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==Early years== ==Early years==
Copperfield was born David Seth Kotkin in Metuchen, New Jersey,<ref name="RememberHy">{{cite web|url=http://www.rememberhy.com|first=Daniel|last=Peres|publisher=Remember Hy|title=Hy about Life}}</ref><ref>Witchel, Alex (1996-11-24). "A Maestro of the Magic Arts Returns to His Roots". The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-12-06. "David Seth Kotkin was born in Metuchen, N.J., 40 years ago; David Copperfield was born when David Kotkin turned 18, at the suggestion of the wife of a New York Post reporter. Which is why his passport reads David Kotkin, a k a David Copperfield."</ref> the son of Jewish parents, Rebecca, an insurance adjuster, and Hyman Kotkin, who owned and operated a men's haberdashery in Metuchen called Korby's.<ref name="RememberHy" /> Copperfield's mother was born in Jerusalem, Palestine, while his paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia.<ref>Ike Hughes (2006). "David Copperfield has made a career out of dazzling people". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved on 2008-09-22. "His dad, who managed a men's clothing store, was the son of Russian immigrants. His mom was born in Jerusalem; both wanted him to go to college and into a profession."</ref> Copperfield was born David Seth Kotkin in Metuchen, New Jersey,<ref name="RememberHy">{{cite web|url=http://www.rememberhy.com|first=Daniel|last=Peres|publisher=Remember Hy|title=Hy about Life}}</ref><ref>Witchel, Alex (1996-11-24). "A Maestro of the Magic Arts Returns to His Roots". The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-12-06. "David Seth Kotkin was born in Metuchen, N.J., 40 years ago; David Copperfield was born when David Kotkin turned 18, at the suggestion of the wife of a New York Post reporter. Which is why his passport reads David Kotkin, a k a David Copperfield."</ref> the son of Jewish parents, Rebecca, an insurance adjuster, and Hyman Kotkin, who owned and operated a men's haberdashery in Metuchen called Korby's.<ref name="RememberHy" /> Copperfield's mother was born in Jerusalem, Israel, while his paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia.<ref>Ike Hughes (2006). "David Copperfield has made a career out of dazzling people". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved on 2008-09-22. "His dad, who managed a men's clothing store, was the son of Russian immigrants. His mom was born in Jerusalem; both wanted him to go to college and into a profession."</ref>


When Copperfield was 10, he began practicing magic as "Davino, the Boy Magician" in his neighborhood,<ref>http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20134087,00.html</ref> and at the age of 12, became the youngest person ever admitted to the ].<ref>http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/etoday/story.html?id=8d1e0ffe-2491-481b-99fd-3924dbd4c069</ref><ref name="AandE bio"> from ]</ref><ref name="MaestroOfTheMagicArts">http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/24/theater/a-maestro-of-the-magic-arts-returns-to-his-roots.html?pagewanted=3</ref> Shy and a loner, the young Copperfield saw magic as a way of fitting in and, later, as a way to get girls.<ref>http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NDoKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-0oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5411,5117535&dq=girls+copperfield</ref> As a teenager, Copperfield became fascinated with Broadway and frequently sneaked into shows, especially musicals featuring ] or ].<ref>http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19970724&slug=2551104</ref> By age 16, he was teaching a course in magic at ].<ref></ref> When Copperfield was 10, he began practicing magic as "Davino, the Boy Magician" in his neighborhood,<ref>http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20134087,00.html</ref> and at the age of 12, became the youngest person ever admitted to the ].<ref>http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/etoday/story.html?id=8d1e0ffe-2491-481b-99fd-3924dbd4c069</ref><ref name="AandE bio"> from ]</ref><ref name="MaestroOfTheMagicArts">http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/24/theater/a-maestro-of-the-magic-arts-returns-to-his-roots.html?pagewanted=3</ref> Shy and a loner, the young Copperfield saw magic as a way of fitting in and, later, as a way to get girls.<ref>http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NDoKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-0oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5411,5117535&dq=girls+copperfield</ref> As a teenager, Copperfield became fascinated with Broadway and frequently sneaked into shows, especially musicals featuring ] or ].<ref>http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19970724&slug=2551104</ref> By age 16, he was teaching a course in magic at ].<ref></ref>

Revision as of 07:26, 21 August 2009

For other uses, see David Copperfield (disambiguation).
David Copperfield
Illusionist David Copperfield after the show on May 8th, 2008.
Born (1956-09-16) September 16, 1956 (age 68)
Metuchen, New Jersey
Occupation(s)Magician, illusionist, director, producer, writer
Websitewww.dcopperfield.com

David Copperfield (born David Seth Kotkin on September 16, 1956 in Metuchen, New Jersey) is an Emmy Award-winning American illusionist described by Forbes in 2006 as the most commercially successful magician in history. Best known for his combination of storytelling and illusion, Copperfield has so far sold 40 million tickets and grossed over $1 billion.

Early years

Copperfield was born David Seth Kotkin in Metuchen, New Jersey, the son of Jewish parents, Rebecca, an insurance adjuster, and Hyman Kotkin, who owned and operated a men's haberdashery in Metuchen called Korby's. Copperfield's mother was born in Jerusalem, Israel, while his paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia.

When Copperfield was 10, he began practicing magic as "Davino, the Boy Magician" in his neighborhood, and at the age of 12, became the youngest person ever admitted to the Society of American Magicians. Shy and a loner, the young Copperfield saw magic as a way of fitting in and, later, as a way to get girls. As a teenager, Copperfield became fascinated with Broadway and frequently sneaked into shows, especially musicals featuring Stephen Sondheim or Bob Fosse. By age 16, he was teaching a course in magic at New York University.

Career and business interests

David Copperfield signing his program after a performance.

At age 18, he enrolled at Fordham University, and was cast in the lead role of the Chicago-based musical The Magic Man (written by Barbara D'Amato and directed by Holland, MI's John Tammi) three weeks into his freshman year, adopting his new stage name "David Copperfield" from the Charles Dickens book of the same name. At age 19, he was headlining at the Pagoda Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Copperfield's career in television began in earnest when he was discovered by Joseph Cates, a producer of Broadway shows and television specials. Cates produced a magic special in 1977 on ABC called "The Magic of ABC" hosted by Copperfield, as well as several of the "The Magic of David Copperfield" specials on CBS between 1978 and 1998. There has been a total of 20 Copperfield TV specials between 1977 and 2001.

Copperfield played the character of "Ken the Magician" in the 1980 horror film Terror Train. He also made an uncredited appearance in the 1994 film Prêt-à-Porter. Most of his media appearances have been through television specials and guest spots on television programs. His illusions have included making the Statue of Liberty disappear, flying, levitating over the Grand Canyon, and walking through the Great Wall of China.

In 1996, Copperfield 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. A second volume was later published in 1997, called David Copperfield's Beyond Imagination. In addition to the 2 books, David also wrote an essay as part of the "This I Believe" series from NPR and the This I Believe, Inc. Also during 1996, in collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola, David Ives, and Eiko Ishioka,Copperfield's Broadway show "Dreams & Nightmares" broke box office records.

Copperfield notes that his role models were not magicians and that "My idols were Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire and Orson Welles and Walt Disney ... they took their individual art forms and they moved people with them ... I wanted to do the same thing with magic. I wanted to take magic and make it romantic and make it sexy and make it funny and make it goofy ... all the different things that a songwriter gets to express or a filmmaker gets to express ...."

On 7 May, 2009, Copperfield was dropped by Michael Jackson from Jackson's residency at the O2 Arena after an alleged row over money. Copperfield wanted $1 million (£666,000) per show. Copperfield denied the reports of a row, saying "don't believe everything you read.". News of Copperfield's collaboration with Jackson first surfaced on April 1st, 2009, and has since been reported by several websites as a possible April Fool's prank.

In August 2009, Copperfield brought his show to Australia.

International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts

Copperfield owns the International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts, which houses the world's largest collection of historically significant magic memorabilia, books and artifacts. Begun in 1991 when Copperfield purchased the Mullholland Library of Conjuring and the Allied Arts, which contained the world's largest collection of Houdini memorabilia, the museum comprises 5,000 cubic feet and approximately 80,000 items of magic memorabilia, including Houdini's Water Torture Cabinet and his Metamorphosis Trunk, Orson Welles' Buzz Saw Illusion and automata created by Robert Houdin.

The museum is not open to the public; tours are reserved for "colleagues, fellow magicians, and serious collectors". Located in a warehouse at Copperfield's headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, the museum is entered via a secret door in what was described by actor Hugh Jackman as a "sex shop" and by Forbes as a "mail-order lingerie warehouse". "'It doesn't need to be secret, it needs to be respected,' he said. 'If a scholar or journalist needs a piece of magic history, it's there.'"

