by Abel Horwitz
Daily Lobo
David Copperfield's first encounter with magic was a sleight-of-hand card trick his grandfather taught him as a child.
Creating illusions became Copperfield's life. He performs more than 500 shows a year, has been named a living legend by the Library of Congress, and has received countless awards for his television specials and live performances.
Copperfield speaks slowly and carefully. His voice is deep, and he stretches words out. As a result, he sounded a bit like Morpheus when he spoke of using people's dreams to fuel his show.
"I do illusions based on people's dreams," Copperfield said. "In my show, you will see how it's possible to win the lottery. People dream about that. People dream about traveling around the world. I'll have someone vanish from the audience and reappear in Hawaii. I'll reunite loved ones. Other people dream about having kids. I do a funny thing about having kids. People dream about cars. Cars are important to people."
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To keep the illusions fresh and his naysayers guessing, Copperfield said he constantly changes his act.
"I usually have four or five different versions of my illusions," he said. "If people start to figure out the trick, I change the process. This keeps me and my audience interested in my show."
If Copperfield wasn't an illusionist, he said he would most likely be a film director.
"I've always liked film directors," he said. "They're illusionists in their own way. It helps me to do what I do better."
Aside from magic, Copperfield is a fan of movies. His favorites are "Casablanca," "Citizen Kane," and "The Wizard of Oz." He said the best movie he's seen in the past 10 years was "American Beauty."
"There's just something about that film," he said. "Everything about it is perfect. It makes people suspend reality. That's what I want people to get out of my show."
For Copperfield, nothing is impossible. He said as long as there are still dreams, he will try to make them a reality.
"When I walk down the street, and people recognize me, they're usually very nice to me," he said. "We talk, and I ask them about their dreams. From that, I get my show. It makes the show much more important."
COMING ATTRACTION
David Copperfield's "Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion"
Monday at 5:30 and 8:30 pm
Popejoy Hall
Tickets: $29.75 to $49.75
UNM ticket offices
