FIRST PHOTOS OF CRISS ANGEL’S “HANGING” ESCAPE

 

March 6th, 2008

 

Luxe Life has the first photos of Mindfreak magician Criss Angel’s amazing escape last night from “an impossible double-straitjacket” stunt.

 

 

 

They are also the first photos of a newly clean-shaven Criss who decided to also make his beard “vanish” for the stunt on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter of New

Orleans.

 

He managed to free himself from the two prisoner-jackets in 3 minutes, 26 seconds while hanging upside down from a crane that winched him up over the rooftops.

The stunt has never been done before in the magic world!

 

You can read the full story from early this morning just below.

 

 

 

MINDFREAK MAGICIAN “ESCAPES” HIS NEW ORLEANS HANGING

 

March 6th, 2008

 

Illusionist Criss Angel hung 75 feet in the air, suspended from a crane, as more than 8,000 fans held their breath while packed into the New Orleans French Quarter last

night. He was attempting an impossible bid to escape from TWO straitjackets and then avoid crashing to the ground.

 

 

 

 

“I am a nervous wreck,” said his new 22-year-old girlfriend, beauty queen Miss Nevada USA, Veronica Grabowski. “This was way more terrifying for me than flying

with the US AirForce Thunderbirds at 500mph.”

 

(click here for Luxe Life’s earlier story this week)

 

She stood in an inner ring with his rigging and safety crew beneath the hanging Luxor headliner as the minutes ticked on.

 

 

“I’d planned for 5-minutes,” said Criss, who was first wrapped and tied up in a maximum security jacket and then completely encased in a second jacket known as

“armless transport” for dangerous criminals.

 

“Both jackets have been used separately by escape artists before, but never in tandem. I want to do things nobody has ever done before,” the Mindfreak magician

added.

 

He was winched upside down by the crane and left hopelessly dangling mid-air over the Big Easy. After three minutes, 20 seconds, Criss escaped and the silent

crowd packed wall-to-wall at the intersection of Bourbon and Bienville streets erupted in Cajun-style cheers and applause led by a group of his “Loyals” fan club.

 

I was on the phone to a magic expert watching the escape in the Crescent City and he told me: “It’s suddenly become like Mardi Gras. People are on their balconies.

People are everywhere you look in every direction. It’s unbelievable. They are throwing beads. They are popping beer cans and champagne bottles to celebrate.

Nobody has ever escaped from two jackets before. One straitjacket is challenging at the best of times, but two is simply impossible. Nobody knew what to expect

because this is the first time anybody in the world has ever escaped from two, let alone hanging up over the rooftops! If he’d fallen it would have been certain death.

But that’s Criss, he’s like chef Emeril Lagasse here. He just wants everything cranked up six notches!”

 

The doubly dangerous stunt was filmed for his Mindfreak A&E top-rated cable TV show cameras. Criss and Veronica stay on in New Orleans today and tomorrow to

finish the filming which marks the end of Season 4. They then head off to New York to attend a wedding on Sunday in Long Island where he grew up.

 

“They have become very fond of each other. They are very happy together and a beautiful match. He can’t wait to introduce her to all the other members of his family

back home,” I was told. “Then they’ll return to Vegas and Criss will be rooting for her when she competes in the Miss USA contest at the Planet Hollywood resort on

April 11 on NBC.”

 

Criss first introduced me to Veronica when I bumped into them at the Cathouse restaurant at the Luxor where he took her to dinner to meet his mom and brothers. He told me then, “She’s my gal and she’s great for me at a very important point in my life.”

 

The new Mindfreak shows will start airing June 4. Criss starts his Cirque du Soleil show rehearsals in the re-designed Luxor Theater on April 15. Previews will begin

mid-to-late August for a third week of September gala opening. Somehow he will juggle and shuffle new filming next fall for the fifth new season of Mindfreak shows in

addition to the Cirque show. Almost all are shot, edited, recorded and post-produced right here in Vegas at video-audio studios Criss has set up downtown.

 

Click here for our most recent interview with Criss when he revealed first secrets of the new $200-million magic spectacular for Cirque.

 

Criss told the crowd: “New Orleans is a very special place. I’m very appreciative of all the people who came out to support and inspire me. It has been well-worth the

trip to come here and now I’m going to urge people to visit New Orleans, see the spirit and the recovery for themselves. New Orleans has done so well in getting back

on its feet. It proves that how many times one gets knocked down that if you keep believing you can get right back up on top again. Never stop believing

 

COVERGIRL ACTRESS GABRIELLE UNION REVEALS HER “WILD AND WICKED” PAST

March 6th, 2008

“We were wild. We’d be set for a soccer tournament in San Diego steal a car and then party in Tijuana with the Marines. Our wild was so well thought-out, we never got caught, never got in trouble, because they just didn’t know what we were doing.”

