Criss Angel's Believe is quite simply the single worst thing ever committed to the stage under the banner of a "professional" theatrical production. After watching Believe, I sadly concluded that there was no simple way to salvage this awful show. All I could think is that they should keep the set, the costumes and the choreography and start from scratch. If Cirque and the Luxor should close down the show, give it a complete overhaul, and reschedule the opening for some time in the first quarter of next year.
The show has many flaws, but the two most unforgiving flaws are its star and the magic (what little there is) that he performs. Reality TV is Criss's domain, and he dominates it well, but he has never had experience performing in a professional, first-class theatrical setting (his previous show in the WWF theater in NY was small, and by no means could it be considered a "professional" theatrical endeavor), as a result, the "star" of this show sticks out like a sore thumb when it comes to stage presence, movement, and just the basic ability to look like a professional performer. Criss needs to spend months in daily, intensive training with theater professionals, who can teach him how to stand, move and talk like a professional entertainer. The Cirque elements of the show are of the highest professional caliber, which only contributes to just how amateurish Criss comes across as a performer.
We could forgive Criss's lack of professionalism, if the magic were stunning. But it's not. In fact, it is some of the most poorly conceived and uninspired magic I have ever seen. This is Criss's fault. First, he painted himself into a corner with his TV show. Anyone with even a modest understanding of magic realizes that Criss can't do in public what he does on TV. Criss uses the camera in a masterful way to assist him in the illusions he performs, but without the audiences point of view being limited by the camera, Criss simply can't do live on stage the things he does on TV (he can do things similar to what he does on TV, but they will look less miraculous than what he does on TV). That being said, there is a world of incredible magic and illusions out there and dozens of professional magic consultants that could breathe life into this pitiful show, but Criss has not availed himself of them.
If you have tickets to the show, get a refund. If you've been a victim of this show, demand your money back. Letting the show open -- even in previews -- was, in my view, a negligent act by Cirque and the Luxor, and they should not be allowed to profit from their own negligence (I understand that the Luxor has given refunds to angry patrons). Don't spend your hard earned money on Believe, until Criss, Cirque and the Luxor show their fans and patrons the respect they deserve and reconstruct this theatrical atrocity from the top down