Wow...reading wanmagic's post was really cool...and I would be one of those people in magic and it was all because of him.

magic mike

I don't think he's depressed (at least I hope not), but I DO think that he is tired. The man needs a vacation!! But I don't see him taking one any time soon. Even though he looks worn out sometimes, the guy is just too dedicated to take a break.

I admire him greatly. I've had the opportunity to meet him on a few occasions and I felt like a little girl getting to meet Britney Spears - well, before she went crazy and shaved her head...

And the car appearance rocks!!

Mike -

You commented about whether The Fan illusion was new. No, it was on one of his TV specials. Same music, same automatic revolving, same great presentation. I have all of his specials on tape.

To the others, here in Victoria, as a part of his "An Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion", he did The Fan instead of The Portal. He also did Kevin James' Floating Rose in his show. Otherwise, the show is pretty much as outlined above.

The show ran 1 hour, 20 minutes.

The Lotto was my favorite routine, too. I loved the appearing car, as well as the license plates.

- Donald

P.S. The spectators from "Thirteen" re-appeared about 10 feet from my seat. I also got to touch / bounce a silver ball in "Thirteen". I just wasn't holding it when the music stopped.

Wanmagic-

You quite simply cannot factually state that "he is the best, period." You can state that he is absolutely your favorite, but a categorical statement such as yours cannot be substantiated. We must all be careful not to state opinions as facts.

Due to his influence many young magicians have been inspired to take up the craft, but he is just a shadow of what he used to be. And Corey K, being "too dedicated to take a break" is not an excuse for giving consistently poor performances for years at a stretch. If he needs a break, then he owes it, first to himself, and secondly to his audiences to do so. I know if I'm going to plunk down my hard-earned money to see a show I'd much rather see someone who is doing more than merely going through the motions.

He's not going to go broke if he takes a break, and audiences will not abandon him if he takes a year off (witness many posts in this very thread!).

I've seen him both ways. In the earlier years his shows were very entertaining and engaging. Nowadays it's like he's performing "at" an audience rather than "for" them.

Frank Simpson,

What you stated is sad but true....

Anyway, I'll state that he is easily ONE of the BEST Magicians ever, right there behind Houdini....

In my humble opinion of course...


Wish I could see his Car Appearance!

We just saw Copperfield in Kamloops last night(October 29th), and he was seriously worn out and tired. He mumbled through the performance, and I caught myself laughing at jokes, only because I knew the punch lines. People around me were all saying the same thing... "What did he say?" "What was that?" "I can't hear him."

However, as has been pointed out many times on the Café, this is not a new thing with him. I saw him in Vegas in 1996 when he was still ending with Flying and Snow, and it was the same tired, detached, and uncaring persona on stage.

But to be honest, with 400-500 shows a year, we all would be like that. The question is why do so many? Take a vacation, relax, maybe only do 30 cities in a year like most of the pop stars do. That way the shows would be special, and he wouldn't be so tired!

All that being said, the magic was still great. the car, the car, the car!

Cheers,
Clinton

The lottery is certainly a masterpiece. He will always be one of my favorites.

Here is some interesting insight...particularly the 'Primetime' story:

http://www.youtube.com/user/CopperfieldChannel

Myself and 8 of my friends saw him on October 15 in Saskatoon, SK. None of us had ever seen an illusion show of this nature and magnitude before. We all enjoyed it immensely and agreed it was, by far, one of the best shows (not just magic shows) we had ever seen. Everything was done so professionally and in a way which heightened the quality and enjoyment of the show: timing, routining, pre-planned patter, adlib patter, lighting, assistant-work, sets, music, sound effects, video work, and on and on. He received two standing ovations (one after the little fan trick, one after the audience member vanish). We went out inspired to live life and do magic.

After reading these posts, I can definately agree that there could have been elements of being tired/bored. None of the magic seemed an effort to him, but he definately connected super well with audience.

I have also never seen him earlier, in his prime, so I don't have anything else to compare him with. But having seen him once, I can understand why he is as popular as he is and why he is (arguably) the most well-known magician on the planet.

I never thought Copperfield was great with the audience. Good, but not great. Lance Burton really connects to the audience where as Copperfield's show is more layed out like a play, everything in sequence and in unison. Of the several shows I have seen he never has looked tired, bored on out of touch. He is not the same as he was when he was 20, but who is? I still think he puts on a great show and I think he is one of the best magicians of our generation.

I'd agree with you Banester, on the play part. It was laid out very well and executed FLAWLESSLY. I haven't yet seen enough magicians, I guess, to be able to comment on comparisons with others.

Just saw Copperfield Oct. 20. Third, mayby fourth time I've seen him live. Yes, he does seem tired and Yes he did seem uncaring. His schedule must be very tiring. But his schedule is of his own choice.

"Oh what a gift the good lord give us;
To see ourselves as others see us."

Yes, Frank, we must ALL be careful not to state opinions as facts.

lol,
TW

That's funny. Great catch.

Yes I'm sure that there are some requirements for the car appearance, I saw it first at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood - one of those OMG moments. Saw him in Vegas at the MGM and he did the whole routine minus the appearance, so I assumed that theater could accomodate it.

Went another time to the same Theater at teh MGM and boom - there was the car appearnce.

So I guess it's not always the theater that decides whether you see the car or not.

I had the pleasure of going a fourth time in Vegas with my kids, and was lucky enough to be one of the two guys on the floor underneath the car, holding the pylon that it ends up resting on.

Even though I know how it's done - I still consider it one of the most compelling visual illusions.

Last spring, I had the chance to see the whole Copperfield show from backstage. The whole "Appearing Car Act" is a work of art. So many elements put together to make it convincing. The numbers, the recorded prediction,... the Car (even from backstage, the appearance is so fuc***impressively fast)

Technical restrictions are about stage depth and stage floor capacities. That maybe why they perform it or not, depending of the theatre where they perform.(even if the car is all fiberglass, the rest isn't). Look at the online tech rider for the weight details. It's alot!

The technical team is not a Super Duper Broadway team, they look like a bunch of drunked teenager running everywhere. And Copperfield himself is texting SMS when having his "coffee breaks" backstage and he looked like hell, like he haven't sleep in weeks.

The magic was not as fresh as ten years ago.
The light in his eyes is gone.
The kid refusing to grow up has grown.
Just like Michael Jackson did.
Innocence lost...

I will be seeing Copperfield for the first time in November. I canèt wait, and I know for a fact that I will not be seeing the car appearance because the stage wont allow it. He is performing in a hockey arena in which they are going to put a stage on one end of it.

Hopefully I will see the Copperfield that is filled with energy, and not a drained and tired human being. I cannot wait to see 13.

Don't be so sure you won't see the car... I've seen him do it in arena shows before.

Son of a Beat,

Care to explain how someone with such a low appreciation for Copperfield gets to watch from backstage? Are your really an illusionist or a flunky union worker?

John

Well I have not seen Copperfeild since I was 12 and he is coming to Pensecola, so I am going to go see him, just for nostelgic sake, I hope he is good still

Sweet, at least I have a bit of hope.