Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Magic:

New Criss Angel show at Luxor? ‘Believe’ it

‘Billy Topit’ Red Carpet at Palms

Ira Kuzma

Criss Angel, The Amazing Johnathan and Anastasia Synn arrive on the red carpet for Lance Burton’s “Billy Topit: Master Magician” on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, at the Palms.

Criss Angel’s ‘Believe’ on Spike TV

Criss Angel’s “Believe” on Spike TV.

Launch slideshow »

Though not confirmed yet by the headliner or Cirque du Soleil officials, I’m hearing that the date for “Believe” to shut down is April 17, as the crew was notified over the weekend. This move is expected, as Criss Angel and Cirque have long planned to rename and update his production at Luxor.

A new magic-themed show has been discussed in concept at least since last fall, and Angel is to be a figure in an “Unnamed Magic Show” (a working title I am employing here) at his Luxor theater.

The reinvention of Angel’s stage show happens a little less than two months after the upgrades to “The Beatles Love” at the Mirage, which returns to the stage Thursday night in the first phase of a rolling overhaul leading to its 10th anniversary celebration in July.

Angel’s 10-year contract with Cirque runs through October 2018, and “Believe,” which has had a mercurial path before settling into a strong-selling production for the balance of its run, has simply arced out at the Luxor. The new show will reportedly be employing fewer stage techs about 20 less than the 74 who worked on “Believe.”

The upshot: Angel is still a bankable showman who has had success on the road with his “Mindfreak Live” and “The Supernaturalists” productions, particularly at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, where he has consistently filled that hotel’s 1,400-seat Fox Theater.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats.

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