RELATED SEARCHES
Sponsored David Copperfield Results:
Famous Magicians: David Copperfield Magic Tricks, Illusions And Secrets Revealed
By:
Published: August 21, 2007
Who truly believes in magic? There are certainly those who do and those who don't, but either way, the performance of magic and illusion have fascinated all kinds of audiences for centuries. From Houdini's mind boggling escapes from locks and chains to the grand vanishing of the Statue of Liberty by David Copperfield, exhibitions of magic continually reach mythical heights in popular culture.
While stage and street shows continue to be a magician's bread and butter, David Copperfield was able to become the world's most famous magician by broadcasting his impressive array of tricks across TV airwaves. While the performances of David Copperfield could be all secrets, smoke and mirrors, his fame, celebrity, and incredible success are as real as they come.
Born Seth Kotkin in Metuchen, N.J, David Copperfield began pursuing magic at an early age. Performing as early as age 12, David Copperfield became the youngest person ever admitted into the Society of American Magicians. By age 16, he was teaching magic classes at New York University. But it wasn't until David Copperfield got his first TV special, “The Magic of ABC,” that his meteoric rise to fame truly began.
Over the course of many prime time TV specials, David Copperfield was able to design and pull off some of the most amazing magical stunts and illusions ever performed. From making the Statue of Liberty disappear to flying in front of a live audience, he captivated audiences worldwide with his combination of traditional slight of hand magic and the master illusionist stunts of the grandest scale. Today, Copperfield stands as the world's most successful and famous magician, performing over 550 shows and earning nearly $60 million per year.
While David Copperfield claims to perform magic without the aid of camera or stage tricks, there are an abundance of “Magic Tricks Revealed” books and websites that claim to divulge the secrets behind his most famous tricks. Copperfield's levitation stunt is supposedly a traditional one made all the more amazing by his unparalleled showmanship. With the help of pulley wires, a deceptive stage background, and convincing physical maneuvers, Copperfield appears to fly above the stage in and out of hoops and glass boxes when in reality he's a human puppet.
The Statue of Liberty illusion, which is quite possibly the most famous magic trick of all time, is thought to have been achieved through lighting, smoke, and a rotating stage. David Copperfield is thought to have placed a small seated audience and international TV cameras on a single curtained stage rig facing Lady Liberty. With the curtains raised, the statue was brightly lit with a helicopter hovering just overhead. When the curtains were down, the stage rotated undetectably to the side, the lights around the statue went out, and the helicopter shifted to hover over empty space. Finally, when the curtains were pulled back yet again, audiences around the world gasped to find only night sky and a wafting puff of smoke where the immense and iconic statue had been standing only moments before. Thought to have disappeared, the Statue of Liberty simply stood off to the side completely cloaked in darkness.
David Copperfield will never admit to using tricks or optical illusions in his performances. No professional illusionist ever will. But with hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank, a string of islands in the Bahamas (where he claims to have located the fountain of youth) under his ownership, a slew of awards, records, and achievements under his belt, David Copperfield doesn't have to admit to anything. He stands as the most famous magician since Houdini and will continue to mystify and entertain audiences as long as he is able. Try and spot the wires next time. Chances are, David Copperfield is just as masterful at masking his illusions as he is at selling them.
Sources:
"David Copperfield: Biography." DCopperfield.com. 2001. 9 Aug. 2007. http://www.dcopperfield.com/flash/main.html.
"David Copperfield Magic Tricks Revealed." Scribd.com. 21 May 2007. 9 Aug. 2007. http://www.scribd.com/doc/69243/David-Copperfield- Magic-Revealed.
"David Copperfield." Wikipedia. 9 Aug. 2007. 9 Aug. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Copperfield_%28 illusionist%29.
Related Articles
Born Seth Kotkin in Metuchen, N.J, David Copperfield began pursuing magic at an early age. Performing as early as age 12, David Copperfield became the youngest person ever admitted into the Society of American Magicians. By age 16, he was teaching magic classes at New York University. But it wasn't until David Copperfield got his first TV special, “The Magic of ABC,” that his meteoric rise to fame truly began.
Over the course of many prime time TV specials, David Copperfield was able to design and pull off some of the most amazing magical stunts and illusions ever performed. From making the Statue of Liberty disappear to flying in front of a live audience, he captivated audiences worldwide with his combination of traditional slight of hand magic and the master illusionist stunts of the grandest scale. Today, Copperfield stands as the world's most successful and famous magician, performing over 550 shows and earning nearly $60 million per year.
While David Copperfield claims to perform magic without the aid of camera or stage tricks, there are an abundance of “Magic Tricks Revealed” books and websites that claim to divulge the secrets behind his most famous tricks. Copperfield's levitation stunt is supposedly a traditional one made all the more amazing by his unparalleled showmanship. With the help of pulley wires, a deceptive stage background, and convincing physical maneuvers, Copperfield appears to fly above the stage in and out of hoops and glass boxes when in reality he's a human puppet.
The Statue of Liberty illusion, which is quite possibly the most famous magic trick of all time, is thought to have been achieved through lighting, smoke, and a rotating stage. David Copperfield is thought to have placed a small seated audience and international TV cameras on a single curtained stage rig facing Lady Liberty. With the curtains raised, the statue was brightly lit with a helicopter hovering just overhead. When the curtains were down, the stage rotated undetectably to the side, the lights around the statue went out, and the helicopter shifted to hover over empty space. Finally, when the curtains were pulled back yet again, audiences around the world gasped to find only night sky and a wafting puff of smoke where the immense and iconic statue had been standing only moments before. Thought to have disappeared, the Statue of Liberty simply stood off to the side completely cloaked in darkness.
David Copperfield will never admit to using tricks or optical illusions in his performances. No professional illusionist ever will. But with hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank, a string of islands in the Bahamas (where he claims to have located the fountain of youth) under his ownership, a slew of awards, records, and achievements under his belt, David Copperfield doesn't have to admit to anything. He stands as the most famous magician since Houdini and will continue to mystify and entertain audiences as long as he is able. Try and spot the wires next time. Chances are, David Copperfield is just as masterful at masking his illusions as he is at selling them.
Sources:
"David Copperfield: Biography." DCopperfield.com. 2001. 9 Aug. 2007. http://www.dcopperfield.com/flash/main.html.
"David Copperfield Magic Tricks Revealed." Scribd.com. 21 May 2007. 9 Aug. 2007. http://www.scribd.com/doc/69243/David-Copperfield- Magic-Revealed.
"David Copperfield." Wikipedia. 9 Aug. 2007. 9 Aug. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Copperfield_%28 illusionist%29.
Featured David Copperfield Products:
