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Beginning when he was six years old, Criss Angel immersed himself in a multitude of art forms, exploring different types of creative endeavors from performance artist and musician to mystifier and provocateur. A relentless work ethic combined with enormous talent, skill and vision propelled Criss into the spotlight - he is now recognized as one of the most provocative artists of our day. From creator, producer and performer in his television series and specials to his live shows, soundtracks, other music and book, he 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 permits. 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 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 passersby stared in wonder and amazement.
During his Times Square run, Criss' television career began to really take off. In October 2002, Criss' first-ever hour-long television special, "Criss Angel Mindfreak," debuted on the ABC Family channel, which led the network's "13 Nights of Halloween" campaign 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 national television show Good Morning America and covered on countless local news stations across the country. A subsequent two-hour television special aired on TBS in Japan on October 4, 2003. 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.
Throughout the years, Criss Angel has 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 highest-rated television networks in the world.
Criss has received numerous awards throughout his career and is the first three-time recipient of the coveted Magician of the Year Award (2001, 2004 & 2005). 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.
Along with his successes in magic, Criss also has made many achievements as a musician and composer. 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.
In July of 2005, Criss Angel opened a new chapter when A&E Network premiered "Criss Angel Mindfreak." Each episode captivates 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.
Some of the mind-blowing demonstrations on Mindfreak have included "Burned Alive," "Bullet Catch" (in which Angel caught 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). Sometimes Criss has 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, who participate in the series.
Criss recently published his first book, Criss Angel: Secret Revelations, from Harper Collins. The hard cover book gives fans the opportunity to see what makes the ultimate Mindfreak tick and gives readers detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to master 40 Mindfreaks on their own.
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