Musha Cay and the Islands of Copperfield Bay

In 2006 Copperfield bought eleven Bahamian islands called Musha Cay. Rechristened "The Islands of Copperfield Bay," the islands are a private resort. Guests have reportedly included Oprah Winfrey and John Travolta, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin was married there.

"Magic Underground" restaurant

David Copperfield's Magic Underground was planned to be a restaurant based on Copperfield's magic. There was a sign on Hollywood Boulevard during the late 90s indicating the restaurant was coming soon. Signs were also located around Pleasure Island and signs outside Disney-MGM Studios. A Magic Underground restaurant was also going to open in New York's Times Square. Plans also included eventual expansion into Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as well as Paris and Tokyo. The restaurants were to have magic props and other items on the walls of the restaurants while magicians would go around to tables doing sleight of hand tricks. There was also to be a larger stage for larger stunts. The restaurant in Times Square was 85 percent completed, but, amid disputes between the creative team and the financial team, and enormous cost overruns, finances dried up from the investors, so the project was cancelled, and Disney cancelled the lease. Copperfield had none of his money invested in the project; however, the investors reportedly lost $34 million on the project, and subcontractors obtained $15 million in liens.

Accidents and injuries

  • On March 11, 1984, while rehearsing an illusion called "Escape from Death" where he was shackled and handcuffed in a tank of water, Copperfield became tangled in the chains and started taking in water and banging into the sides of the tank. He was pulled from the water after 1 minute 20 seconds, hyperventilating and in shock, and taken to a Burbank hospital, and found to have pulled tendons in arms and legs. He was in a wheelchair for a week and used a cane for a period thereafter.
  • Doing a rope trick, Copperfield accidentally cut off the tip of his finger with sharp scissors. He was rushed to hospital and the fingertip was re-attached.
  • On December 17, 2008, during a live performance in Las Vegas, one of Copperfield's assistants was sucked into the spinning blades of a 12 feet (3.7 m) high industrial fan that Copperfield "walks through." The assistant sustained multiple fractures to his arm, lacerations that required stitching, and severe bleeding. Copperfield canceled the rest of the performance and offered the audience members refunds.

Litigation

  • On July 11, 1994 Copperfield sued magician and author Herbert L. Becker in order to prevent publication of Becker's book, which reveals how magicians do their tricks. Becker won the law suit. However, the book was published without exposing any of Copperfield's secrets. Because of a secrecy agreement Becker had signed with Copperfield, and an independent finding that Becker's description of Copperfield's methods was inaccurate, the publisher removed the section on Copperfield from the book before publication.
  • In 1997, magician and author Herbert L. Becker sued Copperfield and Lifetime Books for US$50 million for causing breach of contract between himself and Lifetime Books, the publisher of his book All the Secrets of Magic Revealed.
  • In 1997, Copperfield and Schiffer sued Paris Match for US$30 million after the magazine claimed their relationship was a stunt, that Schiffer was paid for pretending to be Copperfield's fiancée and that she didn't even like him. In 1999, they won an undisclosed sum and a retraction from Paris Match. Copperfield's publicist confirmed that while Schiffer had a contract to appear in the audience at Copperfield's show in Berlin where they met, she was not under contract to be his "consort".
  • In 2004, John Melk, co-founder of Blockbuster Inc., and previous owner of Musha Cay, sued Copperfield for fraud after Copperfield's purchase of the island chain, alleging that Copperfield had deliberately obscured his identity during the purchase and that he would not have sold the island to Copperfield. Copperfield claimed that Melk had agreed to sell the property to Copperfield's Imagine Nation Company, and that Copperfield negotiated the deal through a third party because he feared Melk was "seeking to exploit" Copperfield's celebrity status by demanding an unrealistic price. The case was settled in 2006. The terms of the settlement are undisclosed.
  • On November 6, 2007, Viva Art International Ltd and Maz Concerts Inc. sued Copperfield for nearly $2.2 million for breach of contract. Copperfield has countersued the promoters.

Personal life

Copperfield was engaged to supermodel Claudia Schiffer for six years, but the couple separated in 1999 citing work schedules.

