David Copperfield

[Deleted]

We were in Vegas this past weekend and caught his show.

Unbelievable.

We were walking out and Mr. B. who hardly ever drops the F bomb, says, "That was fucking amazing!" And I concurred. Plus the guy was smoking hot.

So, what do you guys think? Does anybody have any info about Mr. Copperfield? The only thing I know about his personal life is that Claudia Schiffer dumped him because he would not marry her.

[Ripley]

Asshole. Complete and total asshole. I used to usher at the theater on my campus, and we had the misfortune of having David Copperfield come. He was pompous and arrogant. Before the show, a couple of our employees were standing backstage. David Copperfield walked by them, and they glanced at him, then glanced away to resume their conversation. He stopped and glared at them, as though they had any right to ignore such a divine talent in their midst.

At the end of the show when he was signing autographs for people, he sat himself up way up high on tables. He would barely glance at people when signing autographs unless it was a young sexy woman, and then he would be very charming. Also, his crew are jerks. The lobby was mobbed, but there was a group of people who didn't want to get autographs, but who wanted to leave. I walked them through the theater, through the aisles of seats to get to another exit. His guy started yelling, "Hey! Get out of here! You can't be in here!" One man said, "We just want to go." Tech guy shouted, "Well, go through the lobby! You can't be in here. Oh, okay! Just ignore me then!" It's not like any of the illusions were still set up, so they'd figure them out.

If anybody wants to know how he did his motorcycle illusion (where it looks like he's flying a motorcycle in the theater), I'd be ever so happy to tell you how it's done.

[famvir]

...do tell!

[Ripley]

David Copperfield walks around on stage flinging his arms and flirting with the women while the curtains are closed. He puts on his motorcycle helmet, and with one smooth motion, flips his visor down (covering his face) while the curtains are opened. He ducks behind the curtains while a stand-in walks around on stage with the same outfit and motorcycle helmet. Much flinging of arms and light flashing ensues.

While this is going on, Copperfield has snuck off stage, and is dressed up like an old woman coming along the side aisles. He sneaks onto a big black box which is in the middle of the auditorium, from which his motorcycle raises itself. He takes off his wig and old lady dress and climbs on the motorcycle which is sitting in the dark in the middle of the auditorium and crouches over the handlebars. Nobody notices this because of the aforementioned arm-flinging and light-flashing on stage (nobody except a bunch of disgruntled college students, that is). At the appropriate moment, the curtain closes on the stage (I think), and the lights come up on David Copperfield, arms outflung, and applause ensues.

[famvir]

Thanks Ripley!

I remember the debunking of the "Statue of Liberty Vanishing."

While outing the illusion of a professional magician seems a bit...unsavory, the guy makes my teeth itch. I love Penn and Teller, though....I guess I like my "illusionists" with a sense of humor.

[Deleted]

He looks like a egotist and his hair is as big as his ego.

[tommytimp]

In the early days of Conan O'Brien's show he had a dark guy with big hair and pouty lips do Copperfield, with much eye fixing and arm waving. There may be clips out there. It was funny.

He's a total skeeve (Copperfield, not Conan). The way he treats his illusions, like anyone would really think he could actually make the Statue of Liberty vanish, is everything that's wrong with show business.

[Deleted]

Oh this makes me so sad!

His show was a highlight of our trip.

[Hamatron]

Does anyone remember when his network TV specials were the shiznitz-- probably 15-20 years ago? I remember this one special that was advertised like it was going to be a magic show that would bring about a religious experience, because he was going to fly!!!11!! OMG! Even at the time as a very young child, I remember thinking "Soooo what?" The special was taped in a studio, I don't remember there being an audience, and he was flying around like Sandy Freakin' Duncan in Peter Pan.

I guess I was a really jaded kid, but it seems like since I grew up watching all sort of movies with really neat special effects, televised magic shows just aren't that impressive. Maybe I'd feel different seeing something like that live.

Furthering Copperfield toolitude, some magazine around the Claudia Schiffer years hilariously ran a ton of pics showing that he uses the same "dark and mysterious" pose and look in every pic of him out there. He had a signature camera pose just like Paris Hilton.

That said, I've always assumed that Will Arnett's GOB on Arrested Developement is riffing on Copperfield, and that cracks my shit up.

[Deleted]

Ha! He did /does have his own "Paris Hilton Pose".

Talk about taking yourself too seriously.

Anyone know why he and Schiffer broke up? They were engaged, were'nt they?

He seems to me to be like a geeky kid who became famous but never erased the demons of his past..hence..jerk.