DID IT FREAK ME OUT?
Ok. You’re dying to hear about the shows we’re seeing in Vegas. Right?
Over the years Susie Reese and I have seen all of the Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas save one. We even have seen those that have since closed (VIVA ELVIS and ZARKANA). The one we always resisted was CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE because of the terrible reviews and toxic word-of-mouth emanating from the LUXOR Casino.
Well…now there is a new edition, CRISS ANGEL MINDFREAK LIVE!, playing at that same casino, so we checked in on Sunday night, July 23, 2017 to sample the show. Mind you…in this instance the show has dropped the formal Cirque du Soleil affiliation, although it still uses the Cirque ticket services.
Sorry to say, the positive hubbub surrounding this new, supposedly “improved” show seems to be unwarranted.
If you are looking for a pulsing, rock & roll live experience with lasers, impressive visuals, pyrotechnics every few minutes and an incessant biographical review of Criss Angel’s career, you might have a perfectly wonderful time.
That is not to say that there may not be some enervating magical moments during this 90 minute production. For me, I cherish the illusion involving a flock of doves. Likewise, I am a sucker for the affecting moments involving his son’s cancer diagnosis.
Otherwise, though, there isn’t much “there” there. Having followed Anthony Hernandez with Dawn Morgan over the last decade, I remain unimpressed with most of the offerings which either were exact reproductions or slight variations on a standard magician’s repertoire.
Count me unimpressed with the “flying” finale as well.
You may see this extravaganza through a different lens because of your own journey, but the effort tastes stale to me.
Theatre Curtain Calling…Reviewing the Situation
