Criss Angel cuts schedule, preps for shoulder surgery
Like so many doves fluttering from a trench coat, Criss Angel let loose with a series of announcements on Friday afternoon.
In order, Angel has:
*Forecast the time line of his “Criss Angel Mindfreak” residency at Planet Hollywood. The show is to run through 2024.
*Announced he will undergo shoulder surgery for a lingering torn rotator cuff, in early 2020.
*Cut all of his 9:30 p.m. performances, beginning with Saturday night’s show, saying that he needs to ease the physical demands of the hyper-aggressive production.
Angel’s new schedule is strictly 7 p.m. shows, five days per week, Wednesdays through Sundays. “Mindfreak Live” opened with several select 10 p.m. shows in its long-term schedule. A total of 32 performances have now been called off.
Angel, who just this week returned from vacation in Hawaii with his family, issued this information in a social-media message on his Instagram and Twitter pages. He wrote of his show’s “incredible success” and that he was “thrilled to announce the show will perform at the property through 2024.”
Angel spent 10 years headlining two shows, “Believe” and “Mindfreak Live” at Luxor, ending last October.
“Creating the most technologically-advanced live-entertainment production on the planet isn’t easy, and we’re adjusting our performance schedule to accommodate the intense physical demands of ‘Mindfreak,’ ” Angel posted. “Performing 75 illusions in 90 minutes has left me with a torn rotator cuff, for which I have been receiving PRP injections with steroids and daily physical therapy for with renowned sports medicine surgeon Dr. Neal Elattrache (who previously performed the surgery on my right shoulder).”
PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, therapy is injections of a patient’s own platelets to accelerate the healing of tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints.
Angel didn’t indicate if any footage of his surgical procedure would be used in the “Mindfreak Live” show, which already features the doctor’s graphic handiwork during his original operation in 2014.
In his updated stage show, the 51-year-old Angel performs ample acrobatics, including a mock fight scene and his familiar, aerial, spinning straitjacket escape high above the audience.
Angel apologized for the inconvenience, and that “we will accommodate all necessary ticketing changes.” There has yet to be any accompanying announcement from Caesars Entertainment or Base Entertainment, who are co-producers of the show, of any ticket-refund policies.
Angel thanked his production partners, the hotel and also his fans, and closed with, “See you on stage!”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found atreviewjournal.com/podcasts.Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1on Instagram.