The candid revelation comes from sassy sexy actress Gabrielle Union on the cover of this month’s new VEGAS magazine.

 

She ’fessed up about her untamed side: “I’d say I’m staying at Jennie’s and Jennie would say I’m at Gabs and instead we’d both take off to Tahoe.” Even if she did party just across the Mexico border, she always got back for the soccer game next day!

The candid sensational interview is certain to raise eyebrows as she reveals her ambition for a hot girl-on-girl movie scene: “Every lesbian I get to play is the most asexual, non-ass-getting lesbian ever. I’ve been waiting for a real girl-on-girl love scene and I want everyone to know I wouldn’t mind that at all.”

Gabrielle also admitted that at first she wanted to be a music video ho: “It just didn’t take. I auditioned for Tupac three or four times but I was never chosen. Eventually I learned I could be validated without having to shake my ass.”

She finally found stardom in Bring it On even though it was a low-budget film. “It was a movie we did because we didn’t get the movie we wanted! Who knew it would become so big with a series of sequels.” You can read the entire extraordinary eye-popping interview in the new VEGAS magazine on sale now.

 

Carey Hart Talks For First Time About Pink Marriage Breakup

For the first time, freestyle motocross champion Carey Hart has lifted the veil of silence on the breakup of his marriage to pop-punk princess Pink. Our tattooed hometown hero admitted that they’re still the best of friends and he’s in no hurry to start dating again! The rock ‘n’ roll couple’s romance began after meeting at the 2001 X-Games. After a brief breakup in 2003, they resumed dating and were married two years ago in South America. However, reports surfaced last summer that there was trouble when 32-year-old stuntman Carey wasn’t at his wife’s side during her European tour. Then gossips reported he was enjoying the party scene at various Los Angeles nightclubs. But the 28-year-old singer has previously stood by her man saying, “Our breakup was not about cheating, anger or fighting. He’s a good man.”

Carey told me when we chatted at the opening of Robert DeNiro’s new Ago restaurant in the Hard Rock Hotel: “In fact, it’s too early to go off dating again. Anyway, I have no real interest in that. She is still the love of my life and we remain the best of friends and talk all the time.”

In mid-June, Carey will open a new rock music club at the Hard Rock.

“That’s my main priority right now. I’m devoted to getting it ready for my Hard Rock partners,” he said. “Look, I’m even wearing the first tee-shirt for it—Wasted Space. Think of it as an up-market Viper Room from the Hollywood strip. It’ll be dark with a lot of loud rocking music. It’s everything a decadent rocker’s well-stocked bar should be, with a very comfortable but gritty atmosphere. You have to come when we open.”

Carey, who really is a nice guy, made me promise—and I did!

Mindfreak Magician’s Life & Death New Orleans Straightjacket Stunt

March 5th, 2008

Tonight’s the night that Mindfreak magician Criss Angel is set to perform a death-defying, highly dangerous, double straight-jacketed escape attempt while hanging over Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

Thousands of fans and members of “The Loyal” Angel supporters are expected to pack the French Quarter to watch the amazing live act. It will take place at 10 p.m. there at the intersection with Bienville Street. Also watching will be Criss’ new girlfriend, 22-year-old Miss Nevada USA beauty queen Veronica Grabowski.

Click here for yesterday’s Luxe Life coverage of her 500 mph flight with the USAF Thunderbirds.

When Criss eventually frees himself from “the impossible escape,” he plans on returning to his Long Island, New York hometown area to introduce his new girlfriend to all his other relatives. Veronica will compete April 11 back here at the Planet Hollywood resort in Donald Trump’s NBC-TV Miss USA pageant.

eye Candy Extravaganza As Gorgeous Girls Audition For French Cabaret Striptease ShoW

March 5th, 2008

Over 50 gorgeous girls, some from as far away as Hawaii, Spain, Russia and several hometown hopefuls, competed this week for the three legendary opening spots with the world-famous Crazy Horse Paris topless revue in the French capitol. It’s the first time that auditions for the Paris show have ever been held in the United States. Now just ten of them remain!

Tomorrow, four Vegas dancers will battle six out-of-towners, including a Korean girl from Spain and the ballerina from Russia who paid their own expenses to fly to Vegas.

 

“We were looking for diversity, so this was perfect,” said Sally Dewhurst for the Crazy Horse cabaret. “We actually had first-time twin applicants, but they were just too short to meet our height requirements.”

The open casting call at Dick Foster Productions rehearsal studio attracted American dancers from Miami, New York, Chicago, and one apiece from Virginia, Hawaii, Spain and Russia. Another 25 girls were from Vegas.

