Criss Angel has made a name for himself by always being able to pull off the impossible, but his biggest trick of all could be convincing people that Las Vegas needs another Cirque du Soleil production. With Believe, the Mindfreak star teams up with the seemingly unstoppable Montréal theater troupe for what could be its riskiest - and most successful - venture yet.

"This all started 15 years ago when I began creating the script, illusions and characters for Believe," Angel says. "I worked on it for a long time and pursued the option of bringing it to life. I knew Guy [Laliberté, Cirque du Soleil's founder] for a while, and two years ago we were talking and I told him what possibilities could lie ahead with the show: we could reinvent magic like Cirque reinvented the circus. I showed him my storyboards and he really understood what I was trying to do. It took some time to get a deal together, but I never could have done this without Cirque; this is way beyond my wildest dreams."

And way beyond anything Cirque has done before, either. For starters, Angel joked that he had enough creative control over the show that "there are no trapeze acts and no traditional Cirque elements" in the production. What it does have, though, are more than two dozen illusions woven into a story and something of which only Angel and NASA - yes, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - can claim ownership.

"This is Cirque's most complicated show ever, even more so than KÀ," Angel says. "It's so technically sophisticated and detailed, and it's really been a massive challenge for me on so many levels. I'm going into territories I've never journeyed before. It's easy for me or Cirque to do what's expected of us, but we're challenging each other to create a form of entertainment that's never been seen. It's always so much more rewarding to create your own footprints than to walk in someone else's."
Angel wouldn't give away just what was up his sleeve at press time. "I want everyone to experience Believe like a child," he says. "But I will say that all the skeptics who watch Mindfreak and say it's CGI, they won't be able to comprehend what they're seeing live. Believe goes beyond the TV show. You aren't watching a movie, you're in the movie." Despite being tight-lipped about the plot, anyone who has visited Believe's Web site can tell that the show is a little dark and twisted at times. But its Tim Burton-esque atmosphere is nothing compared to the level of danger Angel's facing each and every night. "This show is physically dangerous," Angel admits. "I could get killed, and I'm not just saying that. I'm upside down, flipping around, but I'm prepared. I'm in the best shape of my life."

With his life on the line, both literally and figuratively speaking (Angel is currently contracted to perform 4,600 shows at the Luxor over the course of the next 10 years), it's hard to believe (no pun intended) that Angel is so calm and collected just weeks before Believe's October 31 gala premiere. But the man who's left millions talking about his various feats over the years isn't worried about what others think just yet. "I don't feel any pressure from anyone but myself," Angel says. "I just want to be the best I can be and stay true to myself as an artist. I've never created anything for the public; I only create for me, and if the public connects with what I'm doing, then that's the reward."

Find out if you believe in magic at www.cirquedusoleil.com or 702.262.4400