Cirque Du Soleil:
A Review
By Vanni Pulé

Having read mostly negative reviews of Criss Angel’s show Believe, I decided to go see it for myself when I was in Las Vegas recently, and make up my own mind. What a pleasant surprise it proved to be! Both my wife, Mary Anne, who is not very tolerant in her criticism, and I were totally entranced with the whole show. We had no regrets at all, except for the seating arrangements promised and not delivered by the online booking agent.
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In the entry hallway of the auditorium hang pictures depicting Criss Angel surrounded by insipid white rabbits that materialize and fade as one passes by. The classical stage is hung with thick curtains and framed with rococo golden sculptures depicting rabbit motifs. After the usual amusing Cirque du Soleil preamble with the ushers, Criss emerges to thunderous applause and enthusiasm from a full house. His infatuation with the television camera as a tool for his magic is proven when he disappears from a rolled-up screen while being monitored by a camera. The banner drape he uses is coincidentally brought in by one of his fans sitting in the front rows. The subsequent trick is a straightforward prediction effect in an overhead-hanging casket that is baffling and direct. Then he speaks about his foolhardy obsession with an illusion involving an enormous Tesla Cage that delivers six million volts, which he was about to perform live. An impressively realistic Tesla coil suddenly injures Angel badly, and the rest of the cast is seen rushing to and fro, apparently quite helpless until a stretcher takes him to an ambulance. This is recorded on camera and shown on large video screens and, although everybody knows that it involves stage blood, the close-up of his face is graphic and provides quite a gruesome and unnecessarily morbid spectacle. From then on, what dominates the show is a weird dream emerging from a dark mind.

It is difficult for me to give a step-by-step review of all that happens because I did not take any notes; I preferred to relish the whole show as it occurred, particularly since it was entirely gratifying and I never once glanced at my watch in boredom. The show was not full of magic, yet all the aspects blended into a well-executed program. There are enough standard magic shows around; this had to be different to succeed.

Included in the magic sequences is a standard dove act, not better or worse than some of the more select ones around. It blends in well with the atmosphere of rabbits and doves -- fur and feather -- that is an underlying motif of this spectacle.

Criss performed a chain and leather version of the metamorphosis trunk with smoke instead of a curtain. Although the smoke is perhaps more profuse than necessary, it is still very effective. A golem, or building of a body from loose limbs, follows his rather rabid mutilation by vicious rabbits as a kind of livestock’s revenge. It is quite gory, but, when you think of it, gives the illusion a more logical sequence than normal.

Another illusion, seen recently in an episode of CSI:NY, Season 3 Episode 18, is one of the best versions of sawing in half. Although dwarfed by the size of the stage and all the surrounding movements, it is extremely dramatic and effective. However, its conclusion is rather anticlimactic. This is redeemed by the encore finale, which is a very simple and direct disappearance of Angel from a table, giving the hint that “Criss Angel has left the building.”

Overall, the recurrent concept that holds the show together is the banter between the dark yet whimsical Criss Angel and the Cirque du Soleil ushers, led endearingly by Luigi. These provide comic relief and an excellent, mischievous foil for Angel’s subdued roguishness. Set, lights, music, and dance blend together in a coherent spectacle in which each scene emerges as a painting of gothic surrealism. The magic is striking but relatively sparse, and sometimes quite repetitive, especially when it involves transpositions. The video projections prove to be very effective, albeit at times overused. The music, especially at the beginning is rather gritty and intense. I quite liked it, but spectators who are not used to rock may find it irritating. Eventually, it becomes more Cirque in style. Some of the sequences, like the dispersal of a looming figure into crawling creatures, are reminiscent of a Hieronymus Bosch painting. The enormously long gown of Angel’s bride upon which he walks is monumental; the building of an alien-like creature from which Angel emerges, although not magically notable, is artistically imposing.

In summary, this show is a mixed-media work of art, in which magic is the main ingredient, beautifully spiced by other elements. The Criss Angel seen on Mindfreak and YouTube is not the same one you will find here, but the popularity garnered through those media serves him well.

“Criss Angel in BeLIEve: A Review” is reprinted from The Linking Ring, the monthly publication of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. For information on joining the I.B.M., click here.