Biography 
Biography
David Copperfield
David Copperfield has been hailed by audiences the world over as the greatest
magician of our time. After years of successful network specials and extensive
touring, David Copperfield has been seen worldwide by more people than any other
magician in history, including Houdini. His critically acclaimed Broadway show
“Dreams & Nightmares” broke all box office records during it's run in New
York. Such international magazines as Vanity Fair, Esquire, Architectural Digest,
Paris Match, Hello! and Germany's Bunte have graced their covers with his image
and story. His magic crosses cultural lines. Currently, Forbes magazine has
increased his ranking from eighth to the sixth highest grossing entertainer
in the world, ahead of Madonna, Kevin Costner, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
David Copperfield has elevated the art of magic to new heights --redefining
this ancient art along the way. Where others think “it can't be done,” David's
approach is: “Yes it can!” Vanish the Statue of Liberty. Walk through the Great
Wall of China. Soar through space with the greatest of ease. To David Copperfield,
his passion for magic is everything.“The secret,” says David, “is to consider
nothing impossible, then start treating possibilities as probabilities. If I
am in the impossible business, and I am, then I want to go beyond impossible.”
He has broken the mold of the master magician: soft spoken, witty, engaging,
and supremely entertaining, his modern approach to a very old art has transformed
the way the world looks at magic. He celebrated feats and sense of theater have
won The Magic of David Copperfield dozens of Emmys, and have led him to be twice
named Entertainer of the Year. His tour has set countless box office records
across Europe, North and South America and Asia. Recently, London's Madame Tussaud's
honored David Copperfield with a flying likeness in wax. He is the only living
magician to receive his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In France, he was knighted by the French government, receiving the Chevalier
of Arts and Letters, the first ever for a magician.
Born September 16, 1956, young David Kotkin was performing professionally in
his home town of Metuchen, New Jersey, at the age or twelve. Soon thereafter,
he became the youngest person ever to be admitted to the Society of American
Magicians. By sixteen, he was teaching magic at New York University.
While in college, he was cast as lead in the Chicago musical, The Magic Man.
Under the name David Copperfield, he sang, danced, acted, and created all the
magic in the show that became the longest running musical in Chicago history.
As a result, he was chosen to host, The Magic of ABC, starring David Copperfield.
The show was well received, introducing David Copperfield to the world. So successful
was his performance, that CBS signed David for a series of specials, beginning
the series: The Magic of David Copperfield. With each new special, David introduces
more mind-boggling feats of magic, always performing before a live audience
without the aid of any camera tricks or video effects.
More than any other magician before him, David Copperfield understands his craft.
“Before there can be wonders, there must be wonder. In my show, I try to transport
people on a journey of the imagination, much in the same way as a great film
director does.” In The Magic of David Copperfield, the wonder is real; the miracles
are happening live before real witnesses.
Yet for all his accomplishments, David Copperfield insists that his greatest
work to date is Project Magic. David developed this rehabilitative program over
a decade ago to strengthen dexterity and motor use in disabled patients by using
simple sleight-of-hand magic. “It motivates a patient's therapy and helps to
build self esteem.” Copperfield says, “There is nothing I do that is more important.”
Project Magic is currently implemented in 1,000 hospitals and 30 countries around
the world, from Belgium to New Zealand, Iceland to Singapore.
Recently, David Copperfield stepped into the world of literary illusionists
when he joined forces with Dean Koontz, Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Bradbury, and
others for David Copperfield's Tales of the Impossible. An anthology of original
fiction set in the world of magic and illusion. The volume was so well received
that an all new book, David Copperfield's Beyond Imagination hit the shelves
this year
David Copperfield also has a secret passion: preserving the history of the
art of magic for present and future generations by providing a safe, permanent
home for antiquarian props, books, and other historical ephemera related to
conjuring. His vast collection, known as the International Museum and Library
of the Conjuring Arts, is housed in Nevada. David's goal is to build a monument
to the history of magic as a performing art, an ongoing museum that will survive
us all.
The International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts is the world's premiere
collection of historical documentation and artifacts regarding or pertaining
to magic, illusion, and the allied arts. “Every contemporary magician stands
on the shoulders of giants.” says Copperfield, “and this museum is eloquent
proof of the rich mosaic of contributions by men and women throughout the ages
to this most compelling of all art forms.
In 1996, David Copperfield announce plans for an Interactive magic-themed restaurant,
Copperfield Magic Underground to be located on Times Square in New York and
at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Unlike passive themed restaurants
of the 90's, Magic Underground will take patrons on a magic adventure where
they will actually experience the magic as they dine.
