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Pakar Ilusi Inner circle 5777 Posts |
This is not in any way meant to disrespect Copperfield! I am a big fan of his and have seen him live 10 times in the last 5 or so years. Still think that he's one of the most incredible performers of all time!
Anyway, at one show, he was doing the "Graffitti Wall" Audience Prediction effect when one of the sponge brick throws landed on this guy named Helmi. (Probably Indonesian by that name...) Helmi was seated quite close to me. So DC asked him his name. He says "Helmi". Mind you, that's a common name in these parts (in South East Asia) but DC probably was hearing it for the first time. So, after like 5 exchanges that ended with the guy having to spell his name out, DC finally got it down on the wall. DC however made a sarcastic remark about how "common" that name was! (That's why it took so long!) I'm guessing our friend Helmi was a little ticked off by this. Why? Follow the story... Then DC asked Helmi whether he came with a girl or not? No, said Helmi. Then he asked whether Helmi was married? No, said our friend. DC then asked whether Helmi had a girlfriend or not? Again, no was the answer. DC, a little frustrated, asked whether Helmi had at least someone he was attracted to? To this Helmi answered, yes. So... DC asked, who was it? You know what this guy Helmi shouted as an answer to that question? "CLAUDIA!!!" [Remember, this was back when DC still had something going with Claudia Schiffer.] The audience, upon hearing this, went nuts! They started to do a "Wooo..." that went from a whisper, built a momentum, in the end filling the whole theater! "WOOOO.....!!!!" I kid you not. You could see Copperfield's face change as he was taken by surprise (and taken aback) by that remark. So much so, he had to look down at the stage floor [big stagecraft no-no] to recompose himself!(The one and only time I've ever seen him lose his composure during a show btw.) He recovered a little by saying, "Security!Take that man away!", jokingly.... but I'm sure he never really got over it. You should've been there! It was not only hillarious but kinda "stupid cute" in that "Jackass" kinda way, you know? Well, that was it... maybe funny, maybe not... Anyone have anything to share? Peace.
"Dreams aren't a matter of Chance but a matter of Choice." -DC-
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daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
It is stunning to hear stories about Copperfield's humanness. It makes me feel not so alone when I run into an embarrasing situation in my performances.
The David you see on the TV specials always has everything go right for him. (It seems) When you tell stories like this, then you feel the bubble burst, but it's VERY eye opening!! I enjoyed the story, and hope folks will share more on this thread.
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
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avimagic Loyal user Hollywood, Florida 235 Posts |
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The David you see on the TV specials always has everything go right for him. (It seems) I've had friends who were in the audience when a TV special was being taped and said that he shoots retakes when things don't go exactly the way he had hoped. |
MichaelKent Special user 560 Posts |
Pakar,
Your post reminded me of a Copperfield show I had forgotten. In Dayton, OH I saw Copperfield in an arena. This was the rudest audience I have ever seen at a magic show. Especially a show for which they had paid 45+ dollars! Anyway, the audience was yelling out loud throughout the show, and at one point, one man kept yelling "Where's Claudia!?" Copperfield ignored it until it became the focal point of the crowd's attention. Copperfield finally responded to the man by saying "I left her at home." He got a great laugh and applause out of the audience because of the way he said it, somewhat chauvinistically. |
daffydoug Eternal Order Look mom! I've got 14077 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-05-03 08:39, avimagic wrote: That too is eye opening. Sounds like David Blaine's technique, doesn't it? Quote:
On 2004-05-05 13:38, MichaelKent wrote: This too is eye opening! I never thought David had to deal with rude audiences since he doesn't perform in nightclubs, where alcohol flows, and people's inhibitions are more relaxed, and rudeness is therefore more common. This really surprises me, because I always thought David only got the polite audiences, full of people who love him, and come to be amazed and not disruptive. What is your theory on why they were so rude to him that day?
The difficult must become easy, the easy beautiful and the beautiful magical.
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MichaelKent Special user 560 Posts |
Dayton, OH . These people don't get much cultured entertainment.