2006 robbery

In April 2006, Copperfield and two female assistants were robbed at gunpoint after a performance in West Palm Beach, Florida. His assistants gave the robbers their money, passports and a cell phone. According to his police statement, Copperfield did not hand over anything, claiming that he used sleight-of-hand to hide his possessions. One of Copperfield's assistants wrote down most of the license plate number, and the suspects were later arrested, tried and sentenced.

Investigation

Copperfield has been under investigation by a Seattle federal grand jury since late 2007 and the subject of a federal lawsuit filed in July 2009 related to allegations of sexual assault. Copperfield's attorney has denied the allegations.

Earnings

David Copperfield on the Forbes Celebrity 100 List
Year (June-June) Pay (USD, millions) Power Rank Pay Rank
1999–2000 not on list
2001 60 23 5
2002 not on list
2003 55 43 10
2004 57 35 10
2005 57 41 10
2006–2008 not on list
2009 30 80 50

Forbes magazine reported that Copperfield earned $55 million in 2003, making him the tenth highest paid celebrity in the world (earnings figures are pre-tax and before deductions for agents' and attorneys' fees, etc). He earned $57 million in 2004 and 2005, and $30 million in 2009 in entertainment earnings, according to Forbes. Copperfield performs over 500 shows per year throughout the world.

Charitable activities

Project Magic

In 1982, Copperfield founded Project Magic, a rehabilitation program to help disabled patients regain lost or damaged dexterity skills by using sleight-of-hand magic as a method of physical therapy. The program has been accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association, and is in use in over 1100 hospitals throughout 30 countries worldwide. Copperfield made an appearance on Oprah Radio in April 2008 to talk with Oprah Radio host Dr. Mehmet Oz about how the use of magic can help disabled people.

Achievements and awards

File:Copperfield.JPG
The hand prints of David Copperfield in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
  • Forbes's "The Celebrity 100" for 2009 ranks Copperfield as the 80th most powerful celebrity, with earnings of $30 million.

Guinness World Records

Copperfield holds 11 Guinness World Records. They include:

  1. Largest private collection of magic artifacts
  2. Most tickets sold worldwide by a solo entertainer
  3. Highest career earnings as a magician
  4. Highest Broadway gross in a week
  5. Largest Broadway attendance in a week
  6. Largest international television audience for a magician
  7. Most magic shows performed in a year
  8. Largest work archive for a magician
  9. Highest annual earnings for a magician
  10. Largest illusion ever staged
  11. Magician holding the most world records

Television specials

Worldwide tours

  • The Magic of David Copperfield: Live on Stage (1983–1986)
  • The Magic of David Copperfield (1987–1990)
  • David Copperfield: Radical New Illusions (1991–1992)
  • David Copperfield: Magic for the 90's (1992–1994)
  • David Copperfield: Beyond Imagination a.k.a. The Best of David Copperfield (1995–1996)
  • David Copperfield: Dreams and Nightmares a.k.a. Magic is Back (1996–1998)
  • David Copperfield: Journey of a Lifetime a.k.a. U! (1999–2000)
  • David Copperfield: Unknown Dimension a.k.a. Global Encounter (2000–2001)
  • David Copperfield: Portal (2001–2002)
  • David Copperfield: An Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion a.k.a. World of Wonders (2003–Present)

