LOOKING IN ON: ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, April 3, 2007 | 7:14 a.m.

The contrast could not have been more striking: Luxor President Felix Rappaport seated next to "Mind-freak" magician Criss Angel.

Rappaport was dressed in an expensive suit with crisp white shirt and tie; his hair was trimmed conservatively. Angel wore torn jeans, hiking boots and gaudy jewelry from ear to waist; his long hair was streaked with red dye, a few strands wound into cornrows.

But the two had at least one thing in common at the news conference announcing the latest MGM Mirage-Cirque du Soleil project: They both want a show that will knock your socks off and raise the magic bar in Las Vegas.

They are spending about $28 million to renovate the Luxor's theater for Angel's debut in summer 2008.

Cirque President Daniel Lamarre said he has wanted to create a magic show since 1989, when he first saw Siegfried & Roy. "We have invested millions trying to come up with a new opportunity," he said. "It was important to match those ideas with an artist that will be able to match the creativity of Cirque du Soleil."

Angel, the ultrahip TV magician, filled the bill.

"We are working around Criss' personality, working with him, trying to put a world around him that I hope will be gorgeous," Canadian director Serge Denoncourt said. "I'm working on something like a post-modern, Victorian look with a love story, a lot of emotion. The magic becomes part of the story, part of the journey."

Angel won't be sawing any contortionists in half, but there will be acrobats. After all, a Cirque without an acrobat is like a day without sunshine.

"Acrobats, yes, there will be acrobats," Denoncourt said. "But they will be different. They will be really to help the story line, to help the journey. There will be no big acrobatic moment. The main factor is the magic."

Economy class

While the Luxor is spending $28 million to renovate its showroom, producer David Saxe is spending about $4 million remodeling the V Theatre at the Aladdin.

The theater is home to "V - The Ultimate Variety Show," "The Fab Four" Beatles tribute, Gregory Popovich's "Comedy Pet Theatre," adult-themed hypnotist show "Mesmerized" and Nathan Burton's "Comedy Magic."

"I've always focused just on the talent and let Cirque du Soleil spend $90 million on hydraulics and water and let me focus just on the talent of the show," Saxe said. "We got so many compliments every night from the show, they love it. The only negative thing they ever say is about the theater. It's not a typical showroom with the big plush chairs."

So Saxe decided to give the audience plush chairs but keep them movable so the venue could be rearranged for various events. The stage will be redone. New sets, new lighting, new sound. Space for live musicians. A video wall.

"I want to redo everything so it's hip and cool, but I don't want to spend $35 million like Steve Wyrick did on his new theater," Saxe said. "I need to be realistic."

The theater area seats 600. But the venue has about 40,000 square feet of space. Saxe is going to take part of that space and create a second showroom.

"We will have all new shows , plus concerts and a nightclub - not a nightclub that is trying to be hip and cool, one more for tourists and for special events," Saxe said. "It's not going to be another Tao. I don't want to compete with them."

The remodeling should take about four months.