ENTERTAINMENT: Angel fans must ‘Believe’ a little longer

  Chris Angel fans have to tell themselves to “Believe” that his Luxor show really will open someday, after Monday’s announcement that the first ticketed show has been delayed another two weeks, from Sept. 12 to Sept. 26.
  The announcement shortens the window for designated previews of the new Cirque du Soleil production, as the opening night gala is still set for Oct. 10. The invitations hadn’t been sent out, says Cirque spokeswoman Anita Nelving, so that decision apparently didn’t hinge upon celebrity attendance.
  A news release cites the show's "enormous complexities and technical precision" as the reason for scrapping two weeks of ticketed performances. Ticket holders can choose between a refund or rescheduling; call 800-557-7428 for information.
  The delays, Nelving says, are based on the fact that this is Cirque’s first foray into illusions, and there are “elements that can’t be worked out during previews.” In other words, if an illusion breaks down onstage and exposes the magic to a ticketed audience, it’s a lot different than having, say, the moving platform stage in “Ka” getting stuck in front of the customers.
  "We are all working hard to bring this dream to reality and we can't unveil this creation to the world until all the elements are perfected," Angel said in a statement. "I know that once we open the doors, the audience will have one of the most amazing live show experiences of their lives."
  The show previously was pushed back in late June, with Sept. 12 two weeks later than the original target date. Perhaps that accounts for pervasive talk in the entertainment community that the show would be postponed again.
  Last week, in the course of scheduling the Review-Journal’s Neon entertainment section, it came time to decide whether Donny and Marie Osmond should be the cover story on Sept. 5 — even though they don’t open until Sept. 9 — so we wouldn’t be trying to fit both their show and “Believe” into the Sept. 12 Neon.
  The Osmonds’ publicist, Laura Herlovich encouraged me to confirm the opening date for “Believe” because she had heard it had been postponed. I did, and Cirque officials were standing by the Sept. 12 date. Asked today about her psychic abilities, Herlovich said she had “just heard rehearsals weren’t going well.”
  Angel has as many detractors as fans, and it's no secret that many are rooting for this show to fail. Herlovich acknowledges some bad blood between herself and Angel's publicist, Steve Flynn. Nothing fuels the grapevine like a little ill will. But Nelving says there are “definitely no issues” between Cirque and the illusionist and that he is “100 percent focused.”