David Copperfield has rewritten the book on magic. He has brought it to heights
of artistry and imagination undreamed by wizards or audiences in the past. The
illusions are both spectacular mysteries and entertaining theater. He blends
mystery and romance into sensual illusions which dazzle the mind and move the
heart. The real magic, however, is the man. David Copperfield has changed the
view of what magic is and will continue to be for all time.
David Blaine
David Blaine was born in Brooklyn New York. He started doing magic at the age of 4, with his first trick the pencil through card gizmo, he knew this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. At the age of 10, his mother had remarried and moved the family to New Jersey. As a teen it seemed acting was what he loved. He travelled to Manhattan everyday to go to an acting school he attended. He made a few cameo appearances on soap operas and was in a few commercials. I guess it was his magic skills combined with his acting backround, that has made him into what he is today. His mother was very supportive with him and his magic but tragically she died in 1994 when David was 21. He became noticed when he entered the Hollywood scene doing magic for movie stars. That was when his skills caught the attention of Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, to name a few. Leonardo and De Niro are now considered good friends of his. His next step was getting an agent, making a crude home video with a friend and sending it to ABC. They gave him an interview and did some magic for them. After becoming dumbfounded, they gave him a million dollar contract, creating the first special "Street Magic."
Many people were never into watching magic shows
untill "Street Magic" began airing. They found other shows to be too
glitzy and showy. But not David's show. His is so down to earth. For David to
use his magic with ordinary people off the street is so refreshing.
Lance Burton
A World Champion Magician is leading Magic into the 21st Century
Lance Burton's achievement is a quintessential American success story. He was born into a secure and loving farm family in Kentucky on March 10, 1960. His introduction to the world of magic began before his sixth birthday as a result of being taken to a Christmas party where the featured performer was a magician. He asked for a volunteer and an eager Lance bolted up onto the stage. The maestro performed a trick known as "The Miser's Dream" and (seemingly) pulled silver dollars out of his bewildered, impressionable assistant's ear. "Wow!" Was Lance's thought, "What a great way to make money and people like you too."
The hook was in. From that moment on, he knew what he wanted in life and nothing would deter him from it.
The progression toward eventual stardom was both consistent and steady. a neighbor, hearing of young Lance's new interest, gave him a book, "Magic Made Easy," which her now grown, children had used. It contained 10 tricks, all of which Lance swiftly learned and performed for his neighborhood friends. The fee charged for admission was five cents per head. His first foray into the field of magical patter, happened when his mother bought him one of Marshall Bodien's (the great TV pitch man) "TV Magic Cards." Not knowing how to do otherwise, Lance used Marshall's lines straight off the commercial. "My name's Lance Burton, magic is easy when you know the secret!" Then came the gifts of magic sets at birthday and Christmas times. He spent all of his allowance and chore's money buying all the latest wonders at the local Magic Shop in Louisville. The boy's zeal and perseverance did not go unnoticed.
Harry Collins (the man who impressed Lance years before) was a full-time professional magician in Kentucky. He noted the intense devotion the young boy was putting into his magic act. Lance entered his teens and Harry became his mentor. The die cast by this teaming molded the classical education of a future magic star. Under this expert and wise tutelage, Lance learned both the fundamentals and techniques of performing sleight-of-hand and the correct way to manipulate playing cards. An important portion of Lance's education was spent in perfecting the art of misdirection. His superb mastery of this art has earned Lance the title, "A Magician's Magician." Harry's traditional approach to magic affected the foundation, upon which his protege would build his future career. He always dressed in tails and acted as a magician and "Most impressive," from the point of view of his pupil, "he was very much a gentleman on stage."
Lance has never forgotten the advice Harry Collins drilled into his mind, "If you want to go on stage as a magician, you should look like a magician." He also counseled Lance against being caught up in the wearing of colorful tie-dyed T-shirts and jeans as so many young magicians were doing; hoping by aping a well-known performer's style, that they too would reap success. Harry in his wisdom, saw this as a faddish trend that would eventually fade. He was right. Lance bought his first suit of tails at 14. He recalls with a chuckle, "I didn't really look like a magician when I was that age, but -- I had the tails!"
Lance Burton entered his first competition as a junior magician at a convention in 1977 and walked away with first prize. His maturity as a performer was becoming evident. It was no longer a matter of "if", but when, his "big break" would come. The recognition from his peers continued. In 1980, shortly after his 20th birthday, Lance Burton became the first winner of the coveted, "Gold Medal for Excellence" from the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Lance decided that the time was right, to leave home and move to Southern California. Bill and Milt Larsen immediately signed him up for their annual "It's Magic" show and used their contacts to have him introduced to all of America. This led to his first appearance on "The Tonight Show" hosted by Johnny Carson. This one appearance put Lance Burton permanently into the pages of magic history.
