Angel’s belief in ‘Believe’ is strong

Criss Angel believes in "Believe."

"We're incredibly proud and pleased," he said, with the magic show he created with Cirque du Soleil and helped launch Friday in front of a VIP crowd at the Luxor.

In a wide-ranging exclusive interview in his dressing room, Angel responded to some of the concerns I've heard, from angst over a bloodied bunny to the show's sexual and darker overtones.

The interview, our first meeting since April, was an extended olive branch on his part. He picked up the telephone about 10 days ago and we mutually agreed we regretted some harsh words in the aftermath of a public incident after the Miss U.S.A. pageant at Planet Hollywood Resort.

I attended "Believe" for the first time on Thursday and came away with several impressions, but I made the point to Angel before our sit-down on Friday that I'm not a theater critic.

That said, the show has many spectacular elements and like other Las Vegas Cirque shows that overcame early criticism, it has a chance to succeed.

The show will need stronger acting from the illusionist when it shifts from Cirque's "Believe" to Angel's "Believe."

The tweaking process will need to address some early darker material, when some in the audience were jolted by the bunny carcass and the dismemberment of Angel by some evil rabbit people.

The energy in the room seemed to vanish at the sight of the bloodied rabbit and it took a while before applause grew.

The dismemberment scene, explained Angel, "was about playing with the synonymous symbol of the magician pulling the rabbit out of the hat and saying that all of these rabbits that have been pulled out of the hat by all of the magicians all of these years now get their revenge."

To make his point, he said check out the proscenium, the golden outline of the stage, where mechanized rabbits pull Angel's head out of a hat.

Some of his sexual double entendres didn't fly either.

"You know what it is," countered Angel. "At the end of the day, I'm Criss Angel. I'm the guy on television they beep out (for bad language).

"Trying to please everybody is the kiss of death," he said. "I have to do what I think is right for me and Serge (director Serge Denoncourt) as well, and what I think is very fascinating is when I ask somebody after the show, what was your favorite part and what was your least favorite part.

"No two people," he said, "including Celine Dion (she loved his walk down the side of the wedding dress wall) and Jennifer Lopez, have the same answer... . I think we've really done our job to have created so many diverse -- diverse is the key word -- moments in the show that we have something in the show for everybody."

It's not a show he recommends for 8-year-olds, he said, but, "I think if the kids 11 to 12 years old and the parents are comfortable with it, that's fine.

"But this is a show from that age on that people will really enjoy, will be very entertained and will have an experience that is completely unique than any other show in the world, quite frankly."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Michael Jackson has issued a statement saying he won't be joining family members for a Jackson 5 reunion tour.

"My brothers and sisters have my full love and support, and we've certainly shared many great experiences, but at this time I have no plans to record or tour with them," Jackson said in a statement released by representative Dr. Tohme. "I am now in the studio developing new and exciting projects that I look forward to sharing with my fans in concert soon." He has been recording at the Palms Hotel Casino.

SIGHTINGS

Holly Madison of "Girls Next Door" fame, joining Angel on the black carpet at the opening of "Believe."... Sally and Chuck Heath, the parents of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, turning heads at Green Valley Ranch on Friday. Palin has been campaigning in Nevada. ... Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, dining at Vintner Grill on Thursday.

THE PUNCH LINE

"It's cold out today. So cold, Sarah Palin was putting ChapStick on a pit bull." -- David Letterman

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.