The Good, the Bad and the UN-Believable (more pics at bottom of blog)

THE GOOD I was told to arrive and pick up my tickets at the box office between 12-4p Friday. So we get in the very long line. While waiting a Believe employee comes around and gives us all cold bottled water while we wait, nice touch.

We finally get up in line and get our package, large black envelope..inside was a Nice Beautiful Criss Angel sleeve with our beautiful red glossy tickets which say World Premiere. 7pm show 4th row, yay. There was also a Criss Angel pic voucher that says we can turn it in for a free program (those cost $20) and also inside our package was 2 gorgeous silver dog tag necklaces that say Criss Angel Believe on them and an instruction card that said If you have received dog tags, you must wear them to the show and to the after gala party and those are your entrance into the party. It also said if you have received the lucky rabbits foot, your entrance is secured into the VIP section of the party inside the gala. Alas we had no rabbits foot, but we were into the party yay!

So after lunch we get ready, dressed up and head on down....we were a little late..the "black carpet" walk of celebrities had already started. I was not about to push my way up to the front and pass screaming little girls or the press to get glimpses. I did manage to stand on a chair for a minute to see Criss and Holly Madison (this is their coming out as a couple, officially announcing it) come through. Cirque cast, directors, walked the carpet...as did stars such as: Micahel Johns (AI) and wife, Tera Patrick (Porn star) and husband Evan Seinfeld (Biohazard, Vince Neil (Motley Crue) and wife, Mike Tyson, Evangeline Lilly (in a Daisy May costume) and Dominic Monaghan from Lost, Siegfried, Sully from Godsmack, Mike Tyson...all these people were walking the black carpet.

I couldnt be as fangirly as I'd liked with hubby in tow or I woulda pushed the envelope more. So sadly no Criss pics from the red carpet for me.

Anyhow we decided to go in and check out the theater. I had been in the lobby before (for that meet and be interviewed by Criss contest) and what I saw was gorgeous but it wasnt done. Its very lush in there, cant explain it, very dark and victorian in nature. There are ornate gold textured frames on the wall with pictures of Criss and Rabbits and you dont realize it but they change as you walk by or stare at them, very freaky and cool. I was told not to bring my camera, leave it in the room (by some friends) because they make you check it and you'll have to stand in a huge long line to get it back at the end, no bueno.

Now I am kicking myself because we did have to go through metal detectors but everyones dog tag party passes were going off all over the place so they didnt search anyone's purse because of it-they figured it was the dog tags lol so I totally coulda brought my camera! Dang dang dang.

We get into the lobby and its also very pretty in there. I go check out the ladies room and its got red roses and gardenia lotion for you and free mints and was pretty.

Then we sidle up to the bar counter for a cocktail and they have the daquiri machines as well as all other beers and drinks and such. We saw different cool kinds of snacks too so I ordered 2 cocktails for us and some pecan cluster thingy's and have my money out. The gentleman then says "Ma'am its all complimentary tonight." so we tipped well and proceeded to order more drinks and watch the celebrities all walk in to the lobby etc..that was cool.

About 10 min before the show we head to our seats. Incredible 4th row center seats. Neil Patrick Harris comes and sits 2 rows behind us. Then Sigfried (sans Roy) sits down directly behind me...I could hear his conversations lol. Vince Neil and wife get seat 3 rows behind and to the right etc. Mike Tyson was a few rows behind and across the aisle. Surreal. Some Loyals got front row seats, very cool but I was glad to be where I was though, front row is too close if you ask me. The stage is high!

Anyhow the theater: absolutely beautiful. Crimson red curtains, enormous Gold statues of Lucky the rabbit that move!. An enormous Gold picture frame framing the theater stage which is small and inimate, it only holds 1600 people but it seems like so much less. The usual Cirque clown type ushers entertain you at the beginning running through the crowd and introducing Criss. A rabbit peeks out from the curtains before it is opened.

THE BAD: Here's where I stop from telling about the show. I dont want to spoil it for anyone who doesnt want to know. You all know it has been skewered in the press, put down and stomped on during the preview period. This is normal as happened to Love, Ka, Zumanity and Mystere too. They fix these things, work on them, take feedback and all that jazz but I was told from 1 Cirque employee there that it really takes a good 4 months of being open past opening night to really get things to perfection.

My opinion: although I really enjoyed the show overall, after all its Criss.....I can see why its getting bad reviews. If you dont know Criss you may not "get it". Its also very dark, not suitable for little kids for sure. I get the premise: a magician has a horrible accident on stage and hallucinates, hovering between life and death, your trapped in Criss' head and its a journey to find love, only to lose it and all the demons he has to work out in his head. A bad alice in wonderland acid trip if you will.

