There’s a recent article in SFGATE chronicling Criss Angel’s career in Vegas, including how most magicians don’t like him. At all.
The piece starts with his memorable Mindfreak performance, where he’s lifted Christ-like into the sky by four hooks skewered into his back, the lyrics of Korn giving him the strength to persevere through the pain. The article goes on to describe Angel as “Houdini in a snakeskin cowboy hat, and hot moms loved him.” I have thoughts on the accuracy of at least half of this statement, but I digress.
Other highlights in the article include Angel correcting the reporter that his stunts are “demonstrations,” not tricks, and that to prepare for his show, he practices mixed martial arts and, of course, prays, because his show is so “dangerous” that there’s a good chance he’ll get “maimed” or even die. There’s also a correction to the article, where Angel’s publicists informed SFGATE that Angel only wears diamonds, not rhinestones.
Later on, the article also touches on how other magicians hate Angel. Angel chalks that up to illusionists growing disillusioned with him because his show was rated No. 1 in Vegas.
He added that “everybody can be out there working and have an audience, and I think that’s a beautiful thing for the art, because the art has been great to all of us.”