I could be wrong. |
MISTER E New user 46 Posts |
I heard that DC was doing a talk show one night. He came prepared just to talk and plug an upcoming show. No magic. At some point, the host asked him to do a trick. DC's response was something to the effect of, "I would, but I don't even have a deck of cards." Just then, a magi who was in the audience to see the show yelled out, "I've got one!" and threw it onto the stage. DC gave him a dirty look and ignored the deck.
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Reis O'Brien Inner circle Seattle, WA 2467 Posts |
Hmmm... you think he could just pick up the deck and do a quick effect. That doesn't sound very professional to me, especially if you're there to promote yourself!
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avimagic Loyal user Hollywood, Florida 235 Posts |
That's because he has so programmed his act, he doesn't even remember how to do anything impromptu any more. For God's sake, even the seeming off-the-cuff jokes poked at spectators in the audience ("Can I get you anything? Like a watch?") are planned in advance and rehearsed ad-nauseum. How many times did you see him do the gag with the binoculars with the girl in the front row? Does she tour with him or what?
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Dave V Inner circle Las Vegas, NV 4824 Posts |
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On 2004-05-03 08:39, avimagic wrote: DC taped one of his specials at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. This was the one where was in a straitjacket and suspended upsidedown by flaming ropes. One of my friends went to the taping. The escape was taped outdoors in the back lot. Time after time, something went wrong. He would free himself, and miss catching the rope that was swung to him. So they'd lower the rig to the ground, reattach the safety cable inside the "burning rope" and unceremoniously hoist him back up to try again. This went on for several hours until the audience finally just left. As my friend was leaving, he could see the set from the freeway behind Caesar's, and there he was still hanging there. You would never know by the time they were done editing the show. The "reaction shots" were mostly taped before he arrived, and when he finally succeeded, it was in front of an empty set of bleachers. Another story, same friend (I could never seem to score free passes the way he could) This was in the days before the Internet had caught on, and my friend and I were members of a Magic BBS where we communicated via text messages sent by modem to the sysop's house in California. Rumor had it that DC was there under an assumed name. (I later confirmed this when I helped Chris Kenner configure his modem settings in DC's hotel room) After the show, David was listening to music and signing autographs and totally tuned out the autograph seekers, happily signing away. Scott, my friend, handed him a program to sign (as well as an IBM application to sign, but that's later) and while David was signing, he said "Nice show" David nodded blankly and continued signing."So... you been online lately?" David was stunned... It totally caught him off guard. He stopped dead in his tracks. His assistant said "Move along" but David stopped him, invited Scott to sit up there with him and had a good chat while he finished signing autographs. Oh, he also endorsed Scott's membership into IBM, with a full signature, not his usual "DC" scribble. The ladies in the IBM office were so impressed with Scott's story that the let him keep his application rather than send it in.
No trees were killed in the making of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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indridcold Regular user 163 Posts |
That is one of the coolest stories ever! It is nice when celebrities with 'images' get caught off-guard, and can then be seen as themselves. I really like those moments in his specials (such as when the cute little kid gets really excited and holds his head and kisses his cheek) that keep the little mistakes in.
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Pakar Ilusi Inner circle 5777 Posts |
I hadn't been checking this thread for some time! Great contributions eveyone! Thanks!:)
"Dreams aren't a matter of Chance but a matter of Choice." -DC-
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Decomposed Eternal Order High Desert 12059 Posts |
I just wish his sound system would work when I see him.
Candin
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jameme Regular user Mexico 193 Posts |
I saw him on Vancouver on november of 2008
He did a precognition routine chooses 3 random spectators and asks ¨name of a person they like, color pantys or underwear they are wearing and last time they had sex¨ every spectator gets one of these question and then the prediction comes from a box hanging overthe stage. so with the sex question: When was the last time you had sex? it was an asian fellow with the looks of a (pardon me the expression) nerd... so instantly, when david asked him he went.. so when was the last time you had sex?... the answer was 2 HOURS... all the audience got a laugh david went.. BY YOURSELF and the asian said.. YES hahahahahahaha and david keep playing it.. when he invited the 3 layman to the stage he shaked the hands of the other 2 and didn't shook the hand of the third.. he just pass by making a wink to the public.. He is great |
Sam Weiss Loyal user Stratford, CT should have more than 278 Posts |
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On 2004-05-25 06:57, avimagic wrote: Exactly... his act is extremely programmed... either way though he is still a talented magician who knows how to please a crowd...
