David Copperfield


(1956 - )

Born: David Kotkin
Metuchen, New Jersey, USA


Inducted - 2004

David Seth Kotkin, aka David Copperfield, was born in Metuchen, New Jersey on September 16, 1956. He began performing under the name of 'Davino: Boy Magician' performing at birthday parties and shows around his hometown. Not long after this he became the youngest magician to be admitted to SAM, The Society of American Magicians. At the age of 16 he began teaching magic at New York University.

David soon saw success while he was in college at Fordham University in New York. He soon left school when he was cast in the lead of the original musical "The Magic Man", produced in Chicago. He used the stage name of David Copperfield here for the first time. He sang, danced and created all the magic in the show, which went on to become the longest running show in Chicago.

In 1977, ABC snagged David to do a magic series called "The Magic of ABC Starring David Copperfield". With Great success, CBS then signed him up to perform his current 'The Magic of David Copperfield' specials. Since 1978, David has been seen on TV with highly rated and Emmy award winning specials. He has walked through the Great Wall of China, made the Statue of Liberty disappear and he has even flown through the air.

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One great accomplishment of David's is Project Magic. A rehabilitative program developed over a decade ago. This program helps strengthen dexterity and motor use in disabled patients by using simple sleight of hand magic. Project Magic is implemented in over 30 countries and over 1,000 hospitals worldwide.

So has David returned to Metuchen, NJ to visit his hometown? Yes he does make visits on occasion. in 1996, During his Broadway performance in NYC, he stopped by Metuchen to receive an honor and dedication of Copperfield Lane. A street sign bearing his name.

David has made many successes throughout his career. He is known as the greatest illusionist of our time. He has elevated the art of magic to a new level. He performs over 500 shows a year touring worldwide with his stage shows. He not only performs on theatrical stages, but also performs sell out shows in arenas around the world. in 1996, he set box office records with his Broadway show "Dreams & Nightmares". Not only that, he has been knighted by the French government, been honored on postage stamps in several countries, and is the thirteenth highest paid entertainer in the world. With many more successes to his credit, it's a wonder how David manages to stay on top. He never ceases to amaze, surprise and touch the audience in a way no one else can.

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"I grew up in New Jersey. My mom was in insurance, and my dad owned a men's clothing store.
Before I was in my teens, I thought it would be cool to become a ventriloquist.
It turned out that this place sold props for ventriloquists was also a magic shop. So instead of walking out with a dummy, I ended up with a bag of tricks. I started doing little shows in my home town.
When I was 18 I got this part in a musical called "The Magic Man." I got to do my own illusions and sing. The longer the play ran, the more illusions I performed, and the less songs they wanted me to do. I guess I wasn't cut out to be a singer.
When the show closed, I starved in New York for a year, and my dad would slip me a few bucks to pay the heating bill. I sat in my apartment inventing magic, finding the right music, and staging routines. I knocked on a lot of doors and sent out a lot of video tapes. One day I got a phone call to be the host of a TV show. I was 19, and I couldn't believe it.
My first few specials were to music by Gershwin. My inspirations were Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. I though I was really cool. I wore big collars, shiny jackets, and a bad haircut.
On my fourth special, I wanted to go beyond the normal number. So I took that shiny jacket and that bad haircut and made an airplane disappear."

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David Copperfield has been hailed by audiences and critics 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 and Nightmares broke all box office records during its run in New York. International magazines such as Vanity Fair, Esquire, Architectural Digest, Paris Match, Hello! And Germany's Bunte have featured his image and story on their covers. His magic crosses cultural lines. Currently, Forbes has increased his ranking from the 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," David says, "is to consider nothing impossible, then start treating possibilities as probabilities."

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He has broken the mold of the master magician. Soft spoken, witty, engaging, and supremely entertaining. David's modern approach to a very old art that has transformed the way the world looks at magic. His celebrated feats and sense of theater have won the Magic of David Copperfield dozens of Emmy Awards and have led him to be twice named "Entertainer of the Year." His tours have set countless box office records across Europe, North and South America, and Asia. Recently, London's Madame Taussaud's honored David Copperfield with a flying likeness of him 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 an illusionist.

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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.

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. This volume was so well received than an all new book, David Copperfield's Beyond Imagination, hit bookstores 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 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 announced plans for an interactive, magic-themed restaurant, Copperfield Magic Underground, to be located in Times Square in New York and at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, and those are just the beginning. Unlike theme restaurants of the 90s, Copperfield Magic Underground will take patrons on a magical 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 of the past. The illusions are both spectacular mysteries and entertaining theatre. 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.

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