Filmography

See also

References

  1. ^ Forbes.com, "Houdini in the Desert" May 8, 2006, available at http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/0508/153.html
  2. ^ Peres, Daniel. "Hy about Life". Remember Hy.
  3. Witchel, Alex (1996-11-24). "A Maestro of the Magic Arts Returns to His Roots". The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-12-06. "David Seth Kotkin was born in Metuchen, N.J., 40 years ago; David Copperfield was born when David Kotkin turned 18, at the suggestion of the wife of a New York Post reporter. Which is why his passport reads David Kotkin, a k a David Copperfield."
  4. Ike Hughes (2006). "David Copperfield has made a career out of dazzling people". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved on 2008-09-22. "His dad, who managed a men's clothing store, was the son of Russian immigrants. His mom was born in Jerusalem; both wanted him to go to college and into a profession."
  5. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20134087,00.html
  6. http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/etoday/story.html?id=8d1e0ffe-2491-481b-99fd-3924dbd4c069
  7. ^ David Copperfield Bio from A&E
  8. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/24/theater/a-maestro-of-the-magic-arts-returns-to-his-roots.html?pagewanted=3
  9. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NDoKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-0oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5411,5117535&dq=girls+copperfield
  10. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19970724&slug=2551104
  11. Short bio from Chicago Gigs on Copperfield
  12. "About Barbara D'Amato". D'Amato is a playwright, novelist, and crime researcher...Her musical comedies, The Magic Man and the children's musical The Magic of Young Houdini, written with husband Anthony D'Amato, played in Chicago and London.
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  14. ^ "Joseph Cates, 74, a Producer Of Innovative Specials for TV". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  15. "Renowned Illusionist David Copperfield to Offer Personal Essay on This I Believe Segment on All Things Considered". National Public Radio. Renowned illusionist David Copperfield discusses his father's influence and the impact of kindness in an essay for the NPR series This I Believe airing on All Things Considered, Monday, August 21.
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  26. COP-A-FEEL-N.Y. Post http://www.nypost.com/seven/10202007/news/nationalnews/cop_a_feel.htm ("We pull up outside this sex shop and David gets out, pulls out a set of keys, and walks in, and we're thinking 'Oh my god what have we got ourselves into here?'")
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  28. ^ —Jennifer Hall (2009-03-01). "The Robb Reader: David Copperfield". Robb Report. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
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  30. Forbes.com, Most Expensive Resorts 2006, available at http://www.forbes.com/2006/05/17/cx_sb_0518featslide_2.html?thisSpeed=6000
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  37. "BW Online". www.businessweek.com. Retrieved 2009-05-20. subcontractors slapped $15 million in liens on the project {{cite web}}: Text "October 19, 1998" ignored (help); Text "TALK SHOW" ignored (help)
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  42. "David Copperfield's Publishing Problem". www.ew.com. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
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  45. "America's top two magicians locked in a legal battle". New Straits Times. 1997. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  46. "Fairytale romance that began with a cunning illusion - The Independent". www.independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-06-08. The French magazine Paris Match claims that the meeting was a carefully calculated stunt, to boost Ms Schiffer's profile in the US and Copperfield's career in Europe. "It was just a plot to dupe their loyal fans, and we've got the contracts to prove it," said the magazine.
  47. "Time Magazine - Copperfield V. Paris Match". www.time.com. Retrieved 2009-06-08. The suit states that Paris Match added that the supermodel now gets paid for pretending to be Copperfield's fiance and doesn't even like him.
  48. "Shedding Light: Copperfield talks candidly about his profession". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved 2009-06-08. Last year Copperfield slapped a $30 million lawsuit on Paris-Match magazine that alleged in a story that the Copperfield-Schiffer relationship was mere illusion; little more than a business deal to enhance both their careers.
  49. "Copperfield's Claudia Clone". www.nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
  50. "Love, Honor and Portray". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 1997-07-16. Retrieved 2009-06-12. Copperfield's publcist said he and Schiffer had contracts to do the 1993 show, but "there is no contract that states Claudia is there as some sort of consort."{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  51. "David Copperfield Sues Fireman's Fund" Insurance Journal, Aug. 29, 2000, available at http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2000/08/29/11324.htm (last visited May 20, 2009)
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  53. "David Copperfield Has a New Assistant: the KGB". Time Magazine. January 24, 2000. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  54. ^ "FOXNews.com - Property Owner Sued Copperfield Over Sale of Island Where Alleged Rape Occurred". www.foxnews.com. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  55. "Magic Star in $56.5 Mil Exuma Resort Row," Bahamas B2B.com, Feb. 2, 2004, available at http://www.bahamasb2b.com/news/wmview.php?ArtID=3236
  56. "Promoters Sue David Copperfield for $2.2 Million". Voice of America. 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  57. "David Copperfield rep says shows canceled over money". www.nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
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  59. They had met in 1993 at a Berlin celebrity gala when he brought her on stage to participate in a mind reading act. "CANOE -- JAM! - Schiffer's big shift". jam.canoe.ca. Retrieved 2009-05-20. It was our work schedules that ended the relationship.
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  71. "Magician David Copperfield". Can performing magic tricks help disabled patients heal? Dr. Oz talks with illusionist David Copperfield about how magic has helped him and how, in turn, he is helping others through his organization Project Magic.
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  76. "The Celebrity 100," Forbes.com, 6/3/09, available at http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/53/celebrity-09_David-Copperfield_62B2.html
  77. Guinness World Records 2006, pg. 197 (Isbn no 1904994024)
  78. "Copperfield will fight ice with fire". USAToday. April 3, 2001.

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