"There's something that gets in your soul when you study magic,it's in your heart, and when you perform it comes across the footlights and into everybody else's heart..."
-Denny Haney |
Cyberqat Inner circle You can tell I work on the net from my 2209 Posts |
Yes, we all have feet of clay. even the heroes (and DC is one of mine and I don't care if that makes me uncool ) Performing is hard, chaos is everywhere and as a wise friend said to me after I finished a performance where everything was 'off' ... "Not every performance can be a good one."
The more successful you are, the bigger the pressure to be "perfect." To me he will always be the man who (a) really combined magic and theater and (b) did the most amazing front and back palm I had ever seen (in the middle of his first special, he went into the audience and did some closeup. I think that was the only time he did that on TV.) I saw him on tour and he was good live. Given that, I don't really blame him for wanting to put his "best foot forward" on TV. Now I DO blame him for that bogus grand canyon stunt that ONLY worked because it was TV... but Im sure he was under huge pressure to do something bigger then his last stunt which was the statue of liberty. I hope he regrets that one. Id like to be able to say IVE never been pressures into something I regretted later, but I cant.
It is always darkest just before you are eaten by a grue.
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Cyberqat Inner circle You can tell I work on the net from my 2209 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-07-25 01:58, Sam Weiss wrote: Well again I see this as theater and don't mind as long as the stooge isn't being used to actually enable the magic. I actually got tapped to "shill" at the last (not DC) magic show I was at. It was in vegas and I was asked to respond with specific responses in order to make a gag. The audience got a good laugh and I enjoyed the two minute acting opportunity. So where's the harm?
It is always darkest just before you are eaten by a grue.
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euphoria5150 Regular user Russell Jeanneret 110 Posts |
When I saw David in late '89; he did the classic trick of vanishing a harley motorcycle on stage and reappearing in the middle of the audience. In the middle of the trick when the motorcycle was up in the air, without giving too much away, it was funny to see DC walking down the aisle dressed as a WOMAN! w/a long hair wig, holding the hand of another guy, as a couple would. Just before, ducking/dashing into a large box that later opened to reveal the motorcyle & DC.
Theater, cinemas, and literature are all better forums for telling stories or creating drama. Stand-up comedy is better for telling jokes. But magic is unique in creating the Twilight Zone sense of turning a corner and finding yourself on another street, in another town, in another country. Deception is the means to that end. –John Bannon
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mvmagic Inner circle Has written 1322 Posts |
Back in '97, I went to see his show. I had tickets for the 5 pm show, but due to train shedule was at the arena before the 2 pm show. I could have sneaked in, but instead just roamed the empty corridors during the show. At one point, when "Fan" was being performed, I saw a guy walking towards me and though "Oh God its DC..." but it wasnt...it was his double and that was VERY uncanny...not to mention he got a bit spooked (as I was clearly not staff) and looked like he wanted to walk thru the wall.
In the show I went to see, DC had so much fun with the interpreter that for a few minutes he couldn't perform because he was laughing so much. That causes the audience to roar in laughter and well, you know how it goes Laughter is infectious.
Sent from my Typewriter
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Decomposed Eternal Order High Desert 12059 Posts |
Quote:
On 2002-11-16 11:12, Pakar Ilusi wrote: Classic, thanks!
ClICK HERE for HOW TO MAKE TRANSITION FROM MAGICIAN TO MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER WORLD NEW BOOK!
Click here for NEW PROMO TRAILER! 90 seconds of pure laughs without a standing ovation! Click here for Magicians Austin Mentalist Performance https://www.facebook.com/AustinMagicians https://www.speakermatch.com/profile/gianicano/ Magicians Company Entertainers in Dallas, TX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8sHW_zVuSc https://about.me/motivationalpublicspeaker |
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