Las Vegas Weekly

November 3, 2008 · 2:04 PM

Candid confessions from the stars at Believe’s premiere

By Robin Leach

Mike Tyson and his date, Jasmine.

Photo: Scott Doctor

My reporter’s notebook overflowed with juicy gems from the Criss Angel black carpet opening night of Believe at the Luxor, and they are too good of gossip items not to share.)

Mike Tyson shot down the rumors of a reported $100 million fight in Dubai against archrival Evander Holyfield. “I won’t ever be fighting anybody in the future for whatever amount of money is thrown at me. I simply don’t want to hurt anybody ever again,” he told me.

Deborah Gibson said that before she found success as a singer, she used to work as a magician’s assistant in an annual Christmas show growing up on Long Island one town away from where Criss grew up. “I had to pull a rabbit out of a flaming hat, but because of the magician’s code of secrets, I will never tell anybody how it was done,” she laughed. Deborah revealed that Criss had once levitated her for his Mindfreak show, but contrary to some critics’ beliefs, she didn’t disappear!

Tanya Roberts said she is such a Mindfreak fan, she watches the show all the time. The former Charlie’s Angels actress often goes to the Hollywood Magic Castle and says she tried as a youngster to learn how to magically make a quarter appear behind somebody’s ear but could never master it.

Vince Neil told me that he’d bought a magic kit as a kid. “I have six thumbs and couldn’t do anything. I just wasn’t very good at it at all,” he said.

Penn of Penn & Teller explained why his face was made up to look like a cat: “My son and daughter wanted the entire family to look like pussycats for our Halloween trick-or-treat expedition in the neighborhood. I just decided to keep it on for the premiere.”

Louie Anderson admitted that he also tried magic as a youngster. “I was so bad with the couple of tricks I finally got to do that I made jokes about how bad my show was -- and that led to my comedy routines,” the Excalibur headline funnyman said. “I finally figured it out if a magician could really lift a car, they wouldn’t need the wires and they’d make more than $50 for doing it.”

Tila Tequila said that as a youngster, she thought the tooth fairy was the most magical person on Earth. The reality TV star told me: “Every time I put a tooth under my pillow, I woke up the next morning to find $5. That to me was really magic. I also had an out-of-body experience in later life, so I am also a believer in astral projection.” Criss gave her a tour of his theater and backstage when she visited him during the preview run.

Siegfried of Siegfried & Roy explained that Roy had decided to stay home for Halloween: “He lives for it every year. Halloween is his holiday, and he loves greeting the children and their parents when they come to the Jungle Palace for the tricks and treats! I came out to support Criss because he is a good friend of ours. He told me I opened the door for him but now he has to go through it himself. It all reminds me of our first night, and doing shows like this is always a struggle. Each night before 3,000 people for 14 years, Roy would challenge me and I could challenge him, and together we would challenge the audience. The stage was our life, and we had a wonderful time performing magic here in Vegas.”

Paula Abdul said she still knows how to perform magic tricks, but the American Idol judge admitted: “I can’t keep the secrets. It’s terrible because I would do the trick and then explain how I used wire to make things move. I was terrible.” Paula revealed that the new season of American Idol gets under way in the third week of January, adding: “It gets tougher and tougher sitting next to Simon. It’s taken eight years to get settled into our brother-and-sister relationship. Sometimes we love each other, and sometimes we can’t stand each other. I have brass knuckles ready for him this year. Now wouldn’t it be incredible if Criss came to do our show and then I could kick Simon out of his seat. Criss could make him disappear and then take his place. That would be pretty phenomenal.”

Neal Patrick Harris told me: “I’m thrilled people are turning out in such crowds for a night of magic like this, and then going to see magic in Vegas. If Criss does well, it will be good for all the other magic shows. This is a big get for a magician to team up with a major winning entertainment company and land a super Strip show.” The former Doogie Howser star is now a member of the Magic Castle’s board of directors due to his interest and support of magic.

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