of many, and not every local shares your opinion of the show. I have talked to plenty of Vegas locals who love it.
It is your opinion versus mine. Who is the public going to believe: someone who has seen the show, has met Criss, and knows a lot about him, or someone who has not seen the show, has not met Criss, and does nothing but belittle him every chance he gets? Tough call. (Not.)
The fact that I am constantly pegged as a "plant", or "Cirque/Criss Angel" employee, is just laughable. I am from Philadelphia, PA. I have no relation to anyone involved in the show whatsoever. I just know what I like, and I think it is wrong for people to judge something that they (admittedly) know nothing about.
If you ever do see the show, whether you think the show as a whole is memorable or boring is completely up to you. Since you have not seen it, I can't see how you can have an opinion one way or another. It is like reviewing a movie you haven't seen or a CD that you haven't heard - you are judging it not only based on heresay, but Criss personal life, which is ridiculous to me. Go see the show, then your opinion will actually mean something.
--Jessica
Posted by: Jessica | July 03, 2009 at 02:05 PM
There's two glaring instances which demonstrate why Criss Angel is not meant for Las Vegas.
The first one is that back in April 2008, during the Miss USA contest, he growled a threat (quote) at Norm Clark, a reporter for the Las Vegas Review Journal: "Don't ever write another word about me, or you'll need an eye patch over your other eye."
Here's an interview by the Rocky Mountain News with Norm Clarke on January 19, 2009 about that incident (quote):
Question: How did you and Criss Angel get so crossways?
Norm Clarke’s Answer: Back in April, 2008, Donald Trump's Miss USA contest was in town and I had a sighting of Angel with Pamela Anderson at Elton John's show. His girlfriend, Miss Nevada USA, was not happy about that tidbit and he showed up with some makeup bling. I ran that, and then found out he told a judge (whose husband was president of Planet Hollywood Resort, the host hotel) to "give my girl high marks." Even if said in jest, which was his defense, that's highly inappropriate. I ran into Trump and he said he was "not happy" about it. I wrote that and when Miss Nevada didnt make the final cut, Criss flipped off an NBC cameraman. I happen to walk past him on the way to the after-party and he went ballistic. Basically said I was dead to him and the next time I ran his name in my column "you will need two eyepatches.'
And secondly, skip past to one year later in April 2009, during a performance of Criss Angel BeLIEve, a show that is supposedly PG rated for 12 years old and up, Angel asked Perez Hilton, who was in the audience, to stand. After he did stand, Criss Angel, before an audience, spouted out, "I have to recognize someone special here in the house. Perez Hilton, please stand up. We have the world's biggest douchebag asshole in the house!"
This is a guy who headlines a show on the famous Las Vegas Strip? No. More like a spoiled brat, punk and/or manipulative prison convict. Take your pick.
As for the show itself, it has disappeared from top ten secondary ticket sales for well over a month now. Also, anyone who disregards the sheer staggering bad reviews, not to mention all the lists that Criss Angel tops in Las Vegas of idiots who we'd like to be seen gone, is not being realistic.
However, I want to wish you the best as a fan of Criss Angel, Jessica. And I have a favor to ask. If you ever meet His Douchewaddedness' again, perhaps you could encourage him to move to Philadelphia (or anywhere else) and start a show? Las Vegas would REALLY appreciate any help you can offer in this matter. Because it's a given fact that he blew it here.
Posted by: ColinFromLasVegas | July 04, 2009 at 07:13 AM
How can you possibility say Vegas had it with Mr. Angel.
Are you aware Criss Angel just got another store open at Circus Circus. That must mean he is doing great.
Posted by: Question to ColinfromVegas | July 04, 2009 at 08:19 PM
Hi Jessica,
I hope you read my first post because I have seen BeLIEve and I like the show, but as I said before, if 90% of the public says it sucks, you need to change it. It has been 8 months + and the reviews are still bad and nobody cares about this show and Criss is about to disappear from TV after this season. He better come up with something quick because his reputation as a live performer is in the toilet. Getting back to reality, Jessica, have you checked this year's Forbes list of richest entertainers (100 of them)? Criss is not listed but David Copperfield, 30 million made off his magic, and Penn and Tell, 18 million made off their magic and TV show, are listed. Why is that? Because the two legends mentioned above can perform anywhere and are respected as live performers. Criss is not in this category and the Vegas experiment has failed. Just watch, that new Mindfreak store at Circus Circus was only the first sign of things to come. I think the Luxor is trying to figure out a way to get out the contract with Criss...the stores at the Luxor will close if this happens and Circus Circus will be his home, for the store at least. I could be wrong and maybe there is some big plan to save BeLIEve, I doubt it though.
My stats from Forbes is not to say Criss is not a vey rich man, he is, but to show that he still makes less than Copperfield and Penn and Teller. So, I ask Criss or I ask Jessica, who is the King? Remember Criss' boosting about being the King over Copperfiield on Larry King live from Oct. 2007? Anyway, I wish criss the best...but get real Jessica.
Posted by: getReal | July 05, 2009 at 12:03 AM
Why are there still people talking about Holly and Criss Angel? Anyone that is a true fan of Holly's knows she's been seen hanging all over the place in Vegas with Jason Verona.
In fact, Jason Verona accompanied Holly at TAO Beach today, July 5th
Posted by: #1HollyMadisonFan | July 05, 2009 at 06:57 PM
Holly Madison got over Criss Angel fast. She is now dating Jason Verona.
Posted by: CRA39 | July 05, 2009 at 06:58 PM
I have to agree with #1HollyMadisonFan, I also suspect Holly and Jason Verona are indeed a real, genuine couple.
I am a local Las Vegas resident and both my hubby and I were lucky enough to attend Sunday's TAO Beach in hopes of us getting a moment or two to meet our newest #1 talent on the strip, Ms. Madison.
Holly was so sweet, so kind and just a real pleasure to meet. During her breaks from posing for pictures with all her fans (a snob she most certainly ain't), my hubby and I both witnessed her lean over to hold Mr. Verona's hand or give him a sweet kiss on the mouth.
Much happiness to both of them. What a winning combo.
Posted by: Another local Holly Madison fan | July 06, 2009 at 06:55 PM
Awwww I think Holly Madison and Jason Verona make a great couple.
i wish them happiness.
Posted by: Cindy | July 07, 2009 at 04:53 AM
Some people are so far behind its funny as hell.
It is no secret to anyone in the local community that Holly is definately involved in the biblical sense with Jason Verona. Why you think Criss booted her tail out of the Luxor.
Posted by: Bry | July 07, 2009 at 06:45 AM