David Copperfield

Talent, much like a fine wine, is said to refine with age – and for New Jersey born illusionist David Copperfield, his unique artifice has proven to be a time-honored draw. At the impressionable age of 14; Copperfield had already scooped his big 'first' as the youngest magician to gain acceptance into the “Society of American Magicians”. Following the official commencement of his career in 1974, Copperfield went on to achieve no less than eleven Guinness World Records (several being firsts), and cemented (literally) his 30th anniversary in the business, with the unveiling of his 'star' on the Hollywood “Walk Of Fame”. While such unveilings now occur on a monthly basis, it is worthy of note that David Copperfield was the first illusionist, or magician to be personified alongside some of Hollywood's most influential icons.

For an entertainer whose career is fast approaching the 50-year mark, David Copperfield shows little vestige of retirement – perhaps indicative of a man, consumed by a passion for performing. With a 20-year run of TV specials (between ABC and CBS), ten world tours and several film appearances, he is the paradigm for one of the hardest working entertainers in the world – further exemplified by his consistent appearance among the Forbes top ten rich-list. So why would one of the most prolific illusionists of his generation, choose to honor an open-ended running at MGM's “Hollywood Theater”, when he could quite clearly take his pick of venue?

The answer is somewhat divided by popular opinion, and Copperfield himself attests to the fact that live performances allow him to maintain the originality of his illusions, particularly those now “old hat” such as walking through steel, and escapology from water tanks. In an industry so rife with TV magicians relying upon some aspect of camera angles, trickery or editing to refine their performances; David Copperfield is intent on keeping magic as fresh, untainted and curious as Jean Robert-Houdin himself managed during the 19th Century.

The MGM Grand Resort and Casino represents one of the more affluent venues situated upon the Las Vegas Strip. Serving up a number of delectable daredevil productions, including Cirque de Soleil's tenacious “Kà”; the MGM Grand knows only one kind of entertainment – thrill. Recent additions to the resort experience schedule include “Lion Habitat” and “C.S.I – The Experience” - further proof that Copperfield's brand of risqué magic, and impressive stunt-work are the perfect addition to this heterogeneous recipe, for choice entertainment.

As any professional magician will concur; the key to a truly successful production is “flow”. Sure, any perceptionist or illusionist can stand there and perform magic tricks for ninety minutes, but if there is no continuity in the form of a plot or narrative, the audience are likely to end up chattering amongst themselves well before the interval. “David Copperfield: An Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion” combines a little off-beat stand-up (usually personal and regressive) as a prelude to the many mind-exploiting tricks he undertakes, and you could easily mistake the early format of the show, for a variety comedy night. Dancing ties, and emerging ducks contribute to an array of 'small' sleight-of-hand tricks (many of which are trademark, despite being so 'done'), however, Copperfield's narrative engages throughout. He often uses tidbits from his childhood to both explain, and embellish the reasons for certain illusions - including the disappearance of a full-size 1940's Lincoln automobile!

There's no denying that Copperfield can woo a crowd. The soft-spoken host quickly vanishes as the show picks up pace, and the suave 50-year old could occasionally be accused of extreme flirtatiousness – but it's part and parcel of Copperfield's amiable character. He schmoozes to ease, and delights in the nervous uncertainty of his audiences – most of whom would usually give their right arm to participate in the “human box” disappearance act. How a group of people, strategically positioned to form a human-shaped box can be teleported to the back of the auditorium is anyone's guess!

Sin City is without doubt, one of the most competitive centers for entertainment in the world; a place where comedy and magic shows feature in abundance, and 75% sink without trace. With 15 sell-out shows, for over 25 weeks of the year; David Copperfield's “Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion” definitely defies those odds, and that tired adage - “once you've seen a magic show, you've seen them all”. You haven't experienced 'Copperfield transportation' from theater to desert island, and until you do, there is no comparable benchmark!