Criss Angel Biography
Beginning when he was six years old, Criss Angel immersed
himself in a multitude of art forms, from performance
artist and musician to mystifier and provocateur. Since
then, a relentless work ethic combined with enormous
talent, skill and vision has perpetuated Criss as one
of the most provocative artists of our day. From creator,
producer and performer in his television series and
specials, live shows, soundtracks and other music, Criss
has redefined the term "artist" for the 21st
Century.After studying the art of mysticism, music,
martial arts and dance as an adolescent, the native
New Yorker acquired state and federal pyrotechnic licenses
at 18 and 21, the youngest ages allowed to carry such
p
ermits. In 1994, Criss made his prime-time television
debut in a featured appearance that captivated audiences
in the ABC one-hour special titled "Secrets."
In 1998, "Criss Angel: World of Illusion"
headlined Madison Square Garden's annual Halloween spectacle.
The sold-out 12-day run received an overwhelming response
from an audience of over 80,000. Countless additional
live performances on a variety of stages led Criss to
his critically acclaimed Broadway production CRISS ANGEL
MINDFREAK at The World Underground Theater in Times
Square. The groundbreaking production brought a mind-blowing,
new breed of entertainment to Broadway. The show opened
to rave reviews, and continued night after night bringing
the seemingly impossible up close and in-your-face.
Criss performed nearly 600 shows before completing his
extended engagement on January 6, 2003. As part of the
marketing campaign for the show, in February 2002, Criss
astounded more than 75,000 people in Times Square when
he set a world record for body suspension as he hung
for five hours and 40 minutes from eight fishhooks while
passers-by stared in wonder and amazement.
While in the middle of CRISS ANGEL MINDFREAK’s
Times Square run, Criss' television career began to
really take off. In October 2002, Criss debuted his
first-ever hour-long television special, "Criss
Angel Mindfreak," on ABC Family, which led the
network’s "13 Nights of Halloween" as
the highest-rated original program. While filming that
special, in August 2002, Criss captivated the country
when he "submerged" himself, chained and shackled,
in a 220-gallon water torture cell for 24 hours and
escaped. The stunt garnered international coverage in
newspapers across the country including the cover of
the New York Daily News and the New York Sun. It was
also documented live for two days on Good Morning America,
and was covered on countless local news stations across
the country. A subsequent two-hour television special
aired on TBS in Japan on October 4, 2003 and received
a 10.4 share (equivalent to almost 16 million households).
The special resulted in Criss being awarded the "Silver
Telly" - the Telly Awards' highest honor - at the
25th Annual Telly Awards for the "Criss Angel Made
in Japan" DVD.
Criss Angel's third one-hour television special, "SUPERNATURAL,”
aired on the Sci Fi Channel on Halloween night, October
31, 2003 and received rave reviews and was selected
as the Pick Of The Week in countless newspapers and
magazines throughout the country including The New York
Times, Los Angeles Times, TV Guide, Star magazine and
the New York Post. Throughout the years, Criss Angel
has also been featured on CNN, FOX News Channel, NBC,
ABC, CBS, FOX, E!, MTV, MSG, The Howard Stern Show,
Metro TV, WB Channel 11, NY1, TLC, UPN, TNN and The
Discovery Channel and has garnered international coverage
on the largest rated television networks in the world.Criss
has also been in high demand as a spokesperson by corporations
and brands. On January 13, 2003, Criss was summoned
to Wisconsin, the heart of Miller Brewing Company, to
celebrate the launch of Miller Lite's new look and attitude.
Criss completed the second half of a two-part tribute
to Harry Houdini when he successfully escaped from a
straitjacket while suspended upside down by a crane,
more than 10 stories in the air, shattering Houdini’s
near century old record.
Criss also has received numerous awards throughout
his career. Criss was named both 2001 and most recently
2004 Magician of the Year, making him the first two-time
recipient ever to receive this most coveted award. He
is the only magician ever to appear on both covers of
Magic Magazine (October 2003) and Genii Magazine (December
2003) almost simultaneously. Both Magic and Genii hold
reputations as the most popular and most respected magic
magazines worldwide. Criss was also unanimously selected
as the recipient of the 22nd Louie Award for outstanding
achievement in the art of magic. Criss' television success
did not impede upon his music or live performances.
Criss wrote, produced and performed the music currently
available on four CDs from APITRAG Records entitled
“Criss Angel: System 1, 2, 3 In The Trilogy”
and the “MINDFREAK” soundtrack. And in 2004
and 2005, Criss created and designed much of the visual
effects for the $105 million production of Le Reve,
the show created and directed by Franco Dragone for
Steve Wynn's new $2.6 billion casino resort named "Wynn,"
which opened in Las Vegas in April of 2005.
July 20, 2005 opens a new chapter for Criss Angel
as A&E Network premieres CRISS ANGEL MINDFREAK,
the first weekly magic series in 40 years. The 16 initial
unprecedented episodes will captivate audiences with
several extraordinary elements - reality, focusing on
Angel's street demonstrations and the way people are
mentally affected; surreality, a look into Angel's mind's
eye as he contemplates his upcoming feats; and behind-the-scene
glimpses – a candid and captivating look into
Criss' secret world and the trials and tribulations
Criss and his team face from the moment he conceives
of impossible, death-defying stunts to the actual performances
of those stunts. The mind-blowing demonstrations include
"Burned Alive," "Bullet Catch" (which
will have Angel catching a bullet in a cup held by his
mouth), and "Body Suspension" (featuring Angel
suspended from a helicopter by four fish hooks through
his skin while being flown over the Nevada desert).
Special celebrity guests, such as Korn's Jonathan Davis
(who also co-produced the show's theme music), Rob Zombie,
Amazing Jonathan, Mandy Moore, Penn & Teller and
Lance Burton take part in the series.
Source : CrissAngel.com
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