Las Vegas Weekly

April 28, 2010 · 3:33 PM

Luxor headliner Criss Angel is named Magician of the Century

By Robin Leach

Criss Angel and his Magician of the Century award.

Photo: Richard Brian

After racking up an extraordinary series of magic awards, Mindfreak magician Criss Angel, who stars in Cirque du Soleil’s Believe, has been presented with the ultimate prestigious title Magician of the Century. The award was presented to the Luxor headliner at the end of last night’s second Believe show.

Criss, who is now filming Season 6 of Mindfreak for A&E, was recognized for starring in and producing more hours of magic on primetime television than any other magician in the history of television. Additionally, he is the most-watched magician in the history of the Internet, and Believe is the top-selling magic production in the world.

Criss is the only six-time recipient of Magician of the Year, and before the century award was named Magician of the Decade by the International Magicians Society. The prestigious American and international organizations that have recognized him include IMS (International Magicians Society), AMG (Academy of Magicians Greece), AMA (Academy of Magical Arts) (Magic Castle) and DCMA (De Cometa Magico Association).

One of the death-defying challenges Criss will face on Season 6 of Mindfreak will be the Grand Canyon death jump, and he posed for this exclusive photograph at the rim on one of his scouting trips there. He is plotting the mind-boggling adventure down to the scariest last detail before cameras roll in one continuous sequence.

“I am deeply honored. I am thrilled to be Magician of the Century. I couldn’t be more excited. It is an awesome honor,” Criss told me from backstage. “It also means I have to keep coming up with even more incredible magic in the future.”

He is currently adding as many as 30 illusions to Believe, which will then be the most magic presented in one theater show anywhere in the world. Criss also is shooting a new Biography special for A&E in between the live Luxor show and Mindfreak.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

Share This