If you asked me what I was doing today? Interviewing and speaking with the one and only incredibly talented Criss Angel was on my to-do list. He was genuine and kind. He answered questions with ease and so much passion when talking about his show and the fans and you can tell how much he loves what he does. He puts on amazing shows but speaking with him was just like chatting with a friend I have known forever. He took the time to speak with me for The Valley Ledger. He is coming to the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on April 30th and here is what he had to say.
Criss – Hi Janel
Hi Criss! How are you? I am so excited to talk to you today. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me for The Valley Ledger. Everyone is so excited that you are coming to the Sands Bethlehem Event Center. What can you tell us about the show and what you are expecting for the audience?
Criss- I’m expecting an incredible, mind-blowing evening that will be filled with surprises. This is a family show, great for all ages; there is something in the show for everyone. If people enjoy what I’ve done on television their minds are going to be blown when they see what I have prepared for them at the Sands.
I was always in shock watching “Mindfreak” – You are just amazing in everything you do. You have walked on water, walked through metal gates. I’ve followed what you do over the years. The shows you have done and the specials. How do you even prepare for some of these incredible illusions?
Criss- Well, thank you very much. A lot of it is kind of meditation and getting myself there. My body, mind, and spirit to kind of work harmoniously together so I can prepare to be able to do these things that don’t seem to be possible. That’s what I try to do; I try to show the public that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and you work for it, anything is possible. Even if it looks impossible at the time.
Now you have been an inspiration to me and so many others because you have gone through a lot and you have a beautiful son that has been through a lot. We always say prayers for your son. What would you say to someone that is going through a hard time and they might need some inspiration?
Criss- Thank you. Well, everybody is dealt a hand in life, and there’s always somebody with a better hand and somebody with a worse hand. You got to take the hand that you’re dealt with and make the most of it because nothing is guaranteed in life. So, it’s about appreciating and embracing and celebrating the moment wherever you are in your life and really trying to think about your life in a positive way. You are a product of your environment so if you hang out with smart people, you will become smarter, if you hang out with poop, you are going to smell like it. If you hang out with bad people you will become a bad person, so go about your environment and how you perceive yourself and what you see when you look in the mirror. Then you can put that out in the world and how you think about yourself. The body is a slave to the mind. So what you think is what you are and how you think is what you do. So I think those are very critical ways to have perspective and to be able to take challenges in life and be able to overcome them by embracing those challenges and not allow it to defeat you but rather conquer it.
I know that having you come to the Sands is quite incredible for all of us. What do you want to say to the fans and the audiences that will be coming to the Sands?
Criss- I am coming to celebrate an incredible evening together of light, of love of magic. We are going to have a blast, and our minds are going to be blown. We might even shed a tear during the show. It is going to be an epic experience, and I am just so grateful to have the opportunity to come and spend time with those people who have the love and support for me throughout the years because without them none of this would be possible, so I am indebted to all of them.
Now, Criss, I have to ask because you have done so many different illusions and you have conquered so many things that I believe even Houdini did not even think may be possible today. Is there anything at all that you think you would want to do? Just to see if you can accomplish it?
Criss- Yes and I am going to be doing it at the Sands for the very first time. It has never been accomplished before. It is something that Houdini did, but I am going to combine it and attempt it. This show that I am doing at the Sands, I’ve never done before in Pennsylvania so this will be a brand new show. So for the people who came to my other Mindfreak Live Show or Supernatural, the show this is a brand new show.
Are you going to be looking for some audience participation?
Criss- Tons, tons and tons!!! I’m taking four girls to the club. We are going to create a club on-stage. I am going to take four girls to the club and we are going to do crazy magic together and I’m going to bring their fears alive whether from their purse or from their hat or from their pocket or from under their hand. A snake will appear if that’s what their fear is or whatever it is. A scorpion, a tarantula, a clown, whatever they have a fear of will come to life. It’s going to be a lot of audience participation and there will also be some really wonderful pieces with music. I’m bringing part of Vegas; I’m bringing new stuff. Raw is just going to be crazy!
Is that why you decided to call it Criss Angel RAW: The Mindfreak Unleashed because it is going to be new and something you have specifically created for this tour?
Criss- Yeah, exactly! It is something that I’ve never done so it’s an unplugged kind of intimate experience where you will see the personality of Criss Angel, the personality of the crazy Cristoff character and then who you are talking to right now, Christopher. So those three different personas are really coming to life in a very intimate way where people are going to get to know me in a way they’ve never known before.
Criss, what do magic and illusion mean to you just from right off the top of your head?
Criss- It is what defines life right. We don’t understand many things in life that we take for granted and its magic you know. There are so many things that happen in our everyday lives that we take for granted. That’s magic! Like, how does a plane fly? How many people really know how a plane flies? How many people look up at the stars and we kind of take that for granted. There are so many different things that happen that if we just opened up our eyes and we’re in the moment for a moment, then we would see that magic is all around us.
I agree. One of my favorite things was watching the show and watching you walk on water and there are so many moments that were incredible. Over the years do you have a favorite moment of illusion/magic that you did so far?
Criss- No, they are all basically my children so I have different affection for each for different reasons. I just love connecting and having that interaction with the public you know and seeing their reactions. For me that’s what gratifying most for me to see somebody escape reality or their problems and be able to dream and see and walk out of the RAW show feeling like they can conquer the world because they’ve been empowered or they had an evening that has given them hope or the ability to see that anything is possible no matter what they want to accomplish.
My last question because I could ask you a million questions. But did you always know this is what you wanted to do?
Criss- Yes, ever since I can remember. That is all I ever wanted to do was magic and music and that’s it!
I just want to say thank you and you are an inspiration. You are mind-blowing and we cannot wait to see you.
Criss- Thank you! Well, I’m excited to come there and I hope all your readers will come see the show and I thank you very much for your time and hope to see you after the show.
Thank you so much Criss. You are amazing.
Criss- Thank you.
CRISS ANGEL https://crissangel.com/
INSTAGRAM/ TWITTER @CRISSANGEL
YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/user/CrissAngel
https://crissangel.com/donations/
Criss Angel will be appearing at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on Monday, April 30, 2018 7:30PM.
“Criss Angel has dominated the world of magic for over a decade, but even with his incomparable success, Criss’ passion is to constantly create and bring his magic revolution to fans everywhere. Criss Angel RAW – The Mindfreak Unplugged is a theatrical experience unlike any seen before; bringing Angel’s famous sleight of hand street magic, mentalism, and even some of his most iconic illusions to life- all performed in an intimate, raw setting. This extraordinary evening of most iconic illusions to life- all performed in an intimate, raw setting. This extraordinary evening of magic unplugged features Criss and some of his amazing friends with a stripped-down purity that’s in-your-face and guaranteed to blow your mind. Experience Criss Angel like never before!”
GET TICKETS: http://www.sandseventcenter.com/events/criss-angel-raw-the-mindfreak-unplugged/
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Interviews & Articles By: Janel Spiegel
“May your nightmares inspire you.” JMS