It was a well-accepted fact that the most time any unknown performer could hope for on "The Tonight Show" was eight minutes -- at best! Johnny, who loves magic, watched Lance's dress rehearsal and told his staff to rearrange the taping so that Lance could present his full 12-minute act. When Johnny Carson led a standing ovation and proclaimed to both his studio audience and his millions of viewers, that Lance Burton was "A beautiful classy act, the best I've ever seen!" A new professional performer entered the scene.
The offers poured in. Lance wisely accepted an eight-week trial engagement at the prestigious "Folies Bergere" in Las Vegas. His contract broke all records after he performed in the show for nine years. Lance decided to put his professional career on the line and asked the management if he could take a week off to enter the competition at "F.I.S.M." (Federation International Societe de Magic) in Lausanne, Switzerland. He honored his country on July 10, 1982, by winning the "Grand Prix" that recognized him as a "World Champion Magician." Lance Burton was both the first American and the youngest performer to be so honored. The star continued to ascend.
On April 21, 1996, Lance Burton gave his last performance and concluded his fifth and final year in the Fiesta Theater at the Hacienda Hotel, in Las Vegas, Nevada. A fete, that confounds the pundits who stated, "It cannot be done!" They had reasoned that a true, classically conceived magic show could not make it in a city where only larger than life illusions and high tech gimmickry had become the norm. Fortunately, for both Lance Burton and the art of magic, they had predicted wrongly. His show proved to be the most successful attraction in the 35-year history of the Hacienda broke every record for attendance. Ticket agencies report that Lance Burton drew the highest rate of repeat ticket buyers in recent memory.
It is important to Lance that his show be in a continuous state of flux, as he dreams up and brings to reality his latest creations for generations of audiences to enjoy. His magical art provides him with a vast canvas on which to portray his skills and imagination. It has been truly stated that, "Lance Burton has sought out, found and brought back the lost classical soul of magic, and made it uniquely his own., And in this, he has no peers."
Daryl
Since his first professional performance in 1968, DARYL has achieved extraordinary success in Magic. Using awards as a measurement, DARYL earned the gold medal at the World Congress of Magic (the "Olympics" of Magic), in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1982, and 6 Academy Awards from the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California (no one has earned more). Twice, his peers voted him Close-Up Magician of the Year (1980 and 1981), twice as Parlour Magician of the Year (1986 and 1987), and twice as Lecturer of the Year (1988 and 1992). The list goes on and on with victories in every major competition he has entered.
DARYL truly enjoys what he does and his enthusiasm is obvious in his performances. He has performed many of his mysteries literally thousands of times, but his fresh performing style creates the illusion that the magic is happening for the very first time. This, combined with his ability to create magical effects and his willingness to teach others, has helped to create his well-earned world-wide reputation.
DARYL's first exposure to Magic was in 1962, when a friend of the family gave him a Svengali deck as a gift. He became fascinated with what could be done with this special trick deck of cards and his interest in Magic soon turned into a true love of the art form. After years of performing Magic for family, friends, local organizations and school shows, DARYL studied street performing in San Francisco. He performed street Magic and passed the hat by day then put on his tuxedo and performed elegant close-up shows for the patrons at the Magic Cellar nightclub in the evenings. The combination of these two totally different performing styles provided an incredible learning experience. He continued this hectic schedule for several years.
In 1973, at 18 years old, he performed his first industrial trade show for Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation. The company was thrilled with his performance and amazed at the custom magical effects he created to offer clients as a souvenir of the experience. They sent him all over the country to promote their products and services. Since then, DARYL has performed for a large number of major corporations around the world. As his success grew, so did requests for his performing and lecturing. DARYL has traveled the world several times, performing for magicians and lay audiences. In response to requests for information on his effects, he created a set of lecture notes that were sold at his lectures. This became the first item in what is now an extensive catalog of custom Magic effects that DARYL offers through a world-wide distribution network.
In addition to his other activities, DARYL has appeared at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., NBC's Today Show, HBO's Magical Moments with Dick Cavett, done several television commercials, and performed for literally thousands of satisfied clients all over the world. When asked about his favorite performing venue, DARYL says, "My favorite place to perform has always been the Magic Castle. Having the pleasure of working in an elegant environment for people who really know Magic is always a fantastic experience. I also enjoyed opening Caesars Magical Empire in Las Vegas. Being booked to open the facility was truly an honor."
