The following is my review of Believe and responses to all the negative critics on the web. I've posted this review or shortened versions of it on 10 websites so far. Hopefully all of them will accept it. This does contain spoilers.

I attended the September 30th and October 3rd Believe performances. Going twice was planned in advance. I knew there would be a lot to take in, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I’m not sorry I went to either show.

So far the only article I have read that gives an accurate depiction of what Believe and Criss Angel are about is the article by Matthew Cope in M Magazine entitled, “Do You Believe?”. I think any reviews made by those who haven’t seen the show and are only reporting on the hearsay of a few people should be ignored completely. I don’t understand the harsh criticisms that I have read in recent days as the shows are previews and not yet finished. In fairness to the performers and other personnel staging the show, they haven’t gotten to rehearse in the actual theater for very long due to recent changes to the fire codes and having to rebuild parts of the theater. I saw with my own eyes in August that construction was still ongoing. When I went to the show on the 30th, I saw a small illusion that didn’t work at all. It didn’t bother me. I didn’t expect the show to be perfect at this point. By the 3rd, that illusion worked perfectly. I also saw at least two other elements that were improved upon as well in the second show. Rest assured that Criss Angel is a perfectionist, and he will make sure everything is perfect for the gala opening on Halloween. Judgements, especially for the technical aspects of the show, should be reserved until that time.

I have also read comments, not first hand ones, about how displeased Felix Rappaport, president of the Luxor, must be about the show. I can tell you first hand that this is not true. I spoke to Mr. Rappaport after Friday’s performance, and I am not exaggerating when I say that he was beaming. He was delighted with the show and said he had gone to every performance so far. He was especially impressed by the music that evening. To me the music is very powerful and often haunting. Nitza has a beautiful voice and is a lovely lady. I met her as well.

When you go to Believe, you should allow yourself to feel it and take in the experience as a whole. You shouldn’t go in with the attitude that you’re going to pick it apart and try to figure out how the illusions are done. You won’t enjoy it if you’re not paying attention to the story. You also won’t enjoy it if you’re expecting it to be another episode of Mindfreak or another Cirque show. It’s something new. It’s an artfully done, theatrical production which uses illusions to help illustrate parts of the storyline. It’s similar to Alice in Wonderland or Criss’ favorite movie, the Wizard of Oz. It’s about a magician who gets hurt while performing on stage and while hanging between life and death has fantastical dreams or hallucinations of finding love, reaching for it and not getting it, getting it, and having it ripped away by death.

Seeing Believe for the first time for me was a treat for the senses. There is so much that is visually stunning; the sweeping red velvet curtain framed in gold with rabbits pulling Criss’ head out of a hat, the flower Kayala hangs from among the red poppies and black sky, her enormous wedding dress that fills the entire stage with the train raised to the ceiling so Criss can walk down it. All of the costumes are very creative and a feast for the eyes. The most stunning visual of the show for me though was Criss weeping over Kayala’s lifeless body in the mist, carrying her through the rain that fell inside a picture frame, releasing her to the heavens, then levitating with her for one last goodbye. I thought of Criss’ father who died in his arms and loved ones I had lost. It was so moving and beautiful that I wept.

When the ushers were performing, I laughed until my face hurt from smiling so much. They are not “clowns” exactly as some people have said, but they do act like clowns at times. Many people don’t seem to understand their part in the show. In my opinion, they are there to entertain the audience until the show starts, make fun of the hokey style magic that is often presented to the public which Criss hates, aid Criss in his illusions, and provide some comic relief so the show isn’t too dark.

I am looking forward to seeing the show again after the additional illusions are added and everything is fine tuned. I hope everyone will remember that what we are getting now is a “behind the scenes” look of sorts at the creative process, not a finished product. There are a lot of people working very hard to make the show a success, and they need our support and constructive feedback in order to achieve their goals and put out a show that everyone will enjoy.