One of the biggest names in the history of magic has reached a new plateau in Las Vegas. Last month, Criss Angel cruised past the first anniversary of his new Mindfreak show at the Planet Hollywood Resort, where he performs in his own technologically advanced theater nightly (except Monday and Tuesday). After more than a decade as a Las Vegas Strip headliner and many more years on TV plying his craft and trademark style, Angel’s latest action-packed spectacular is exactly as he wants it. “The show is officially locked,” he says. “I’m really thrilled with the pacing and, most importantly, the reactions we’re getting from the audience. It’s been overwhelming.”
You’ve settled in at Criss Angel Theater at Planet Hollywood, but how long did it take to feel truly comfortable here?
I felt at home immediately because I had a history with Planet Hollywood. I started here back in 2004 when I shot season one and two of my TV show Mindfreak for A&E, so I’m very familiar with this location, and I actually lived here for more than two years. It brought back tremendous memories for me. But I always create all of my projects much longer than they need to be because I want to be able to listen to the audience and what they react to and engage with. It’s been an ongoing process. But it’s been amazing and it’s more like a concert than a typical theatrical show.
That makes sense, because like a great rock band you have your own greatest hits your fans need to see.
Many times people will yell out, “Levitate!” and I know it’s coming. So we give them what they want and we do things from those YouTube clips that have tens of millions of views and do
all those best-of (illusions), if you will. I always try to cycle in something new because I have a lot of repeat business. We’ve been open about 13 months and I have people who have seen the show 50-some times.
Clearly your enhanced, honed-in show is really resonating with your most loyal fans.
It’s really unbelievable, the reactions to this show, and I think it’s because it’s not necessarily about the great illusions. It’s more about how people feel when they watch them, that magic of emotion, that connection. This show is not about, “How do you do that?” It’s more “How do you feel when you watch it?” It makes you cry, it excites you, it’s scary, it’s funny. It’s like this emotional roller coaster and you don’t know where the twists and turns are.
It’s a very full experience, especially with all the special effects and technology you’ve embedded in the theater.
I wanted the audience to be in the show, in the scene, so when I’m spinning around upside down over the audience’s heads, so is the room. When I’m doing a live 3D effect onstage, not only is the live action moving, so is the virtual action. I believe it’s the first time it’s ever been done in Las Vegas and it starts with the lobby, so the first step you take inside is about engagement, about interacting, about sharing and social media and all those things I feel are the future of entertainment.
You still found the time and energy to do quite a bit of touring last year. What’s it like to bounce between the Vegas show and your more-stripped-down road show?
It’s amazing. It’s like in mixed martial arts: I train extensively in jiujitsu, but I also do striking, becau se you have to do both to be completely well-rounded. For me, having the spectacle of this show is awesome, but it’s also awesome to go out on the tour bus with a show that loads in less than four hours, do it that evening, and it loads out in less than an hour. And people get the opportunity to see things I don’t do in this show. It’s a very intimate relationship with the audience. It feels like I’m in their den, having a great time and partying, bugging them out, going into the audience and bringing them up onstage.
