While you may have a magical time playing casino table games or live dealer games, there’s something to be said about incredible feats of magic and illusion, especially if they’re performed by one of the greatest magicians of all time, David Copperfield. Copperfield has always had a love for magic, having practiced it since he was just 10 years old. By the age of 19 he was headlining his own show at the Pagoda Hotel in Hawaii, and needless to say, his career only went up from there.
Having practiced magic for over 50 years, there are undoubtedly some tricks and illusions that stand out above the rest. Join us as we take a look at four of his most astounding magic acts!
1. The flying illusion
For decades, man has dreamed of flying, and even though we’ve taken to the skies in many machines including airplanes, helicopters, and even modern-day jetpacks, people still wish they could walk outside and simply fly through the sky. It’s this desire that probably made Copperfield’s 1992 flying illusion so special.
In this incredible magic trick, he brings many of his audience members to tears as he makes this dream a reality (at least on stage). Set against a blue backdrop filled with clouds, David plays a man who dreams of flying, and then takes to the air above the stage against beautifully choreographed music. He floats between rings and even enters a sealed perspex box, before again taking to the sky!
2. The disappearing Learjet
While many magicians had demonstrated the ability to make small objects disappear, and even the great Houdini had made an elephant disappear, David again demonstrated the mastery of his craft by making a Learjet vanish from view. The jet was parked on a runway, surrounded by a ring of blindfolded people, and enclosed on three sides by scaffolding with material that allowed silhouettes to be seen. Copperfield strappeds the plane down to nearby concrete blocks and, bathed in light, the crews pushed the fourth and final wall up as Copperfield moved towards a switch. He pushed the switch and lights turned on around the jet, showing the silhouette of the plane and the people surrounding it.
He locked the final wall in place, returned to the switch, asked the people to raise their hands (which they do), and flipped the switch off. The silhouette disappeared, and with a mighty shout of “now!”, the walls collapsed and revealed that the plane, which was surrounded by four walls and a ring of people, and was located outdoors on a concrete runway, was gone!
3. Making the Statue of Liberty disappear
Copperfield was clearly not satisfied with making a private jet disappear, and rather than simply recreating his previous act with a bigger plane, he decided to go much, much bigger and make the Statue of Liberty disappear.
A live audience was seated on one end of Liberty Island, a couple of hundred feet away from the statue. Two towers made of scaffolds were positioned on either side of the area where the audience sat, with a view of the statue in between. A helicopter flew above to capture all the action from the skies, while radar was used to locate the statue as well.
A curtain rises between the scaffolding, obscuring the statue from the audience’s view. David places a finger to his temple, the statue disappears from the radar screen, and the curtain lowers to reveal that the statue has indeed disappeared. Footage from the helicopter, which had previously shown the statue clearly visible, is shown after the curtain fall, and yes, the statue has disappeared.
The curtain was raised one more time, and after one final fall, the statue was revealed to be back where it belongs.
4. Escaping chains before a raft plummets down Niagara Falls
In his most dangerous act ever, Copperfield would demonstrate his incredible skills by being locked in chains on a board on a raft, his movement further restricted by a steel box. Once free from the shackles, David would need to detach a jet ski that was secured to the raft and ride through the rapids before the raft fell hundreds of feet over Niagara Falls. Of course, to make the stakes even higher, he would be surrounded by flames. All this would happen in less than 60 seconds and would be recorded using one continuous shot.
His assistants chained him up, secured him in the steel box, lit the fire, and released the raft onto the hazardous waters. While we see David retract his legs into the steel case mere feet from the edge of the Falls, he is not seen leaving the burning raft – it and the jet ski plummet over the edge. Mere moments later, however, a helicopter rises from the edge of the falls, revealing David holding onto a rope attached to the bottom of the chopper.
Enjoy the master live at the MGM Grand
To witness these incredible illusions in person, be sure to book a ticket for one of David Copperfield’s incredible shows, starting in early December 2021 at the MGM Grand! Tickets are also available for the premium Meet & Greet Experience, which doesn’t only offer the best seating, but also a chance to meet David Copperfield, get a photo with him, get a limited edition signed autograph, and witness an illusion that’s only ever been seen by a select few!
And when you’re done, kick back and relax at any of the great MGM hotels and resorts, or try your luck at one of our many exciting casinos with a wide choice of types of casino games.
Have a great time at BetMGM
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