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-by Barbara Bales
While other Broadway shows were closing, MINDFREAK continued to grow in popularity. "We opened after the 9/11 travesty, and people did not expect us to last," he explains. "Instead, the production got extended from three to fourteen months!" (If you visit his website, CrissAngel.com, you can view the many backstage pix of Criss with celebrity fans like Gene Simmons, WWE's Vince McMahon, Kyra Sedgwick, Siegfried and Roy and Ice-T to name a few.) His admirers, known as The Loyal, are "incredibly loyal...so much so that it blows me away. You can see their fan sites and chat rooms on the Internet. They have created a bunch of crazy items...gifts I've received: from dolls to magnets and mouse pads. They really want to perpetuate me everywhere. It's quite flattering."
Seems like everybody has fully embraced the versatile artist and New York native, who is owner and operator of ARPITRAG Records, on which his complete catalog of CDs and DVDs can be purchased. Part magician-part musician (drums, percussion, vocals, composition), Criss - who "just wants to continue creating art" - is also trained in various forms of movement. He began doing magic as a small child and got a pyrotechnics license at the earliest age permitted. Citing Houdini as well as film director Federico Fellini and Franco Dragone (of Cirque Du Soleil fame) among his top influences, he draws inspiration "from anything that connects to me. We're all like sponges; we see things that go into our mind and we spew them out in our own form: songs, art, movies." His interests in the art of illusion and music began "at a very early age. As a kid I would perform small tricks (which grew throughout the years) for my family. Eventually, I started my own band (Criss Angel). We'd have two to three thousand people show up at the clubs we played, like Spit...the Roxy...Sparks...Webster Hall...L'Amour's. I also produced and directed a few music videos back then. One was called 'Suicide Machine', which we did at the Hit factory in New York City. Gary Lyons, whose worked with the Grateful Dead, and Aerosmith, produced the actual song. A couple of music videos we'd done will ironically be included on a new DVD I have coming out titled 'Criss Angel: Evolution'. It's actually 1 of 6 DVDs coming out in 2004 on APITRAG Records focusing on my roots and earlier years. Those years really provided me the opportunity to evolve and try out various concepts, fusing original music, creatures and the art of illusion."
It hasn't always been a "magic carpet ride" for Criss, especially at the start of his career: "I'd been offered many deals from prominent producers but they were onerous; they wanted to own my work and give me a small salary, which I did not want. So I did it all myself; I started from scratch....My career was trying. I had to work for everything I've gained. I never got a break but I'm relentless!" he avers. "As an artist, when you're different or you do something unique, you always have the most difficult time. It's been both a blessing and a curse; the fans may love you but the industry doesn't know what to do with you. But now I'm in a great situation because I've persevered. I'm incredibly passionate and I always find a way....I have thick skin and believe that which doesn't kill you will make you stronger." He credits his parents with imbuing him with discipline...and speaking of family, his brother Costa is one of the performers - both for live shows and on TV - and is also active behind the scenes. "I've been blessed with a wonderful family and the greatest parents. I would never have accomplished what I have without their support." It takes Criss nine months to a year to do an entire CD: "I never have the time to do them straight through because I have so much going on at once." Since the shows are set to his music, which comes first? "There is no formula. Sometimes I come up with the song first which inspires the visual, other times it's the opposite and sometimes I feed off both going back and forth in its creation. The end result, I hope, is a true audio visual experience that connects to people."
Has he ever gotten feedback from people whose religious beliefs include voodoo or black magic, etc.? "I've been a huge proponent of the mind, body and spirit connection and that anything is possible when they work symbiotically. I've also stated that a lot of what I do is real and some is an illusion and it is up to the public to determine what is real and what isn't. Well, because of these statements and approach, many people believe that everything I do is real. I can assure you it's not black magic, white magic or purple - it's the MIND, BODY and SPIRIT!" In the Fall of 2003, Criss spent 3 weeks performing in Japan for his television special which aired on the TBS network. In January, he traveled to Belgium, where he visited with Franco Dragone, the creator and director of most of the Cirque du Soleil productions as well as the new Celine Dion show in Las Vegas. He and Franco "are exploring the possibilities of working together." Plans for the balance of 2004 (and beyond) include touring for the seemingly tireless artist: "My number one objective is to create art in all forms." In closing, the polite and mercurial artist adds, "Thank you, Barbara, for this opportunity. I look forward to seeing you and The Loyal on tour in 2004." Visit: CrissAngel.com
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Perhaps
you had the chance to witness one of the artist's elaborate live
shows from his resoundingly successful Broadway production, CRISS
ANGEL: MINDFREAK, which ran from November 2001 through January 2003
in the Big Apple with almost 600 performances. MINDFREAK featured
Criss performing his ultra-hip brand of new-Millennium magic amidst
a swirling entourage of gymnasts dressed as otherworldly creatures.
Choreographed to Criss's original compositions, MINDFREAK dazzled
audiences and critics alike. ("Remarkable and entertaining!"
- the New York Times; "Mesmerizing!" - Broadway.com; "Angel
is a master of shock as much as illusion. His...acts are some sort
of Goth Cirque Du Soleil. The MINDFREAK is on the cutting edge of
magic." - Los Angeles Times.) 
Perhaps
you checked out the Magician of the Year (of which he is is the
only two-time recipient: 2001 and 2004) on his Halloween 2002 ABC
Family special titled, "MINDFREAK" or his 2003 Sci Fi
Channel special titled, "SUPERNATURAL"...or perhaps you
have heard about his feats, which include: his six-hour suspension
by fishhooks (yikes!) pierced through his body; his 24-hour submersion
in a water chamber (dubbed the "Water Torture Cell" by
magician Harry Houdini); his recreation of Houdini's straitjacket
escape in full view of a Milwaukee crowd. Or maybe you've read articles
on Criss or have seen a few of his many TV / radio guest-appearances.
"I've been on Howard Stern's show a number of times and he's
been very kind to me," Criss acknowledges. ("An amazing
illusionist! The best I've ever seen!" commented Stern.) 
Additionally,
Criss will release 2 new CDs in 2004 on APITRAG Records; one will
feature the soundtrack for the live world tour and the other features
songs that have nothing to do with the show (like the 'System 1'
In The 'Trilogy' CD). "For me it's all about evolution; growing
as an artist on stage and in the studio is what keeps me motivated,"
he maintains. "We live in a technological age where so much
is possible and experimentation's where my best creations are derived.
So to have that ability in a Pro Tools studio without worry about
huge rates is invaluable. I got Micky James on board for the new
CD; he's an engineer / artist who can make an affordable studio
sound like a million dollars." 
Thousands
of emails pour in each day, some of which Criss highlights in the
FORUM section of his site: "I can't tell you how much they
mean to me. I eventually read each one. Believe it or not there
is not much of a difference between a 30- and a 15-year-old's comments,
as crazy as that might sound! Usually the common thread is that
they share how I have effected them in some way, which is obviously
the most flattering."
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