But I can tell you this: there are parts I find downright silly, and it could be told better...there are 2 little segues it needs that are missing that I have figured out how to do. If I can get my point to anyone involving this show I'll let them know.

The good part, Criss looks amazing. The illusions are cool. Although we have all seen them before and other people have performed them or dont seem that difficult; its all meant to drive the story and not be illusions in and of itself.

The Costumes are simply amazing. Music is awesome--I will buy the soundtrack, for sure and Wade Robsons choreography is stunning and awesome! Please do not get me wrong. It just seems unfinished and could be done better and it just wont be everyones cup of tea. I however am looking forward to seeing it again and again. So I think the reviews in the press are unneccessarily negative? YES! Its almost like the press have a personal vendetta against Criss. It needs work stil, so what? Is it unsalvageable? Hell no, its almost awesome.

Hubby and I talked it over and over and over and he thought exactly the same at first and said the longer its been the more he likes it and wants to see it again too. I love the premise and Criss is more than enough stage presence to pull it off. I am confident they will tweak it to perfection. Cant wait to go again in December. Both Hubby and I were choked up at the end when Criss cried when addressing us. It was genuine and lovely. Very touching.

THE UNBELIEVEABLE: Ok so immediately after the show everyone piles out and hubby and I act like flies on the wall. We see Felix Rappaport (Luxor President) talking to Marie Osmond, we see mass people, all the stars again filing out , finally got to meet Regina briefly! Sully was there surrounded by 3 girls..and they open the side doors and shove us all into the after party.

Its insane, unbelieveable. I could tell they spent a million dollars on it. Thats apparently what the after party budget was. The Luxor shut down the entire Pool area. They had stages galore, blaring music ( I loved actually!), various performing acts going (trampoline acts, erotic dancers, cirque freaks, breakdancers) on stages including in the pool on small stages where crazy cirque costumed freaks would take the performers to those pool stages in little boats.

But the best thing: Where the cabanas usually are..they have huge red curtained booths. Lining the entire outer rim of the whole pool area, a huge square of booths. Every single Vegas gourmet restuarant is there: I am missing half of them but I think but Cathouse, Fusia, Tender, Japonaise, Stripsteak, Social House, Areole, Johnny Rockets had burgers and caramel apples, cotton candy machines, a Boyds coffee booth, amazing deserts, Desai chocolates gave us all handmade red velvet boxes of chocolate that said Believe on it. They gave us free tins of gourmet nuts. There were Bunny masks on sticks you could hold up to your face.

You could go to the mac makeup booth for touch ups or you could go to the hookah lounge booth for flavored tabacoo bongs, you could go get a massage at another booth. Between Hubby and I we tried such gourmet stuff as: risotto and carnitas, miso marinated chilean sea bass, duck liver patte with apple compote, veal cheeks, gorgonzola pasta with duck confit (excellent), bison, I even ate antelope from Tender (not bad!) and other awesome bacon wrapped steak and tacos from Tacos and Tequila and so much more, I ate many desserts, dulche de leche, chocolate cake. All simply amazing and delicious. Free premium drinks at 5 or 6 bars. Beautiful table centerpieces etc. I cant believe I saw no Loyals at the party. It was that huge!

I kept seing people/celebrities I thought I recognized like there was this guysdressed as Mike Meyers as Wayne and he even walked like him. He looked so familiar and Hubby even commented on how much he looked like Wayne. We bumped into him off and on through the night and turns out it was Michael Johns from American Idol. DOH!

Couldnt get close to the stars in the VIP area but we didnt care because if we were to have bought all the food and drink we had at the restaurants it woulda literally been $300 a head. The party started at 830pm after our show and then after the 1000pm show the rest came in and it lasted til 4am..then everybody went to LAX nightclub (open til 9am that night but I crashed about 4am). Cris thanked everybody for coming over the loudspeaker at the party.

Just an amazing party, lots to watch and do and see and eat. I'll never forget it and I'll always be gratedful to the Criss Angel fan club for one hell of a party and night. Best date night hubby and I have had in a long time! Just Magical!

Our Tickets:

Tickets & postcards:

All of our loot including program, bunny masks, dog tags, chocolates and nuts:

Bunny masks closeups:

Believe red velvet chocolate box closeup:

A lovely party table:

My camera sucks, so blurry but dancing girls over the pool:

trampoline guys stage:

sorry I couldnt get better or more pics!