“They were all really good,” added Sally. “We were genuinely surprised and delighted with the quality and caliber of the dancers—many of whom were classically trained. None of them were shy or uncomfortable about displaying their bodies.”

I’m going to join legendary burlesque queen Dita Von Teese at Crazy Horse in the MGM tomorrow afternoon along with the French Crazy Horse choreographer and show manager for the nerve-wrenching finals. All ten girls will undergo equal dance challenges, and then tomorrow pre-midnight Dita will announce the winning three beauties at a party in the Tabu ultra-lounge at the MGM resort-casino. Click back to Luxe Life on Friday for our photo coverage and meet the three winners.

Stars Party Hearty At The Palms

March 5th, 2008

 

Talk-show funnyman Jimmy Kimmel and his sassy girlfriend, comedienne Sarah Silverman filmed a series of video music blog segments—“The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Road to the Throwdown”—with the Boston band while they were all at the Palms. The video chronicles the group’s return to the stage after a four-year hiatus. They all got together for dinner on the Garden Terrace at the Nove Italiano restaurant atop the Palms and had such a great time—it was 1:30 a.m. when they were the last to leave and closed the joint! While Jimmy and Sarah retired, the Bosstones bandmates gathered up an entourage of 20 fans, winding up at the GhostBar and continued the celebration of their Pearl concert.

Up at the Playboy Club above Nove, three of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Clark Haggans, Casey Hampton and diamond necklaced Willie Parker toasted the Playmates before partying on to the upstairs Moon nightclub. Also at Playboy after a Nove Italian dinner was J.C. Chasez of ‘N Sync and Chace Crawford.

J.C. took to the dance floor with three bunnies and had such a grand time they had to spank him in fun to lessen his pace! Jennavecia Russo, who stars in Oxygen’s highest-rated hit reality series, Bad Girls Club 2, was at the Playboy Club with nine friends.

The upstairs Moon nightclub was also packed with such celebrities as Wonder Years actor Jason Robert Hervey with David Arquette. World-renowned DJ Paul Oakenfold performed a raging two-hour set there as part of his Greatest Hits & Remixes Tour.

Down in the main Palms lobby at the N9ne Steakhouse, British TV mogul Nigel Lythgoe, who created American Idol and judges his other creation, So You Think You Can Dance, was part of a quiet foursome for a three-hour dinner. He tucked into onion soup, a 12-oz filet mignon and topped it off with a root beer float for dessert. Palms co-owners Gavin and Joe Maloof took mogul-pal Daniel Snyder, who owns the Washington Redskins and Six Flags, to dinner along with actor Peter Berg from Chicago Hope. They polished off a 1975 Chateau Margaux and a $1500 1985 Margaux while brother George Maloof had a fast 45-minute business dinner with Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns. George, who co-owns the Sacramento Kings with his family said, “I’ll have the same as he’s having,” and both men enjoyed the signature garbage salad, matching 16-oz bone-in filet steaks, but George switched to Banana Cream Pie for dessert while his dining companion enjoyed the home-made sorbet. It was a sporting kind of night with Norm Chow and Rick Nieheisel, offensive coordinator and head coach for the UCLA Bruins football team, dining there in a party of 15!

Aloha Chefs ‘Lei’ Heated Battle Of The Grill On Our Culinary Kings

March 5th, 2008

When I helped launch the Food Network back in 1993, we had a hunch that the imported Iron Chef TV series from Japan would be a big hit—and it became even bigger when it became the ultimate kitchen battle-ground for American chefs in head-to-head grill-to-grill combat!

 

I hosted a version of the show at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the Hospitality Week Bar and Nightclub Show. Hawaiian chefs Chai Chaowasaree of Singha Thai, Honolulu and Fred DeAngelo of Ola at Turtle Bay, Oahu “lei’d” down the challenge to Bellagio chefs Anthony Amerosa of Michael Mina restaurant and Martin Heierling of Sensi. I wanted to trick all four of them with a tough secret ingredient—carrots.

With two feathered beautiful Vegas showgirls to distract the chefs I supervised the 45-minute showdown.

 

 

The chefs had to create four dishes each using carrots. Our hometown heroes decided on four mini-sized entrée dishes, but the Hawaiian chefs tried to outgun with three entrees and a dessert dish utilizing the “secret ingredient.” Carrots for dessert, anyone? I fretted the Hawaiian challengers would run out of time and back up their presentations and that their messy kitchen would lose them points.

 

 

Four key Vegas business executives scored the entries and finally, with a score of 242—245, decided the ambitious and intriguing carrot dessert let the Hawaiian visitors win by the narrow three points. The debut challenge proved so popular, it will be presented again next year when Chai and Fred will return to defend their title.